What to do with an Old laptop and a spare XBOX 360.

[kiraitachi]

Hi I would like to know if you guys had any ideas on what to do with a old laptop witha broken screen, it has a VGA external conector though and its a dual core 2 duo with 2 gigs ram and nvidia Geforce 8600 gt.

I dont like to build a NAS or any kind of server with the Laptop since I already got 2 Raspberry Pi that does that.

Any idea (hardware building transforming into whatever would be more like it.)


I also have a spare Xbox 360 that I found and fixed. I dont know what to do with it. Any ideas If I can build a computer with that or any other suggestions like reusing its parts?

I would like to know a functional TUTORIAL that u guys have tried or know of.

Thanks.!!!

[Silent Observer]

Lots of shops have sprung up in the last couple years that do repairs on stuff like that -- though most of them have names related to phone repair (i.e. smart phones), the same skills that let them replace a broken screen in a Galaxy 4 apply to broken laptop screens. A Core2Duo 2 GiB laptop should be a reasonably functional and useful computer; get the screen fixed and buy a new battery for it (likely needed, since it's probably five years or so old), and it'll be a good carry-along machine for several more years. Failing that, there's no reason you couldn't dissect out the motherboard and drives and run it as a desktop machine with external monitor, keyboard, and mouse -- though laptop boards aren't really optimum for that compared to their function as portable machines.

Can't help much with the Xbox 360; seems to me there were/are Linux versions that were compiled for that hardware, so if you can come up with a keyboard/mouse rather than having to type with the on-screen keyboard using the game controller, it'd probably be a usable computer, but needing to hook up to a TV instead of a monitor could be a limitation.

[kiraitachi]

Not really into throwing money when I already got a laptop that works and a desktop Workstation that its at the latests. Already took the laptop to a repair company and said that they didnt know what could be....they even tried to charge me just for looking....My best guess its that some resistence that broke since my battery died and after a month my screen just started flickering and got with no backlight.

Although taking out the motherboard and use it for a case is not a bad idea.

[vinnywright]

I had one that the screen wint out on ,,,,,,,,I just hooked a flatscreen to it and used it like that.

VINNY

[dragonbite]

I have 2 laptops (1 laptop, 1 chromebook) whose screens have died (one from being stepped on, the other the backlight failed).

You could look for replacement screens.

A spare computer could be used for a lot of things when you connect a monitor to it: in the Kitchen, in the Basement/Garage, etc. for web access and lookup.

I hooked mine up to an old CRT monitor in the garage so I can research while working on something there without having to drag my entire system into the basement (including power chord if I am going to be working longer than my battery lasts, mouse, etc.). Since it is always there, it is always available AND since it doesn't have all of the programs or settings I usually use on my personal computer(s), I have less chance of getting distra-squirrel!

Having wi-fi makes it usable just about anywhere, having USB makes it easy to attach anywhere and having a battery makes it continue to work when the power goes out (for a limited time).

Since it has wireless AND probably wired connections, what about setting it up as a wireless repeater? That way you can stretch it to another part of the home that doesn't have a good connection can connect to the laptop's wi-fi, which is then transfered through the wire to the main router for processing.

If it has a webcam, you can place it somewhere in your yard (protected from the elements) as a security camera, it can record on the local hard drive as well as pass back wirelessly to your NAS. Probably would work with a USB webcam too.

Hook it up to a TV/large monitor as a media player? There are VGA to HDMI adapters (I have one for my Raspberry Pi and my daughter's Chromebook)

Figure out how to use the Laptop's battery with the Rapsberry Pi?

I use my raspberry pi for this, but as a wireless printer server? Makes any old printer accessible over the LAN and with wireless you can put it anywhere convenient without having to run wires. I use a Raspberry Pi with a wireless dongle and connect it to my 2000-era inkjet printer and it works pretty good. Being wireless I can put it where ever I have space.

Set it up as a Minecraft server. The Raspberry Pi doesn't quite have the "oompf!" to run a good Minecraft server, but a dual-core shoudl have plenty!!

Use the laptop case and fit the Raspberry Pi inside of it?

As for the Xbox, it''s biggest benefits are probably for media playing hooked up to a TV of some sort so some sort of media player would be good. Hook up to a couple-TB drive and rip/store your DVDs on it for easy access/use. Otherwise I don't know much about Xbox.

[Silent Observer]

I've seen Instructables on converting a screen with a bad backlight to a projector (needs a bright light and a big lens -- laying the panel on an overhead projector works well), but another thought (since it seems like the backlight is the main issue) would be to cut a hole in the lid and mount an LED array and diffuser behind the LCD panel; you might even be able to wire in to run off the laptop's internal power bus. You can check before you commit; if you start up the computer, you should be able to see text on the screen with a flashlight held close to the surface, if it's just a backlight problem. If that confirms no backlight, you've got plenty of good options for using the existing LCD panel.