Any Ideas?

[plopperz]

I bought myself an Acer Travelmate a couple of years ago. I don't know what happened, but a year ago it started overheating so quickly that I can't even get even a little ways through a windows installation, even upraised on a cooling pad. It's been sitting on my shelf even since and I've long replaced it.
Besides that, the hardware appears to be working fine, aside from the overheating issue and the screen hinges are broken due to it being dropped off tables, ledges, stairwells, etc.

Anyways I want to do something with it.
Should I make something interesting out of it, try to fix it (which I'll fail at), or sell it? I don't want to spend any money on it.
I want to make something cool with it, but I just don't know what.

Got any ideas?

EDIT: Maybe I'll take out the RAM and processor and solder it onto my PSP, I know that it wouldn't work (I'm not that stupid), but it'd make a funny picture!

 

[Null]

I bought myself an Acer Travelmate a couple of years ago. I don't know what happened, but a year ago it started overheating so quickly that I can't even get even a little ways through a windows installation, even upraised on a cooling pad. It's been sitting on my shelf even since and I've long replaced it.
Besides that, the hardware appears to be working fine, aside from the overheating issue and the screen hinges are broken due to it being dropped off tables, ledges, stairwells, etc.

Anyways I want to do something with it.
Should I make something interesting out of it, try to fix it (which I'll fail at), or sell it? I don't want to spend any money on it.
I want to make something cool with it, but I just don't know what.

Got any ideas?

 

[fishybawb]

lol @ Lurkio

I'm not familiar with that laptop, but if you're lucky there'll be an access panel on the underside for the CPU/heatsink and you won't need to take the whole thing apart. A lot of laptops are pretty badly designed, it might just be that the heatsink is clogged up with dust rather than the fan having broken, and cleaning it will fix it.

 

[gruso]

Yep, probably full of dust. Open it up and blow out all the dust you can. I also like to use a soft paintbrush to clean fiddly areas. If you're feeling ambitious, consider applying new thermal paste between the CPU & heatsink. It's not uncommon for this to be done poorly in the factory.

Seeing Lurkio's pic gives me an idea actually... why not turn your fridge into one of those new fangled internet fridges? Flush mount the LCD into the freezer door, add a touch screen kit, you could even add sensors & foodcams inside the fridge and stream the data online. Nothing like dialing in from work to see how many eggs you've got left.

Hey, you said cool, not useful.

 

[plopperz]

Heh,
This gives me an idea:
Fixing it is just too boring.
Whoever can come up with the most useless thing (that's actually possible to make) for me to turn my laptop into, I'll (try my best to) make their idea. (I know, I know, horrible grammar (too many brackets aswell ))

 

[fishybawb]

http://www.obsoletepc.org/howto_waterski.html

 

[Vimacs]

it overheats? turn it into a coffee warmer!

But seriously, cant be much of a problem, just open the lower part (usually theres a little extra opening next to the fan) and suck/blow the dust out, should be done in minutes and it should be fine again.

 

[plopperz]

it overheats? turn it into a coffee warmer!

But seriously, cant be much of a problem, just open the lower part (usually theres a little extra opening next to the fan) and suck/blow the dust out, should be done in minutes and it should be fine again.

I opened it up a few weeks ago, there wasn't much dust that I could see. I blew the bit that was there away, nothing changed.
I really don't know what's wrong with it.
It's in such bad shape, it's not worth fixing. WiFi's broken, Ethernet's broken, Blutooth is broken, Speakers're gone, the monitor can't hold itself up, and my 'Q' key is missing for some reason :unsure: . I have to lift up the casing and push the connectors together, just to turn the damn thing on!
It's probably better just to admit that it's dead and turn it into something fun !



EDIT:Haha Fishybawb

 

[Pickle]

it overheats? turn it into a coffee warmer!

Feet warmer, throw that thing on the floor and plop your feet on it.
Heated pillow
Have a pet, throw it under their bed and they will have a heated bed.

 

[___]

Take it apart, mount the lcd screen on the motherboard, put the whole thing into a plexiglass case and then use it as a flat screen tv/media center/digital photo frame. Shouldn't be too hard to put new speakers in and the see through plastic will make a cool impression. You can hang it on your room wall then. Get yourself on of those IR interfaces and a remote to control the thing without keyboard and touchpad.

 

[fishybawb]

Damnit xnopasaranx, he said useLESS! I like your idea though, that'd be pretty sweet... Get the wifi working again and you'd have a flat screen TV, media centre, digital photo frame AND internet tablet.

 

[Null]

http://videos.propeller.com/story/2007/02/...for-your-laptop