Creative Ways To Reuse Your Old Computer

There are many more options of how you can use an old computer for entertainment purposes, just be creative! To help you set it all up Extensive research revealed the following great ideas for anyone who's wondering what to do with an 'older' computer Here are a few ideas of what you can do with your old computers instead of sending them to the garbage dump. Creative Uses for Old Computer Uses for An Old Computer. A quick search of the Internet turned up that and some other really creative uses  for the obsolete cyber-junk. Creative Uses for Old Computer Parts. Have some old trackball mice laying around? Turn it into a sculpture.

One of the hassles of buying a new computer is dispensing with the old one. Many trash companies can't take them, so the parts need to be hauled to the dump or local recycling center. More often than not, they take up valuable storage space until they're dealt with. Some people choose to reuse the parts in creative ways, however, turning clunky computer towers into a variety of useful items.

Computer Mailbox

One option is to turn that old tower into a mailbox. Of course, the inside needs to be gutted and all the holes should be sealed so it's weatherproof. The drive bank -- where disks and CD-ROMs once went -- should be cut larger, so it's big enough to accommodate most mail and small packages. Install a hinged front door, you can make your own or purchase one at a hardware store, and paint the house number and family name on the side in the font of your choice. Once the mailbox is installed on the curb, anyone delivering the mail is sure to remember the house.

Barbecue Grill

Old metal towers can make perfect small area barbecue pits. After removing the guts, shore up the larger holes with some strips of metal. The removable side panel can be used as a cooking tray or cut apart to make a tight-fitting grill. Make sure to sand down any paint and remove any plastic accessories that are attached to the case. Once the case is in a safe place it can be filled with coals and used to make picnic burgers and skewers.

Start an Herb Garden

Towers that have a removable side wall can be turned into easily transportable herb gardens. Once again, the insides need to be removed, but all plastic and decoration can be left on. Seal the large holes with caulk or other waterproof material and line the inside with thick plastic. Multiple layers of thick garbage bag plastic will work. Turn the tower on its side and fill it with potting soil and your favorite herb seeds.

Trade it in for credit toward another computer

HP has a trade-in program and they will give you a free quote for your old computer online. After sending in your old computer, you have 30 days to buy a new HP or Compaq unit. After you fax in your proof of purchase, you get a check from HP. IBM has a similar trade-in program.

Donate it to a local or national charity
Places like the National Cristina Foundation are well-known for their acceptance of old computers that no one else wants. You can also find computer donation centers in your area.

Use it as a file or print server

This is the option we chose. Simply tuck it away in a small hutch with doors to hide it away and run the proper cables to network this computer with one or more other computers in the room. You can even get a special adapter to view the contents of your "old" computer from -- if you don't want to use the old computer's monitor (to save space). This option enables you to create your own home network, linking one or more computers with a printer and Internet service so you can easily share files, play games, and print documents between machines.

Listen to tunes from it

Your old computer can be used to download and store mp3's and other music files that usually take up a lot of hard drive space on your personal computer. Keep the speakers attached, and you have a "computer jukebox" that can be accessed in your home office that becomes part of your home entertainment system. You can also use it to burn CDs for saving your favorite tunes, or tune into online radio stations to listen to sports programs or your favorite music channels.

Watch TV from it

Simply install a TV tuner card and you can record TV shows onto your old hard drive. If you have (or buy) a newer monitor with TV viewing capabilities, then you have a brand new Digital Video TV/PC. Or purchase a scan converter which changes your computer's VGA monitor signal to a regular TV signal so you can watch TV from your old monitor.

Create a "live" weather station

If you're in need of a new hobby, you could become a weather geek. Simply purchase some software weather programs and sensors, then keep the computer on at all times to track and monitor the current weather conditions. Offer your data to local TV stations or as a complimentary service available to visitors of your web site.

Store digital photos on it

Dedicate your old system to storing, retouching, and printing pictures from your digital camera.

Create a work station in the kitchen or dining room

Place your old computer in a room near the kitchen, and install cooking and recipe programs on it. This makes it easy to to access recipes while you're cooking, as well as a cinch to create and print shopping lists. You could also hook this computer up to the Internet, making it easy for family members to a access their e-mail and browse the Web from this convenient location. To conserve space, purchase a flat screen monitor and hide the computer box in a cabinet.

Designate the living room as the family workstation

Purchase a wireless keyboard and mouse, and use your large TV screen as a computer monitor. Store the hard drive in a bookshelf or behind a piece of furniture.

Turn it into a work station for visitors

Travelers like to check their e-mail and browse the Internet to find interesting things in your area. If you set up your old computer in the guest bedroom, your guests will be able to do a little work, have a little fun, and kill some time should they ever be left in the house alone for awhile (when you're working, for example).

Set it up solely as a data center

Consider setting up your old computer in the garage, basement, or bedroom and using it solely as a place to jot notes, write letters, or update lists. Every computer doesn't need to have Internet and print capabilities. Instead, save your work to a floppy disk to transfer it to your main PC later.

Use it as a "live" web cam or security camera

Buy a web camera and use your old computer to beam live pictures out on the Internet. You could also use it as a security camera (to see inside your house while you're at work, for example).

Turn it into a firewall or router

Your old computer can serve as a firewall or router. All you need is a working motherboard, two network cards, and a floppy drive. No CD-ROM or hard drive are required.

Create a mobile computer

If you're out and about more than you're at home, then you might consider using a 12-to-120 volt inverter to power your old computer in your RV, van, or boat.

Use it as an experimental PC

For the wannabe computer geek, use your old computer as a learning tool to try new things on. You can practice doing things to your old computer that you'd be too scared to try on your new computer -- like reformatting a hard drive, reinstalling an operating system, installing memory or a new hard drive. You might even want to experiment by installing a whole new operating system, like Linux.

Have you recently upgraded to a newer model computer? Wondering what to do with your "old" computer? When we bought a super-powered new Dell computer, the question was what to do with our old HP Pavilion. It still worked fine, and still had quite a bit of space to store programs and run basic tasks, it was just too slow and bogged down for his day-to-day work.

Extensive research revealed the following great ideas for anyone who's wondering what to do with an "older" computer. After all, if it's 3 years old (or older), then you'll barely get more than $50.00 if you choose to sell it at a yard sale or on eBay. So selling it is not an exciting option. There are some other interesting options, however.