Bringing life to old laptop with Ubuntu
At some point or another, that laptop that has served us well for so many years becomes too ‘old’ to run operating systems, such as Windows 10, that require more up-to-date hardware.
This doesn’t mean that we cannot use that old laptop anymore, because if it still works it would be a waste to throw it away. Instead, we can install an operating system that has lower system requirements.
And here comes the best part, Linux-based operating systems like Ubuntu are free, have much lower system requirements than Windows, and can be installed easily and in no time.
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1. Installing Ubuntu on an old laptop
Installing Ubuntu on an old laptop
Ubuntu can not only be downloaded from its official page but also provide instructions on how to install it or even the option to try it before installing it by running it from a USB.
As Ubuntu is very well known and used, it has a lot of community support and a lot of resources are available on the net. Any doubt, question, clarification, or already has an answer readily available or can be asked to the Ubuntu community.
As a warning, I must say that using Ubuntu may not that straightforward as using Windows. It requires some time to get used to any Linux distribution and some tasks like installing additional software may require some time and specific knowledge.
Said that, if that old laptop is only required for some basic tasks like browsing the internet or watching a movie, Ubuntu can be deployed and used straight away.
Giving the old laptop new and useful purposes
Let’s explore our option for an old laptop…
That old laptop can be used as the first PC for a young teenager, a PC that can be used and ‘destroyed’ without incurring a major loss.
In this case, an old laptop with Ubuntu is just ideal because it can be the gateway to further knowledge like computer programming. We all know how smart our small children are and how quickly they can grasp new knowledge so that an old laptop with Linux and a readily available command line may bring out the programming genie inside of that child or teenager.
In the worst case, the child will ‘break’ something and we just need to reinstall the free Ubuntu operating system.
Another option, maybe one that is not in most people’s minds, is to use to mine cryptocurrencies. Most people have heard about Bitcoin and that it is possible to mine it using some powerful hardware, but bitcoin is not the only cryptocurrency that can be mined.
This relatively ‘young’ but with a lot of potential cryptocurrencies called Nimiq, can be mined using a web browser and without the need for specific and expensive hardware. The old laptop with Ubuntu may be your gateway to learning about cryptocurrencies, the mining of cryptocurrencies, and even the source of some passive income.
Note that mining will consume power and our electricity bill may increase because of the higher power consumption. It is up to you, the person reading this article, to assess if Nimiq mining is or it will be profitable and a possible passive income source.
There are other many uses that can be given to that old laptop and we will be updating this article with new possibilities.
How to reduce your home expenses
If you are looking for tips and advice on how to reduce your home expenses, have a look at this video that we have prepared about how to save electricity at home.
All our videos can be found on YouTube, in both English and Spanish languages.
Additionally, if you are looking for energy-saving opportunities but don’t know where to start, use our electricity usage calculators to become aware of your electricity consumption, the electricity costs, and the potential savings.
