# General Business Category > Technology Forum > [Question] Looking for old laptops

## vieome

Where would be the best place to find old laptops ?

----------


## AndyD

Universe direct sell second hand stuff. Why do you want old laptops?

----------

vieome (26-Apr-12)

----------


## vieome

Hi thanks for the reply. I use them to build old arcade game consoles. Will check them out and see if I can get them from there. What I find strange is companies like cash crusaders or the many pawn shops price second computers so high when new models are coming out all the time, and the price keeps getting cheaper and cheaper/

----------


## tec0

> Hi thanks for the reply. I use them to build old arcade game consoles. Will check them out and see if I can get them from there. What I find strange is companies like cash crusaders or the many pawn shops price second computers so high when new models are coming out all the time, and the price keeps getting cheaper and cheaper/


Are laptops the way to go then I wonder? I would recommend old desktop computers as they are more robust cheaper to maintain and more powerful for gaming then laptops. Secondly if this is business orientated you can register at the suppliers and get new components cheaper then what you pay for a second hand "unreliable" notebooks.

----------


## irneb

And if it's arcade games - your graphics is probably not that high-maintenance  :Innocent: 

If you still want the innards of a laptop (due to size constraints), but want it as cheap as possible, then look for pre-packaged mini ITX motherboards. That way you can get a new thing for under R2000. E.g. http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=53

Most of those would come with HDMI out so you can link them to most newer TV screens. A lot of them would even have many more features like LAN/WiFi and such - i.e. Lan Gaming possibilities. These things are usually placed inside stuff like NAS boxes, Media Servers, mini-PC's, etc. A lot of them come pre-packaged with built-in CPU & GPU, in which case they sell for under R1000.

----------

vieome (26-Apr-12)

----------


## vieome

The plan is to use really old computers like HP OmniBook xe2-dc which original came loaded with win 98. I have build a couple of old arcade game systems for my daughter and her friends using these old laptops. And the games are really old but the kids seem to enjoy them more then the latest games. At R2000 I am sure people would rather buy a games console. 
So I was wondering really where do the very old laptops go to die. 

Thanks for the help though, I will look into the ITX boards.

----------


## Dave A

> So I was wondering really where do the very old laptops go to die.


Got some dead ones in a pile in my office - already been heavily pillaged for anything useful though to keep the dying ones going for as long as possible.

----------


## adrianh

I'm with irneb on this one. You just end up wasting so much time on technicalities, getting parts, running old software, incomparable hardware and unreliability only to mention a few. Wouldn't it be  more effective to buy cheap Android tablets? There are thousands of applications available and if a machine fails it is extremely easy to replace.

I don't know, you save a bit of money in the short term by using old machines but its going to bite you in the long run if you develop a large clientbase. If there is one thing I learned from the IT industry it is to keep your systems as consistent as possible over your entire clientbase. You don't want to have different versions of Windows, screen sizes, keyboard layouts etc. 

Anyway, think about it...

----------


## vieome

> I'm with irneb on this one. You just end up wasting so much time on technicalities, getting parts, running old software, incomparable hardware and unreliability only to mention a few. Wouldn't it be  more effective to buy cheap Android tablets? There are thousands of applications available and if a machine fails it is extremely easy to replace.
> 
> I don't know, you save a bit of money in the short term by using old machines but its going to bite you in the long run if you develop a large clientbase. If there is one thing I learned from the IT industry it is to keep your systems as consistent as possible over your entire clientbase. You don't want to have different versions of Windows, screen sizes, keyboard layouts etc. 
> 
> Anyway, think about it...


 I understand where you coming from on this, but old laptops are ideal for the purpose I am using them for. The arcade system is linux based. The OS size is less then 500MB and needs only 250MB RAM, and the Arcade OS can run totally in RAM.   

Dave do you have any old towers/monitors and how much will you be willling to sell them for please PM details

----------


## cagenuts

Where are you?

