New use for old PC

New use for old PC

When you bought your first PC you must have spent a fortune. But with technology being upgraded at a rapid rate, you may have switched to a new machine. Trying to sell the old PC is useless as there are no takers. And, of course, you don’t want to sell it as scrap.

Fortunately, there are many things you can use your old PC for. For example, you can make money from it. Dismantle it and sell the working parts on eBay: hard drive, RAM, A/C adapters, motherboards, graphics and audio cards, and even an intact case.

To make a good deal, carefully select the category of item. Post a picture of the article and describe it concisely. Write short sentences or lists and try to answer probable questions. Select the title carefully. Use the right keywords. Most important, be honest.

You can also make your old machine work faster. Replace Windows with Linux. I would recommend Ubuntu. Ubuntu version 10 is out. Download the software or request a free CD from https://shipit.ubuntu.com.

You could also transform your old PC into a workhorse with only the essential software components, including Windows File and Printer sharing. Get rid of all other software. Next, hook up all your external devices to it, such as an external hard drive or printer, and make them available to all other computers in the house through ethernet or Wi-Fi.

If parts of your laptop or desktop hardware are broken, you can salvage the working bits. So if the hard drive is still working, you can dismount it and transform it into an external and portable hard drive for your new PC. You will have to invest in a USB caddy, which can be acquired through eBay or your local hardware dealer. Be sure to get the right format and connector. For a laptop hard drive, you’ll need a 2.5-inch IDE or SATA caddy. For a regular hard drive, generally a 3.5-inch IDE or SATA caddy is in order. Caddies are enclosures for the hard drive so that it becomes USB compatible.

Your old PC can also be used for data entry, as it demands very little resources. However, one of the best uses is to convert it into an answering machine. Years ago I had software called Ashampoo that would answer my calls and even record conversations. The PC had an external 64k dial-up modem so the phone line had to be connected to it. There are several answering machine software. Google for one that fits your needs.

Best use of an old Mac

Convert your old Mac into a Wi-Fi Base station. Say the Mac is connected by ethernet to access the Internet. All you have to do to make it an access point is open up System Preferences. Click on Sharing. On the left panel just select Internet sharing (not checkmark). On the right put a checkmark on Airport and Ethernet. Click on Airport Options. Give the Network a name. Let Channel remain at Automatic. Put a checkmark against enable encryption (using WEP or wired equivalent privacy). Now put your password. If you share your Net connection with non-Apple computers, use a password with five characters and choose 40-bit as WEP key length. You need to put in a 13-character password for 128-bit WEP key. Finally, after okaying the password dialogue box put a checkmark against Internet Sharing. WEP data encryption is defined by the 802.11 standard to prevent access to networks by “intruders” using similar wireless equipment. This process is useful if you do not have Wi-Fi at home or in the office and want to use your iPod touch or the Wi-Fi on your phone.