Starting off this New Year – Here are some of my favorite daily use computer finds.
The computers from waste collection all started with a Toshiba NB500 that was turned into a Bohdi Linux/LibreElec portable media centre. I had been finding great cameras, film, amplifiers, and misc. electronics for years but computers weren’t yet on the main list of things to find. This first Toshiba came from the dump. The finds kept getting better every year and made their way into daily use.
5. Optiplex 9020
Optiplexes are the Ford f-150 of the computing world or perhaps the Crown Victoria – the fleet vehicles. They are everywhere, they can be modified and specced out easily and they are tough.
I keep finding and updating the graphics cards and RAM as I find them. Nothing like finding an older gaming computer thrown out by a spoiled child (or adult – as the case in a government or university town) and snagging parts from it.
This one is running Manjaro. Great for not messing around with Graphics drivers. It installed and went to work. It’s a monolith of a box with plenty of room for drives and whatever you need in there. It also has a nice Bluray drive for ripping all of the dump Bluray movies that I find
4. Dell Inspirion 15 7000 7567 Gaming Notebook
This one was going to be my Open Source Free Video Editing and Gaming Computer. The person probably threw it in e-waste because the display has some light bleed causing a few faint bits of light on the screen. I guess it isn’t totally free because I swapped in m.2 drive and an ssd. Both of those drives were pulled from other computers. I think those were pulled from the only computer that I have purchased in the last 5 years. Once you discover an e-waste resource, it is hard to put out good money for a generic store bought computer.
3. Motion Computing C5te
Work Tablet with a pen – This computer is way cooler than a useless iPad. In the advertising they call it a “Rugged Tablet”. These are used in ambulances, police vehicles, and come with mounts for Tahoes, f-150s, and Chargers. It has an i5, runs PopOS as a touchscreen. Has all kinds of cool scanners, cameras, sensors that can be used for messing with stuff.
2. Optiplex 7010 usff
Kodi is – rant warning – the opposite of Big Media. Scattered channels, shit apps, spyware, “smart” adware TVs are the reason Big Media is a pile of shit. Sail those seas fellow pirates…with a few caveats.
I support the filmmakers who need it and the musicians who need it. Go to festivals and concerts, buy merch and media directly from artists. Artist need to make money for their work. Corporations with no respect for artist deserve no income. A big fuck you to many a streaming service. Spotify, pay your artists, you fucking scammers.
This Optiplex is a Kodi media box that runs LibreElec (Boots to Kodi) and is connected to a non internet connected TV. Yarrrrr! There were some good movies this year and some that didn’t deserve my time in the theatre. I will support the good ones but will watch whatever I want on Kodi. News and sports apps to replace live television. My physical media now resides on a server accessed by Kodi.
1. Lenovo Thinkpad t460
My Thinkpad has to be the most used item that I have found over the years. This Laptop was found in local e-waste scrapping facility. It has been my daily driver for the last 3 years and it gets thrown around everywhere. At first I wasn’t too worried about damaging it because it was just a free laptop from e-waste. Dammit if I’m not getting attached to stuff again. The quick snappy feel of it booting up my linux laptop distro of choice – PopOS – is very satisfying. I do enjoy my Razer laptop, but its not as satisfying as using the rescued Thinkpad nor does the battery last as long.
Honourable Mentions:
2014 Macbook Pro
Before I went completely Linux for my operating systems, this Mac was my daily use laptop. But seriously, Fuck Apple. Good hardware. Shit ecosystem and shittier company. I have stacks of scrap iPads. This shit is destroying the earth. I used to love me my Macs but this company now killing us for profit.
Dell XPS 8700
Shop computer. Runs Manjaro. Has a waste GTX 1060. Two screens. Runs steam and downloads manuals for stuff that is being fixed.
Will post video demos of each.
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