I may have some here at my office.

----------


## irneb

I'd be very skeptical of old second-hand laptops. They'd probably have some faulty hardware somewhere - which needs replacing. So you're actually looking for refurbished laptops, unless you'd like to "fix" them yourself. For refurbished, you'd never get anything much cheaper than the cheap new laptops - otherwise they'd not have refurbed it in the first place.

There's a further problem with old laptops: Compatibility of components. Usually with PC's the components are interchangeable to a degree (e.g. RAM chips, CPU's, grapics, etc.) - though you do get some variations (especially between different eras of computing). These differences are much greater and much more likely in laptops however - thus the chances are slim that components from one laptop would fit into another. You'd need to get 2 which are very similar indeed before you might expect such interchangeability.

There's another alternative (since your requirements are so small). I've read about a new motherboard somewhere - or rather extremely micro motherboard with built-in graphics, cpu & ram. It's supposed to be used as a hobbyist "pc". I think it's manufactured (or at least designed) in the UK. Just can't remember the name in order to do a google for you. But as far as I can remember it was dirt-cheap (around R100-R200) and had something like 512MB RAM and a 1.2 GHz single core CPU, some micro USB connectors and a micro-Video connector (can't remember if it was HDMI/DVI/VGA).

I suppose your biggest problem is the screen - old LCDs are rather error riddled as that tech was quite new at the time and dead pixels would be the norm rather than the exception. And I've not seen an old CRT in years.

I do have an old Laptop which I'll PM you about if you're interested. Perhaps advertising on something like Gumtree or so BidOrBuy - though the prices I see there would put you in line of my original suggestion.

----------

tec0 (06-Apr-12)

----------


## Mike Simmonds

Try Partserve they do refurbished HP laptops from R 1599 ex VAT. http://www.partserve.co.za/computers...s-displays.php

----------


## tec0

MB-i2500CCR Intel innovation series d2500CC Canoe Creak Mini-iTX Mob with Integrated Intel Atom D2500 dual-core CPU



This is not to bad? 

Sadly a bit of a gamble as I simply dont know if the integrated GPU is powerful enough. Maybe worth a look?

Also have a look at this TS16GMSA300 Transcend mSATA MLC SSD Drive - 16GB 

or 

TS8GHSD310 Transcend 8GB 2.5" SATA Half-Slim SSD Drive 

Not to bad for that small OS and so on...

----------


## Justloadit

> There's another alternative (since your requirements are so small). I've read about a new motherboard somewhere - or rather extremely micro motherboard with built-in graphics, cpu & ram. It's supposed to be used as a hobbyist "pc". I think it's manufactured (or at least designed) in the UK. Just can't remember the name in order to do a google for you. But as far as I can remember it was dirt-cheap (around R100-R200) and had something like 512MB RAM and a 1.2 GHz single core CPU, some micro USB connectors and a micro-Video connector (can't remember if it was HDMI/DVI/VGA).


Yes what you are referring to is this Raspberry PC. I know he will have stock in the very near future.

----------

tec0 (06-Apr-12)

----------


## tec0

It is an extremely small device that offers a good resolution and Graphics acceleration/rendering. However of what I can understand it might well be OS sensitive but the OS seems to be development friendly and a touch screen interface will soon be supported that will make it really versatile. 

It uses a standard power-supply "mobile charger as seen on YouTube" and supports HDMI so one can expect good resolutions. 
Here is the catch, despite the redundancy of the device SD cards is notoriously famous for crashing and overheating. So I would recommend a bench first.

I would love to know the cost of such a device as I can Identify many uses for it.

----------


## tec0

I did some more research on the device and it can actually run Quake 3 on reasonable graphics and speed. So I am supper impressed!!! I hope to get my hands on one soon and test it. If it is reliable and stable on the tests I am planning for it I see a real improvement in the mobile device market. Finally a device that we can play with…

----------


## tec0

Possible cost of aRaspberry Pi.

