What to Do With an Old Computer?

[Anderton]

With Apple Silicon obsoleting your non-AS laptop, and Microsoft requiring TPM 2.0 for Windows 11 and dropping all support for Windows 10 in 2025 (and you can't buy Windows 10 any more from the Microsoft store), odds are you're going to have some old computers sitting around. 

 

One option is to turn it into a Chromebook. This works for most older Mac or Windows computers. Interestingly, my oldest current computer is a Chromebook, and it just keeps working. I use it mostly for web browsing in the kitchen.

 

If your old Samsung computer is broken, you may still be able to get it working and turn it into a Chromebook. Samsung recently expanded its self-repair options significantly. 

 

Finally, if you have cats, just have an animated screensaver to give them hours of fun

[bill5]

You could call around to charities, churches etc who could make use of it and don't care about having the latest etc.

[Al Coda]

9 hours ago, Anderton said:

and Microsoft requiring TPM 2.0 for Windows 11 and dropping all support for Windows 10 in 2025 (and you can't buy Windows 10 any more from the Microsoft store). odds are you're going to have some old computers sitting around. 

 

This,- for Windows users !

 

This stripped-down Windows 11 version runs on as little as 2GB of RAM (and doesn’t require TPM)

 

 

A.C.

 

[Notes_Norton]

Linux?

 

Doorstop?

 

Dust collector?

 

My Win10 has already been upgraded to Win11, so I ducked that one.

 

I have a couple of old XP computers that I use for mundane tasks or storage. Things I don't want hogging the drive on my main work computer. These never go on the Internet anymore.

 

I've thought about wiping the data with "Erase" and donating, but by the time I'm done with a computer, it's too old to run modern software.

 

Notes ♫

 

 

[Anderton]

14 hours ago, bill5 said:

You could call around to charities, churches etc who could make use of it and don't care about having the latest etc.

 

I've done that a couple times in the past, when the world of computers moved more slowly. Wiping your hard drive is always considered a good idea but you have to make sure it's possible to install a compatible operating system. Apple is excellent in this respect, you can get official installers from Apple for operating systems all the way back to Lion, and downloadable updates going back to at least 10.4 (maybe older).

 

Windows doesn't sell older operating systems, period. So if you wipe the hard drive, the recipient may end up with something that can't load an operating system. The only option there is to try and find something on eBay etc. 

 

The other issue is it seems scary to have a charity using an older, insecure operating system. Again, older Apple systems have an advantage because I don't think any hackers are targeting Mountain Lion machines . But if some Windows computer at a school or church gets a virus, that could be a problem. 

 

 

[Anderton]

I'm planning on turning my old Mac Pro into a dedicated music library creator and server. I want to digitize vinyl, and rip CDs. It has a CD drive, plenty of storage space, a DAW for editing digitized vinyl, and Ethernet. Don't need much more than that.

[Jeff Leites]

I put a TV tuner on  my old XP desktop and use it as a PVR.   (I'm still an OTA TV antenna guy).

[KenElevenShadows]

[Notes_Norton]

^^^ I should have done that with my eMac, instead I wiped the data and gave it to charity.

 

 

Notes ♫

[RABid]

Last week I tossed three Mac Mini's (2012). Once the M1 hit they totally lost their value. Also tossed two printers and a few external hards drives. Oh, and two RAIDs. The hard drives went either because they were so small by today's standard or they had firewire interface.

[Anderton]

28 minutes ago, RABid said:

Last week I tossed three Mac Mini's (2012). Once the M1 hit they totally lost their value. Also tossed two printers and a few external hards drives. Oh, and two RAIDs. The hard drives went either because they were so small by today's standard or they had firewire interface.

 

You should probably talk to some Windows people before tossing this stuff. Bootcamp works fine on Mac Minis, and you have something that's equal to or better than an Intel NUC. I'm sure someone would pay at least a couple hundred dollars for one of your Minis, no questions asked, because it would be less than a NUC. Firewire cards are available for Windows desktops (I have one for running the UA Satellite, and the occasional product-specific audio interface that's Firewire-only). 

