What to Do With Old Laptops?

In the age of technology, every one of us has computers and laptops. From time to time when our old laptops get old, we get new ones for our work. But, have you ever thought about what to do with old laptops?

Sometimes old laptops are kept in a corner of our house or sometimes they are sold to some shopkeeper. Some people just through not working laptops into garbage houses which is wrong because it is not an organic thing, it could be e-waste.  Old Laptops cannot be disposed of like a used object. It will contribute to e-waste which can be detrimental in the long run for the environment.

A laptop has a high-grade metal and plastic or steel finish. Having such minerals can take time to decompose or not decompose at all. This problem is actually multifold and can cause a bigger cause of distress than expected.

There are many ways we can get rid of the old laptop. Some of those, I am going to mention in this article. This will educate you on the best use of your old laptop, and then you won’t have the query, of what to do with the old laptop.

So, let’s find out…

Top Ways to Repurpose Your Old Laptop

Use it as a storage unit

Considering your old laptop is in working condition but it has gone slow with time, you can use it as a storage device for your use. I mean you can just keep your old laptop with you, and connect to your new laptop by building a local area network between both laptops, and just use the old laptop as an external storage device. This way, you can keep fewer files on your new laptop which will help it stay working fast, and all the heavy files on the old one. Whenever you need, just access from there since you have already connected that laptop to your new one.

This way, that old laptop is repurposed, and not going to contribute to e-waste which is a great thing. It prevents environmental damage which is a very important issue in the context of the ballooning e-waste problem that the environment is facing.

Use it as an external monitor

When a laptop gets old, it is the system that gets old and low down. Its screen might be good. If that is in good condition, you can use it as a second monitor for your work if you need it. I know many of my friends who work with two different screens for increased productivity. So, why buy a second monitor if you have an old laptop? You have to do some settings, and you are good to go. You can watch the video below to know how you can use your old laptop as an external monitor.

Use it as Guest PC or Kids PC

If your old laptop is still working, you can make some upgrades to it, and use it as a guest PC or you can simply hand it over to the kids in-house for learning purposes as they would have computer classes in school. They can practice their computer-related work on that. Also, when some guest visits your house, and if they need to do some work, they would ask for your laptop. You can just give them that old upgraded laptop to them. This way, you don’t have to give your personal laptop to anyone who might have office-related confidential documents. This way, old laptops may do a good job.

Get ChromeOS 

Why do we leave our old laptop, and get a new one? Mainly because the old laptop starts lagging, and slowing down while important work. 

So, even if you have taken a new laptop, and you don’t know what to do with the old laptop, you can try uninstalling Windows OS, and install Chrome OS which is much faster than other OS. That might work out well on your old laptop. If this works, you can use both of your new and old laptop.

Use your Laptop as a streaming device

If you have stopped using your old laptop, and don’t have a clue what to do with that, you can think of using it as a streaming device. I know a friend who use to live in a city alone for job purposes. He didn’t have TV. So, what he did with his old laptop is, he got a wireless mouse and keyword for it, and set the laptop on the table as TV. Now, whenever he has to watch a movie, he keeps the keyword and mouse along with him on the bed and watches movies on that old laptop the way we watch movies on TV.  I think this is the best use of the old laptop which is still working. 

Use It As An Addon

Now another use that an old laptop can provide you is acting as an extra system laying in one corner of the room. You can pay attention or avoid it. Or you can simply look for alternatives. For instance, you can literally mount it on a wall and then use it as a calendar for your children, siblings, and parents. You can keep it as a digital frame. You can also use it as an exercise companion connect it with gadgets and look at your caloric intake. Place it near the kitchen and make it a recipe book. 

Use it as a Plex server

Plex is actually one of the most well-known DVR streamers providing access to some of the best TV and entertainment content there is in the present time frame. You can use an old Laptop as a service station to download all the accessible Plex content, in other words making your old laptop a server. This will ensure that when accessible all your devices can locate files via the server which is your old computer.

Piece Out the Parts and Sell them

If your old laptop is in such bad condition that you cannot use it for any of your purpose, and cannot sell it as well. You can just open the chassis, and take out components such as RAM, HDD, Processor, or any working components, and you can sell them to computer repair shops as they usually look for components that they can fit in their customer’s laptop came for repair.

Try Selling It

Selling your old laptop at a fair price might sound challenging but with some upgrading of good parts and technical assistance, it is achievable and possible to sell it at a profitable amount. At least, you can try. I am sure you will be able to sell at a good price.

Donate Old Laptop Near Me

If you are someone who belive in donating stuff, then it is the best thing you can do. Just donate your old laptop to NGOs which accept electronic devices as donations. I know a few of such NGOs which I am mentioning below:

2. Labdoo

Labdoo is another NGO and it is at a much larger scale at the international level that allows for laptops, PC, and all sorts of electronic exchanges. The best thing about the platform is its convenience, it has a global presence and this actually helps the person who will donate to have a convenient experience. They run programs all over the world, and that is Pakistan, India, and Kenya among many other groups of people that grow and formulate meaningful bonds and ties. There are two ways wherein you can contribute to the organization. 

The first way is the conventional one where you fill out a form and let the organization take care. But you can also donate the PC alongside taking a trip. You can take your laptop and drop it off at a nearby Labdoo effective center. This feature is also called ‘Contribute a Trip’. 

Contact Details

Irvine, CA, United States, California

javier.prieto@labdoo.org

What to Do With an Old Laptop That Doesn’t Work?

Apart from repurposing and donation there is not much happening here. Try reselling parts, but it will be better if you recycle, that ensures not harming the environment which is often the case with e-waste. 

Conclusion

Ewaste is difficult to manage and this often ends up in dumping grounds, buried deep into the soil which is polluted because of such jarring amounts of metal plastic, and hazardous chemicals. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to repurpose your Laptop or donate the existing laptop to a good charitable organization. You can also put your Laptop up for donation as well.