Old lap tops

xelasnave · #1 06-08-2017, 10:47 AM

I have three laying around and wonder what could one do with them.
I have been using a phone for everything and need to get a new lap top to start some serious photography...but seems a pity these old ones are pretty well useless...
I don't know details without looking but as they are in Sydney all I can say is the best one would only be two gig of ram and not sure of windows version...
Seems out they go????
Alex

Renato1 (Renato) · #2 06-08-2017, 01:10 PM

If it has 2Gbytes of RAM, why do you want a new one?

My old Toshiba with one Gbyte of RAM had it's screen die on me a couple of months back, and I was extremely annoyed, as it did pretty much everything I wanted.

To find out what Windows you have, how much RAM etc - just go to the Control Panel, then find System, and click on it.

The only old laptops that become nearly useless are those with only 512Mbytes of RAM, which you can't add memory to. They won't run an anti-virus without slowing everything down, unless you get a small free one like Avast. If the laptop is running slow, quite often it is because too many programs are running in the background from start-up. A program like Winpatrol, let's you locate them and stop them starting.
Regards,
Renato

xelasnave · #3 06-08-2017, 01:26 PM

Thank Renato
That gives me hope.
My shopping list could do with a trim and putting off something until I get things sorted well taking off the price of a lap top would be nice...I hadn't thought I had a hope of not getting one right away.
But I get to the stage of thinking starting fresh with everything although expensive option may be best...
At least my interest is back which is terrific I was starting to think everything was over after the back operation.
And I think my legs are actually getting better.

Alex

Renato1 (Renato) · #4 06-08-2017, 01:55 PM

Hi again Alex,
I just remembered. For each of your laptops, go to this site and run the scanner.
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/systemscanner

It tells you how much RAM you have, how many slots you have for RAM, and how much more RAM you can put it. Then write down the RAM details, and try find them cheap on Ebay. Changing RAM in a computer is pretty simple, just make sure you do it by the sink, and keep grounding yourself by touching the tap.

My old Toshiba had its screen die after 13 or 14 years. My old Acer had it's screen die just after the warranty period expired. My Acer netbook died from a known motherboard issue, nearly three years after I bought it, and I had only used it infrequently - mainly when overseas. I'm wary of newer laptops.

If you need grunt in a computer for playing big action games or for processing video, your old laptops aren't much good. But if all you do is play something like Hoyles Card games, and process photos - then they are fine if they have sufficient RAM.
Regards,
Renato

xelasnave · #5 06-08-2017, 02:06 PM

Hi Renato
I will.do that and thank you for taking your time to post the link.
Really all I want is something to guide the scope and process photos from an old DSLR ( canon 400 I think it is but again have to look at it again) and thinking about it I may have 4 gig of ram...anyways best look.

Alex

AndrewJ · #6 06-08-2017, 04:36 PM

Gday Alex
My old lappies screen died and i was lucky to get a replacement.
That said, the place i got it done had LOTS of old lappies, esp if they had COM or LPT ports.
When i asked why, he mentioned they regularly get requests from businesses who have old machinery that must use old operating systems and coms.
Maybe someone like that would buy em cheap????

Andrew ( only 1GB in my lappie )

el_draco (Rom) · #7 06-08-2017, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I have three laying around and wonder what could one do with them.
I have been using a phone for everything and need to get a new lap top to start some serious photography...but seems a pity these old ones are pretty well useless...
I don't know details without looking but as they are in Sydney all I can say is the best one would only be two gig of ram and not sure of windows version...
Seems out they go????
Alex

Let "Freecycle" be your friend.

xelasnave · #8 06-08-2017, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Gday Alex
My old lappies screen died and i was lucky to get a replacement.
That said, the place i got it done had LOTS of old lappies, esp if they had COM or LPT ports.
When i asked why, he mentioned they regularly get requests from businesses who have old machinery that must use old operating systems and coms.
Maybe someone like that would buy em cheap????

Andrew ( only 1GB in my lappie )

Thanks Andrew.
Maybe I should get in touch with American Pickers.
Alex

Renato1 (Renato) · #9 06-08-2017, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Hi Renato
I will.do that and thank you for taking your time to post the link.
Really all I want is something to guide the scope and process photos from an old DSLR ( canon 400 I think it is but again have to look at it again) and thinking about it I may have 4 gig of ram...anyways best look.

Alex

You don't need much laptop grunt for that, unless you are into processing lots of RAW photos rather than Jpegs.
Cheers,
Renato

RAJAH235 · #10 07-08-2017, 02:11 AM

Hi Alex,
You may want to take a quick gander at...
Auto Runs > https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/sys...loads/autoruns

Another freebie that just works fine.

xelasnave · #11 07-08-2017, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAJAH235

Hi Alex,
You may want to take a quick gander at...
Auto Runs > https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/sys...loads/autoruns

Another freebie that just works fine.

Thank you for posting the link.
I go back to Sydney tomorrow so I will dig them out and see which one still turn on etc.
Alex