Reuse old computers

Old computers today are no longer worth using, but still have performance but consumers because of the "life" of new machines should not be used.

Why don't you turn plastic, iron and electronic circuits in old computers into something useful rather than left? Here are 5 examples of interesting reuse of old computers according to PC World magazine.

Use for a specific application

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Many services of the system consume a lot of RAM.

The first way is to limit the use to a specific purpose. Suppose the "object" is a 5-year-old laptop at half the speed of other machines at the same price. Since some applications such as antivirus, graphics card controller, some operating system applications . consume a lot of RAM when the machine is operating, you need to delete all the software and applications you don't need. set. Thus, there will be no applications running in the background and slowing down the processing speed of the device. Instead, you can now use the old laptop with just one graphics software, Photoshop. This is a good way to maintain the use of old computers in tasks that require a lot of processing power.

Upgrade

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RAM upgrade is a fairly common solution.

If your computer is not too old, upgrading is a reasonable and economical choice. Why spend 10 million to buy new machines while your needs can be met with only 2 million. Please refer to the instructions on choosing suitable components, safe for long-term "comrades" and "walking" around technology forums before deciding that not all desktops can be upgraded, laptops then usually only add RAM.

Multimedia server

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Turn the old computer into a server.

Clean up all unnecessary data from your computer and download the latest patch for the operating system you are using before starting.

With this "project", you need:

- A high-speed Internet connection.
- Network card.
- Router.
- A sufficient amount of hard drive to store data.

Once you have arranged the components as instructed, you need to establish a connection in the operating system. Click Start , select Control Panel , then select " Network and Internet Connections ". From here, select " Network Connections ", then click on " Network and Sharing Center ". You will see below is a list of specific options. If you have not set up the network, select " Set up a new connection or network ". Restart the computer so that the connection setup is valid.

Next, rename the computer for separate and easy to remember. To do this, right-click " My Computer ", then " Properties ". You can change the device name via the " Change setting " option under " Computer Name, domain, and workgroup settings ". Now you can connect any device in the network to share data in the newly created server. You should create a shared shared folder in C: UsersPublic on your computer.

If you use Windows Vista or Windows 7, the computer can automatically search for devices that are connected to the network, and vice versa. To access remote shared data, open the Explorer window and select " Network ". Maybe the computer will require reconfiguring the data sharing settings. Now just connect to the server or device with the corresponding icons.

In Windows Vista, you can create a " homegroup ". It is a simple and fast way to create a data sharing network. Just go to " Network and Sharing Center " in " Network and Internet " in Control Panel and select "Choose homegroup and sharing options ". If no groups are available, you will have to set up a new one. Conversely, just join in by clicking " Join now ". Then, follow the instructions above to connect the device.

Now that computers are connected, you can share multimedia files between them. By saving data to designated areas, you can freely share music, photos, or movies. Many Windows-based computers are preinstalled with Windows Media Center. The software has options to find music and movies in shared folders on other devices on the network.

If using iTunes, you can use the Home Sharing feature. To activate Home Sharing, simply click on the corresponding icon in iTunes and log in with your Apple ID. Repeat the above procedure for all computers on the network. Once the computers are connected, you can open the Home Sharing sub-section, select the shared content and start streaming data directly from one device to another. There is no need to create shared folders for this method.

Multimedia entertainment center

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A professional set of HTPC in the market has a very high price.

Most computer configurations built in the last 10 years have DVD or CD burners, hard drives, USB slots and multimedia data systems with music, movies and photos. All of these are suitable for turning your old computer into a real home multimedia (HTPC) entertainment center. One set of HTPC is currently quite expensive, about 8 million VND for a temporary configuration. If you take advantage of old computers to be HTPC, you have saved a good amount of money. Of course, provided that the computer must be able to project high-quality movies (preferably HD standards) and have a hard drive enough to hold a certain amount of movies, music and photos.

To turn the old desktop into HPTC, you need:

- Cable.
- Transfers between standards.
- TV suitable.
- HTPC case (if you need aesthetic).

Connect the TV and computer with the connecting cable. If these devices are not the same standard, you will need to use an appropriate adapter. Computers that make HTPC will usually be located in the living room or somewhere in the house so you may need to replace the cover with a new HTPC shell. This type is sold in the market at a fairly affordable price, from 500,000 to 800,000 VND.

Next, open the Properties dialog box by right-clicking on the computer screen, selecting " Properties ", clicking on the " Settings " tab , finding your TV and . done.

Create a "work of art"

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A car from hard drive components.

When you do not know how to use Control Panel, or server concept, even RAM, there is an interesting, more environmentally friendly option: art.

Open the case, remove each of the old computer parts and components and then assemble them into whatever you like. You can make a picture, a building or even a dinosaur. It all depends on your creativity and interests.

In addition to bringing " consignment " of a computer that is no longer used through a second-hand store or letting dust away in the house, there are still many options that can make use of the capabilities of these devices in daily work both save a significant amount of money for other shopping plans.