What can I use an old laptop for?

[Hatta]

That's not an old laptop. That's perfectly capable of doing just about anything people do with computers, except running current games. This is an old laptop.

[RCBH928]

uggghhh...

I didn't know there was a USB speakers...I kind of feel like maybe I went out to spend a little bit more money than I should. This as basically Youtube/Browsing computer.

Any way I found out it has an HDMI out , I connected it to my tv and it worked flawlessly. I guess I will be getting a wireless keyboard+mouse.


The laptop showed its age as it was not able to run PLEX well (or maybe PLEX is faulty?).

The only issue I am not sure how to fix is that the screen stays ON while I connect the laptop to the TV. This is a bit distracting with 2 monitors ON in a TV setup. Is there a way to shutdown the laptop monitor only? Or should I just cover it with a sleeve?

I will be very interested if any one can answer these questions:

1) Can it run 1080P videos?
2)Up to what era of games can this computer can play?
3)I checked GOG and many of the games I own has less minimum requirement than this laptop EXCEPT it says it needs a 3D graphics cards that supports DIrectx9 which I am not sure is covered by this laptop.
Example of the games I want to run: Dungeon Keeper 2, Deus Ex, Anachronix, XIII , Pharoah, Zeus Poseidon, Syberia

4)Can any one guess-estimate when was this computer released? Specs are kind of low even for 2010(Its Pentium Dual-Core , my macbook is a late 2008 model and its Core2Dou)

[Valkyrie-Favor]

You can find all that stuff out yourself with five minutes of Google searching. Or trying it yourself.

[Kkasino]

For full hd video with these specs i recommend Kplayer.

[isiolia]

uggghhh...

I didn't know there was a USB speakers...I kind of feel like maybe I went out to spend a little bit more money than I should. This as basically Youtube/Browsing computer.

Any way I found out it has an HDMI out , I connected it to my tv and it worked flawlessly. I guess I will be getting a wireless keyboard+mouse.

USB speakers basically are just speakers with a simple USB soundcard built in. Just like HDMI audio is usually a different device from your built in soundcard, USB devices like that tend to be their own thing.

The only issue I am not sure how to fix is that the screen stays ON while I connect the laptop to the TV. This is a bit distracting with 2 monitors ON in a TV setup. Is there a way to shutdown the laptop monitor only? Or should I just cover it with a sleeve?

Most PC laptops have a Function (Fn) key along with icons on the F-keys along the top. One usually has a picture of a monitor, or a computer and another rectangle, or whatever. Fn-that key should rotate through internal screen only, external screen only, and both on. Depending on age/model, you might get additional options (or you may be able to do this stuff in your video driver).

1) Can it run 1080P videos?
2)Up to what era of games can this computer can play?
3)I checked GOG and many of the games I own has less minimum requirement than this laptop EXCEPT it says it needs a 3D graphics cards that supports DIrectx9 which I am not sure is covered by this laptop.
Example of the games I want to run: Dungeon Keeper 2, Deus Ex, Anachronix, XIII , Pharoah, Zeus Poseidon, Syberia

A lot of this is hard to really tell based on the information given. My guess is that you have either GMA4500M or GMA4500HD graphics. The latter is clocked faster, and adds support for hardware accelerating HD video formats. Either should do fairly decently for late 90s/early 2000s games. You can read more here.
If you have the 4500M, it'll probably struggle with some 1080p encodes, and using a player without hardware acceleration support will see it struggle as well.

4)Can any one guess-estimate when was this computer released? Specs are kind of low even for 2010(Its Pentium Dual-Core , my macbook is a late 2008 model and its Core2Dou)

The CPU was release Q4 2009 according to Intel. The "Pentium Dual Core" chips were part of the budget lineup, under the Core series.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

If you want to play HD videos with good quality on weak hardware...

CCCP.

This is a pretty good choice. Designed for anime, but it will let you play pretty much any modern HD encode. It comes with Media Player Classic Homecinema, which the best regardless of whether you use MADVR. This player also has an option for a sync renderer, which should prevent screen tearing if your TV has a different refresh rate than your laptop screen. Very important - it's the only thing that looks decent on my TV.

CCCP isn't the very best if your computer supports MADVR, but it's second best regardless of your hardware quality. It used to be somewhat outdated, but the recent update adds LAV filters and other fancy HD stuff.

[Hobie-wan]

Pfft, anything with HDMI out isn't old.

[RCBH928]

@isiolia

Great input as always , thanks

@Valkyrie-favor

Recently I noticed the internet is not what it used to be. Researching something on your own is probably more complex than asking some one with knowledge and is a longer process. Pages and pages of long documents with outdated information and conflicting information.

Thanks for the CCCP tip

@Kkasino

I'll look into it thanks

@Hobie-wan

I know , I think I might have spent money a little bit too quickly after I learned there was a USB speaker. I was afraid to fix it , only for other parts to start malfunctioning, I might as well just buy a new device. I am guessing they do not build these budget laptops to last a very long time and I thought it was time to change.

The new laptop is i5 I believe and 4GB RAM (not sure if expandable) , for browsing and Youtube it should last us for at least another 5-7 years costing us around $100 per year. Not bad investment, is it?

********************************************

Some people think my laptop is not old, any one would like to share stories or pictures of a laptop that lasted him a long time or the laptop model that lasted him the most?

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Up until 3 years ago, I was using a 500 mHz laptop from the late 90s. It went through a few upgrades before I got it secondhand - 40GB hard disk, 128MB RAM, a CD-RW drive. It had one USB port, which was my only clue as to its age. I'd usually have a USB wifi card, a flash drive, a mouse, and a joystick inserted in a USB hub. It had a ThankPad logo, but no other information. It must have been a good model for its time, since it had a nice LCD screen at 1024x768x70. That made watching videos a little awkward

It was built like a tank! The case was mostly metal. It had the finest keyboard I've ever felt and I did a lot of writing on it. Eventually the charge circuit failed and my parents bought me the laptop I have now for Christmas. I never did bother to fix the old one.

[Anapan]

This is an old laptop.

Awesome laptop! a 640x480 screen and OPL3 capable FM sound chip, as well as a standard VGA port? You could totally play almost any DOS game and experience it perfectly!