What do you do with your old technology?

[BirchJuice]

@enemyoftorn: What for? May sound harsh, but they don't even have proper energy saving features and the performance is real bad. Recycling or retro gaming I'd say. If you really need a server: RasPI, NUC, a modern office (mini) PC as a server and so on. Personally: recycling if no one wants to fetch them for free.
E: Electricity ain't free.

 

[enemyoftorn]

retro gaming I'd say

Yeah, retro gaming server.

 

[TestAddress]

We have this Old, OLD Emachine Computer still with windows vista on it in our house! And while it runs things 20fps, we still turn it on, and look at the photos stored on it! So many memories! And all the Sims 3 Expansion Tabs XD! Ahh, I still remember seeing my dad download world of warcraft wotlk back then, the launcher looked so different! 20fps used to be cool to us!

That is what a supercomputer means.

 

[TestAddress]

@enemyoftorn: What for? May sound harsh, but they don't even have proper energy saving features and the performance is real bad. Recycling or retro gaming I'd say. If you really need a server: RasPI, NUC, a modern office (mini) PC as a server and so on. Personally: recycling if no one wants to fetch them for free.
E: Electricity ain't free.

Tried finding plugs in restaurants and most of the time they are screwed shut.

 

[Al_Kohlick]

My old tech is mostly desktop PC stuff (complete rigs or components). I like to turn them into retro-gaming machines, just for fun and to nurture my nostalgia. I have several of them already, ranging from mid-90's running under Win 95 / 98SE to late-00's under XP.

Among them, I even have a few ones that a friend of mine gave me after salvaging them from the landfill. Yep! And sometimes they were dumped for reasons as petty as a flat BIOS battery. SMH. So I revived most of them and use them for various experiments.
Throwback to that one Athlon 64 platform in perfect condition that was my guinea pig for my first serious overclocking attempts. Don't worry, I didn't fry it in the process, but it has been put in storage now.

I also recycled some of my old components to put together / upgrade my parents home PC. And my previous rig currently serves me to get familiar with Linux, as I'm actively preparing to transition. Regarding what Windows is becoming, the deadline will probably be Win10's end of support...

So basically, I'm struggling a bit to not become a hoarder.

 

[TestAddress]

old tech is the new antique.

Antiques withstand time.

 

[Angry_Panda]

Both of my stereos have components that are older than I am, because they sound better than anything comparably priced that's new, and because they can actually be repaired if something stops working. (Yes, I do have tubes in one of my systems - if you know....)

On the other hand, non-working laptops get binned after the drive's pulled. That's usually the result of me spilling something into the keyboard and them letting the magic smoke out (happened twice now).

 

[TestAddress]

Both of my stereos have components that are older than I am, because they sound better than anything comparably priced that's new, and because they can actually be repaired if something stops working. (Yes, I do have tubes in one of my systems - if you know....)

On the other hand, non-working laptops get binned after the drive's pulled. That's usually the result of me spilling something into the keyboard and them letting the magic smoke out (happened twice now).

The power of vacuum tubes - they are enclosed by glass so the water will not make the copper ( or even better - tungsten ) rust inside. Even prevents short circuiting because they don't have motherboards. Each part is insulated, from wires to nodes. This is why vacuum tubes ran out of stock - preciousss metaaaalsssss.

 

[Angry_Panda]

The power of vacuum tubes - they are enclosed by glass so the water will not make the copper ( or even better - tungsten ) rust inside. Even prevents short circuiting because they don't have motherboards. Each part is insulated, from wires to nodes. This is why vacuum tubes ran out of stock - preciousss metaaaalsssss.

From a safety/toxicity standpoint, there are some heinous compounds in some of the older tubes... which of course means those are the ones that many folks think work/sound best and command top dollar in the market. They can't build 'em like they used to, mostly because they'd be fined into oblivion if they tried.

 

[TestAddress]

Rule # 10: Prohibition creates scarcity. Scarcity increases demand.

Adam Smith - Wealth of Nation

From a safety/toxicity standpoint, there are some heinous compounds in some of the older tubes... which of course means those are the ones that many folks think work/sound best and command top dollar in the market. They can't build 'em like they used to, mostly because they'd be fined into oblivion if they tried.

 

[Koneko_Nyaa]

Put it in the drawer/closet to repurpose for another project, but never get around to it.

Sometimes due to lack of time, or sometimes just because I have better options available.
I had so many things that could've been done with an old laptop/desktop that just got loaded onto a VM or SBC instead.
That way is cheaper on electricity too.

Home Assistant, OPNSense, OpenWRT, Unifi Network, Omada Controller all run on my Proxmox VE server. Frigate and Nextcloud will ultimately end up getting added to that same machine.
I have a Libre Computer SBC with a POE adapter in each building to run my Z-Wave network.

I was considering setting up an old laptop as an Octoprint server when the Raspberry Pi shortage was ongoing, but it was less effort to just get a long USB cable to my desktop and run it there.

So my old laptop is still in the closet gathering dust.

I have a bunch of old MP3 Players, Headsets, VGA cables, Cell Phones, Mice and keyboards, etc that I really should throw away but haven't had the time to organize that I can at least keep the 1 or 2 best ones as spares. I have more old monitors lying around than I know what to do with.

I have enough old hardware lying around to build another 3 desktop PCs, but VMs are easier and SBCs sometimes more convenient.
It is at least nice to have a spare GPU or power supply lying around to get a new system up before all the parts have arrived or to swap out for troubleshooting.

I have plans to turn one into an HTPC, one into another server, and one into a workstation in the outbuilding, but I haven't maxed out my existing server yet and I use my laptop in the outbuilding, so I don't really have a need right now and the hardware will probably be obsolete by the time I do.

 

[Devourer]

fuck i miss my gamecube

 

[alrightcock]

i miss my psp, emulators are fun but i miss the actual device

 

[TestAddress]

I missed my SNES. I still want to play that MK III ( yep Mortal Kombat 3 ) that I never got to finish in hard mode.

 

[TestAddress]

I either sell them or donate them. As for laptops, I try to keep them around in the hope I can repair them, but I kill every windows laptop I touch. Mostly I try to refurbish what I can though, I like to switch around devices from time to time.

Laptops have the durability of plywood so they remain destroyed... being light as wood also made them very easy to steal.

 

[Jergal]

What do you do with your old relics, unused laptops, disused towers, under done servers
what is it you do with them after your use case for them has stopped?

Mostly cannibalize for my personal projects. I use some old laptop as core of knx system, old mobiles and tablets as hvac control and repurpose power cables to supply of of this bs. Main problem with such application of old tech - you need a custom software, because there's pretty much zero commercial software than will be able to connect all of this without major issues.

Currently I'm waiting for death of my robot vc to repurpose it's motor for opening/closing system for window and use pretty neat sensor for something else too.

 

[shwiftyshfifty]

I can't throw this out,
It might be useful later!
I'll store it somewhere....

Then one day you "get off your ass" and "clean it". The next day it turns out you actually need that old power cable that would've fit perfectly in that old radio you found in your parents garage. Too bad, you'll just have to work in silence.

 

[sanctuary]

I blender everything and make a smoothie out of it, yumyum!!!!

 

[DearReader]

I usually sell it or give mine away to family members. Got a Laptop that worked pretty damn good, gave it to my inlaws.

 

[goldencircle]

It becomes the Home Theater PC until its cooler dies.