 

I realize you might consider it too much of a PITA to sell the stuff instead of just toss it, but I mention this because maybe you hadn't considered selling Mac stuff to Windows users. 

[RABid]

20 hours ago, Anderton said:

I realize you might consider it too much of a PITA to sell the stuff instead of just toss it, but I mention this because maybe you hadn't considered selling Mac stuff to Windows users.

I had not. I can tell you that old Macs frustrate me more than old Windows PC's. Mainly because every generation seems to have its own, latest, greatest connector for external drives, shortly to be abandoned for the next big thing. My new MacBook Pro and my 4 year old iMac have not jacks in common other than the SD card slot.

[Joe Muscara]

On 2/5/2023 at 3:10 PM, RABid said:

Last week I tossed three Mac Mini's (2012

I can only hope you brought them somewhere to at least recycle them and didn't actually put them in the trash so they end up in a landfill…

[Anderton]

36 minutes ago, Joe Muscara said:

I can only hope you brought them somewhere to at least recycle them and didn't actually put them in the trash so they end up in a landfill…

 

At least those old computers could be recycled or scavenged for parts...or turned into Chromebooks, or Windows 10 machines

[KuruPrionz]

Grind them into powder and snort them? 

[Bill Heins]

I've been thinking of taking the desktop I replaced to be used as a network server...music, books, videos, etc.

 

Bill

[Mighty Motif Max]

Linux installs seem to be a good option as well for keeping old computers running. Or make it a dedicated music computer frozen in time, for example. That's likely what will happen with my 2019 MacBook Pro eventually - I'll just freeze it with the most current version of Cubase and a bunch of plugins, and leave it for music and graphic editing only. It's certainly powerful enough to do that job with the i9 and 32gb RAM plus a better video card. Right now it's both that and a general computer, but eventually I suppose it will be PowerPC obsolescence Round 2.

[o0Ampy0o]

I have a hackintosh which has reached its limits. I looked into making it a large drive source that could be tapped all at once rather than opting to place drives in portable cases. Apparently there is software which would be the communicator. Ultimately whatever cannot be repurposed will go to a place employing the elderly which recycles or properly disposes of such things and turns the money around and gives it to the elderly in need. They offer food and living supplies and even deliver it. I have been using them for years.

[Mike Kent]

I put mine in a closet for the next 30 years and never use them again. 

[Anderton]

Mike, that Atari 1040 is worth something these days

[Notes_Norton]

On 2/12/2023 at 10:57 AM, Anderton said:

Mike, that Atari 1040 is worth something these days

I should have held on to mine. It was a nice music computer in its day. But when its day was done, I replaced it. I don't remember what I did with it.

 

I do remember giving my even older TI-99 to a guy in a computer shop. He gave me a trade-in deal, as he wanted to keep it for his collection.

 

Notes ♫

[Mighty Motif Max]

On 2/11/2023 at 9:59 PM, o0Ampy0o said:

I have a hackintosh which has reached its limits. I looked into making it a large drive source that could be tapped all at once rather than opting to place drives in portable cases. Apparently there is software which would be the communicator. Ultimately whatever cannot be repurposed will go to a place employing the elderly which recycles or properly disposes of such things and turns the money around and gives it to the elderly in need. They offer food and living supplies and even deliver it. I have been using them for years.

I was going to say, maybe set it up with the VSL Vienna Ensemble server system?

[Al Coda]

On 2/12/2023 at 4:57 PM, Anderton said:

that Atari 1040 is worth something these days

 

Any more info on this ?

Is there still a market ? Any links ?

 

I stll own 2 ATARI 1040STe, one of these upgraded w/ the max of RAM possible,- and it ran Cubase ATARI latest version together w/ Midex+ in the past.

There´s a 100MB ext. SCSI harddrive w/ special driver and SCSI software adapting the ASCI port.

There´s also a ATARI Mega ST-4 w/ the original ATARI 60MB harddrive.

It was used w/ the Digidesign software "Sounddesigner Universal" and Sounddesigner II, Masterlist, andTurbosynth.

Also the SoundTools hardware still exists here,- AD Converter, Analog Interface and Digital Interface,- Accellerator Card and cables too.

And a ATARI Mega STe-4 w/ int. harddrive, ext. harddrive, C-Lab & Emagic hardware (LOG3, Unitor-2, Combiner) and Notator SL, Logic Atari 2.5 and some Steinberg Synthworks and C-Lab synth editor programs.

Several SM-124 screens too as also most of the orig. boxes and print manuals etc. ...

 

Is there still a market for Mac PPC ?

7500/100 (w/ a Nubus slot still) and 2 G3 beige (266 and 300MHz) are here also,- 1 w/ a Audiowerk 8 card and Logic 4.8 w/ dongle.

 

Well, I have no clue about people collecting old computers, ext. hardware and software.

 

I´d have to check for working condition, but it all worked before I moved about 6 years ago.

It´s all in dry stock since then,- well shockproove packed into big plastic Euroboxes w/ lids or their original boxes.

 

 

A.C.

[David R]

I appreciate the idea of the Chromebook, thanks Craig! I have an old 2009 Mac Mini and a 2012 MBP that are slowing down but still work. I’ll see if the Chromebook can optimize the 2012.

[Anderton]

5 hours ago, David R said:

I appreciate the idea of the Chromebook, thanks Craig! I have an old 2009 Mac Mini and a 2012 MBP that are slowing down but still work. I’ll see if the Chromebook can optimize the 2012.

 

Please circle back and let us know if/how it worked.

[spokenward]

13 hours ago, Al Coda said:

 

Any more info on this ?

Is there still a market ? Any links ?

 

I stll own 2 ATARI 1040STe, one of these upgraded w/ the max of RAM possible,- and it ran Cubase ATARI latest version together w/ Midex+ in the past....

 

 

This is not the only answer, but there is a growing interest in "vintage computing." It is more apparent if you are around a big city where there may be a seasonal enthusiast show.  This is the site of the last one in the western suburbs of Chicago: https://vcfmw.org/  This is an upcoming east coast event: https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/

 

YouTube is crawling with people who acquire gear or work on gear and attempt to show off their finds and projects in between these exhibitor events. You will see people listing vintage items on Craigslist and FB Marketplace. The prices are often fanciful. Ebay has a vintage computing section example 1040.  

 

In the last few months I sold two old NuBus digidesign cards on ebay, one domestically and one overseas.  I am getting rid of redundant stuff but I would still like to be able to open old projects and files.

[Al Coda]

7 hours ago, spokenward said:

 

This is not the only answer, but there is a growing interest in "vintage computing." It is more apparent if you are around a big city where there may be a seasonal enthusiast show.  This is the site of the last one in the western suburbs of Chicago: https://vcfmw.org/  This is an upcoming east coast event: https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/

 

YouTube is crawling with people who acquire gear or work on gear and attempt to show off their finds and projects in between these exhibitor events. You will see people listing vintage items on Craigslist and FB Marketplace. The prices are often fanciful. Ebay has a vintage computing section example 1040.  

 

In the last few months I sold two old NuBus digidesign cards on ebay, one domestically and one overseas.  I am getting rid of redundant stuff but I would still like to be able to open old projects and files.

 

thank you for the links !

 

I also kept everything to have access to old songs/arrangements etc..

The Notator and Logic ATARI stuff can be imported into early Mac Logic versions,- v4.8 on a G3 for sure and possibly up to Logic 6 on a G4,- but it´s a lot of work and might need some editing later too.

All the sysex files from synth editors can easily be imported into ancient Sounddiver on an old Mac.

That´s why I keep at least the Powerbook G3, Powerbook G4 and a G4 dual desktop machine.

I also might keep the Mega STe 4 w/ LCD screen and 1 of the external HDDs.

But when most of my old hardware is gone, all the old machines become obsolete too.

 

I remember I sold my Comodore SX64 w/ a Steinberg MIDI interface for 250 bucks and later, I recognized they were offered @ebay for about 2.5K !!!

 

 

A.C.