Since I built a new computer recently I've been trying to think of what to do with the old one I have just sitting there. To say just how old this is it runs on Windows ME OS, and everything in it is REALLY outdated. I just want to find a new use out of it then it just collecting dust. Any ideas will be much appreciated.
You could turn it into a file server or nas. If the motherboard is interesting you could mount and frame the motherboard as an art piece.
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You could put a Linux distro on it and turn it into a Plex box
well if it's windows ME than I wouldn't think that I could even run plex, albeit running something like slackware or yellowdog would run fine, they run on the shittiest of shit, or even better, through in a network card and turn it into a PF sense box
If it is old enough to be running Windows ME its probably a good idea to retire it. Might cost more to run than its worth. Specs would help.
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Well if I did do anything to it. I would upgrade the OS. I've thought of it just being used as a mass storage or a backup just in case something were to happen.
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I would open the side panel to help it collect dust more efficiently thus keeping the rest of the house cleaner.
That thing is a dinosaur and would have to agree with @step1041 it's not worth running at this point.
Some options. You can find that, given the right application, outdated hardware can be super useful. Now, you'll have to find your own software or OS to achieve these goals -- each one is different and will run somewhat different on older hardware.
- HTPC
- NAS / File server
- Email server
- Backup box
- Smart home brain
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. The bottom line here is yes it can still be useful. How useful is going to depend on you; willingness to do the legwork, mess around, what might actually help you, etc.s
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Thank you @thedmbarlow for the feedback. I've thought of either making it a NAS / File server or a Backup box. Since I'll be working on music, and have many different edits of said songs.
If you're wanting to do anything professional regarding audio, you want to have backups of everything.
Now, I'm a writer, and I use Scrivener (which saves snapshots so to speak) and dropbox -- an imperfect solution. You'll want to do more or less the same thing with FL or whatever you use, and the old comp now local server. Just don't forget to put the file server as far away from your work PC as possible, in case of truly unfortunate circumnstances.
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Yeah I suppose that the hardware would be quite lacklustre by today's standards.
I think the fundamental issue with old hardware is that it's substantially less energy efficient than more recent hardware.
You could run your 15+ years old x86-based energy guzzling CPU with the necessary accompaniment of inefficient PSU and multiple fans for active heat dispersal. Or, you could buy a Raspberry Pi or similar ARM board for <50 USD to serve the same purpose at a fraction of the energy, noise and space requirement.
Maybe you're interested in running it for reasons other than utility, which is fine. Just know that it requires very little of newer hardware to replace it.