How to teach an old PC new tricks

Posted on 22 Aug 2003 at 17:19

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Just because your PC is about to qualify for its bus pass doesn't mean it's reached the end of the road. In fact, there's plenty of extra life to be had from your old desktop computer.

This morning, you're happy. Your new PC is due to arrive. You've cleared room for it, polished your workspace - even hoovered around under the desk where its jumble of cables once laid. Everything is set.

By lunchtime, your new PC has arrived. Within minutes, it's is all set up. It smells the way new electronic devices do. It's humming contentedly to itself. Now you're very happy.

But what about your old machine? After all those years of diligent service, is it destined to end its days in the attic as a home for spiders - or, worse still, taking a last drive to the tip?

In this feature we're going to look at what you can do with that seemingly redundant PC. Every year, an estimated 2.5 million PCs end up on landfill sites in the UK alone - and the problem is growing. A further 1.5 million languish unused in cupboards and attics across the land. In part, the problem is understandable: modern software places greater and greater demands on a system, and even with a few well-chosen upgrades, after four or five years a PC can no longer cope. But that doesn't have to be the end of the story.

Even if your trusty old computer refuses to run the very latest 3D games, it's still a powerful machine with many uses. As you read on, we'll explore some of them. We'll look for ways to stave off buying a new PC with a few wisely chosen components. We'll also look at how you can bring your old PC's software up to date by upgrading to the latest version of Windows, or opting for a free 'open source' operating system. Then, we'll examine how you can link it up to your new PC and form a small home network - and we'll explore the advantages of doing so. We'll also show you how you can donate your old machine to be re-used in developing countries. And when your veteran PC really has bitten the dust, we'll show you how you can make jewellery out of it.

As you've probably spent all your cash on your new PC, you're probably feeling a bit light in the pocket. Don't worry - the ideas in this feature are all either inexpensive, or free!

Author: Martin Cooper