I still don’t have an official price or anything like that but it seems it will be much cheaper than most solutions out there...

----------


## tec0

I did send a request to the supplier about the Raspberry and nothing… I understand that most businesses are closed over the long weekend but not even an automated reply. And so it brings all kinds of questions. 

Is the Raspberry actually available? 
Will it even have a guarantee/warranty? 

Sadly we will never know… So much for a good thing…  :Frown:

----------


## tec0

raspberry pi 

Followup; Did anyone actually find someone that sells these devices?

----------


## IanF

Hi Teco
The Pis are available just a 5-6 week waiting period. They are coming through and we have started selling cases for them.

----------

tec0 (20-Aug-12)

----------


## vieome

How much are the cases? And for those without pay pal and visa can one order these in South Africa?

----------


## cagenuts

> How much are the cases? And for those without pay pal and visa can one order these in South Africa?


R56 and they come in black, clear and white.

----------


## vieome

is the raspberry pi board available in South africa? I am very interesting in one but dont have Pay pal or visa or FNB account.

----------


## IanF

@vieome, the cases are R90 each plus delivery or you can collect.
Our website link
Payment is credit card or EFT. We use payfast with an option to transfer directly. Or you can come in to the shop and pay cash. 
Just we do cut to order so we don't have stock of cases just the acrylic.

----------


## vieome

Thanks for the response Ian, I def want a case and will pay the shop a visit please let me know when you will have the Pi boards in stock

----------


## IanF

> Thanks for the response Ian, I def want a case and will pay the shop a visit please let me know when you will have the Pi boards in stock


We don't sell the computers just the cases. This was just done as a family member bought a Pi and wanted a case, they looked so nice that we offered it on the website and have sold a few of them.

----------

tec0 (20-Aug-12), vieome (22-Aug-12)

----------


## Upstairs

I have 2 HP's in pieces if u are interested. Pay the postage and u can have them. Found this on the net. http://www.lockergnome.com/mobile/20...imple-joli-os/

----------


## vieome

I am very interested have sent you a PM

----------


## Mark Atkinson

Place a Wanted thread on Carbonite.

Saw somebody looking to do a similar thing.

My partner bought a Rasberry Pi to play around with. Nifty, if you have a use for it. It's sitting around gathering dust now.  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------

vieome (05-Sep-12)

----------


## tec0

That is sad I cannot get my hands on one  :Frown:

----------


## pinkcanvas

i have two laptops t would like to sell, contact me if you interested pinkcanvas@hotmail.com

----------


## tec0

I have been looking for this little device for a very very long time and am yet to find anyone that is able to sell me a new one out of the box. But normally they are crazy with there prices asking over R1.5K for this little device [second hand] 

As I understand it, it was originally designed to be used as a inexpensive educational tool and or computer. Today I cannot see this happening. If I was the owner of this little device I would sue my distribution network... To date basically no one in the know ever even knew that this device ever even existed.  

Thus today was my very last attempt to get one the a$$ selling it wanted R2K for it...  :No:

----------


## vieome

Check this thread it has details of how you can get onehttp://www.theforumsa.co.za/forums/s...-PI?highlight=

----------


## IanF

Teco try pifactory

----------


## Justloadit

Or try at  Mantech he has stock.

----------


## tec0

Cost is very high actually... And that is part of my problem. See the Pi is really small but you do get other Intel products that cost about R700 that can do a hell of a lot more then it can. Also you have Windows OS platform and driver support. If the cost was lets say R350 "half the price" of the Intel then yes you have to make it work then. But if the product price is basically only R200 less then what we are using AND there is additional cost like external hard-drive inclosure there is no point in the product.   

I think the Raspberry Pi simply to costly to get going in the end. And that As I have seen on YouTube was never the intention. It was suppose to be the cheapest solution. It's not  :No:

----------

