What to do with a spare laptop

[Flubster]

I've got a old Acer 1360 (don't laugh) knocking about and I'm not sure what to do with it. It's been running like a dog recently, so I wiped it last night (it was running XP Pro) and installed Windows 7.

I only really use it for updating the odd document, surfing or reading emails whilst my main PC is running some length database updates, but I'm wondering if it could be set to better use.

I subscribe to MAPS so have a 'wealth' of the usual M$ OS and applications. Lappy spec is not great (40Gb disk, 512Mb RAM, AMD Sempron 2800+ @ 1.6GHz) but for the infrequent use, it's been fine.

Apart from resigning it to a dusty place under the desk, any suggestions for what I could do with it, or should I just leave it with Windows 7 with Office and have it as a ad-hoc machine?

[doodab]

Put linux on it, if you like that sort of thing.

[Flubster]

I don't having a play but without sounding [too] dumb, what's that going to give me in terms of functionality? Can I still run M$ Office applications?

[Pondlife]

Put linux on it, if you like that sort of thing.

Yup WHS.

Then you can put it on a shelf and leave it downloading torrents or as a machine you can upload files to using ssh or similar when on the move/at clients etc.

[doodab]

I don't having a play but without sounding [too] dumb, what's that going to give me in terms of functionality? Can I still run M$ Office applications?

You can use openoffice I believe. Not tried it though, since I have gone all cloudy.

[lilelvis2000]

I don't having a play but without sounding [too] dumb, what's that going to give me in terms of functionality? Can I still run M$ Office applications?

Not on Linux. OpenOffice is okay. I think it can open Word documents fine. But will have some trouble with Excel and Access macros. Don't know about powerpoint.

More info here: http://www.openoffice.org/

[Clippy]

Keep it as an emergency spare.
Use it to download movies, music etc
Donate it to your parents or an elderly neighbour or charity

[Churchill]

Put linux on it, if you like that sort of thing.

Yup WHS.

Then you can put it on a shelf and leave it downloading torrents or as a machine you can upload files to using ssh or similar when on the move/at clients etc.

Yep, WTS.

Either that or Solaris...

[northernladuk]

Give it to a local charity run school/pre-school and let someone make good use of it.

You know it's the right thing to do.......

I did with one of my old ones and other IT junk (printers, monitors etc). Even went back to open day and they were using it to show what the kids do with computers..

To say I was as pleased as punch was a major understatement!!!

Do it do it do it.........

[Churchill]

Give it to a local charity run school/pre-school and let someone make good use of it.

You know it's the right thing to do.......

I did with one of my old ones and other IT junk (printers, monitors etc). Even went back to open day and they were using it to show what the kids do with computers..

To say I was as pleased as punch was a major understatement!!!

Do it do it do it.........

Sorry mate, I don't know what you're talking about? A charity run school? In the UK?