Interest in/Uses for old laptops?

[Spectre1995]

I have a pile of eleven old laptops I was considering either scrapping or refurbishing, but really haven't had the time to.

Is there really an interest anymore in laptops around the 2005-2006 era? These came loaded with Windows XP before I wiped them, and their hard drives are about 50GB in size. I know, fairly old.

I currently have them listed in the marketplace, but I'm not sure if there's any interest in them, or if I should even bother trying to get something for them at all. Are they worth anything, even to someone who refurbishes computers for a living?

If not, are there any other uses for them?

[skunkbad]

I think we all have a pile of old computers. I seem to buy at least two a year, so computers outnumber people in my house about 5:1.

[Spectre1995]

I think we all have a pile of old computers. I seem to buy at least two a year, so computers outnumber people in my house about 5:1.

Sounds like me, the laptops are the only ones I have in bulk though. The desktops I'm using for scrap sheet metal

[billofrights]

eBay, because most laptops fit in a flat-rate mailer with the charger and some decent padding.

[deephouse]

- Can be loaded with Windows 7 most likely, but will be slow as a dog. But can be used to run scripts and macros for social media promotions... (I'm into that automated stuff...)

- Can be donated to Goodwill/Salvation Army, etc... fair market value of $500 each. Gotta push the limit on those, a laptop is a laptop as far as the tax return is concerned...

- Donate to local school...

[jbj]

Goodwill most likely will turn you away. They get tired of the e-waste. Ebay as parts is an ok plan.

You could check any local school and see if they could use them as well

[the86d]

Cheap SSDs can bring new life to them.

Linux distros such as Knoppix can bring new life to them, and you can try it out from DVD, but from USB stick is faster (I can't recall when USB 2.0 came out) but USB Knoppix booting from USB is fast, if you are not using the latest 64 bit edition on an old rig. Works on 512MB RAM pretty well...

[Spectre1995]

The ones I have were given to me by my old school when they were upsizing. All the schools around me have newer tech. I think what I'll do is pull them down from the marketplace and install Ubuntu linux on them.

Problem is that I don't have chargers for all of them.

[bonusweb]

If it will run it, Linux mint is the closest to a windows type of experience. Mint is a type of umbuntu.

They even have a version for Old Macs.

[gogohopper]

Run an ad in the marketplace to trade them for a firearm, working or not !

[Spectre1995]

Run an ad in the marketplace to trade them for a firearm, working or not !

That's the ad I've got going right now, been up for about a week

[Iknownot]

I had a really old laptop lying around. I put ubuntu on it. It was alright in terms of basic interwebs.

The real issue is most people can afford a tablet at this point, because there are so many relatively inexpensive options. So it's hard to see what the value of trying to find a use for a big bulky old laptop is when it's easier and nicer to just use a tablet.

If you know someone that really needs a PC and can't afford to get one, that may be a nice thing to do. Otherwise, sell them for parts or e-waste them.

I recently got rid of all our old PCs lying around from work and home. No real point in keeping them around when everyone has a tablet anyway. (And I still have a pretty nice Vista Laptop that is working so well, I didn't have the heart to dump it, that I'm not sure what to do with).

Just my 2 cents.

[bigbearbear]

Use them as targets.

[Wallabing]

SSD and install linux on them.

Otherwise throw them away.

[deephouse]

SSD and install linux on them.

Otherwise throw them away.

I like the Use them for targets, or trade for ammo idea.

At the very least you're gonna want to donate them and put them on your tax return. At my old job, I was in charge of e-wasting our old gear..

That is... putting them in the back of my Wagon and donating them. One for me, one for you. $500-$1000 each "fair market value" on your tax return.