Posted by Jim 2.0 | tagged: e-cycling, laptop, Jesserer

(Photo: daveynin, via lifehacker)

I finally bit the bullet last year, gave up on my crash-tastic, 5-year-old laptop, and bought a sleek, shiny new one. It works like a dream, and I've never looked back.

My once-proud 2002 laptop is now ancient by modern computer standards, and even when I've got five or ten minutes to wait around while it boots up, I still can't use it to get online, since my French bulldog puppy decided to use the wireless card as a chew-toy.

Still, I did pay well over a grand for the thing, and I just don't have the heart to toss it on the e-cycling pile yet (my old laptop, that is, not my puppy.)

So how can I use this wheezing old relic, aside from keeping papers from blowing off my desk?

Kevin Purdy of LifeHacker.com has written a fantastic article on putting your old laptop to use in new and clever ways, such as:

- Creating a no-monitor, low-power spare system

- Converting it to a home server

- Making it into a digital picture frame

- Extending your wireless coverage

With a new season of My Home 2.0 gearing up, I imagine there might be a slew of old laptops being put out to pasture soon. So check out the article, and let us know if you try any of Kevin's projects!

STEP 1: