It's a shame that Lightscribe didn't work out as intended. I've forgotten all about that until now, and now I remember how cool I thought that was when I was a kid! I definitely wanted one. I remember making those custom sticky paper covers, and those then getting the CDs jammed in the optical drive, haha. My dad wasn't happy. I really thought the world was my oyster just because of those simple things.
DDR2 still feels like yesterday to me. I don't know if I ever handled DDR3? My last PC died in 2012 and I survived on a Macbook Pro from 2013 - 2021. Finally got a new tower a couple years ago.. feels good, man.. Still really like my Macbook. I intend on keeping it around as long as possible. It might be joining the $50 club in a couple of years. The design still feels fresh nearly 10 years later!
I got sucked into (and spat back out on the other side of) DeviantART too. (For anyone who wasn't there back in the 2000s, it was actually decent way-back-when. :eyes:smile:
I love this about computers, that with extremly little money, lots can be achieved. But this requires to gain some knowledge and the right links on the web that help you...
Yes! I think it's a mindset I'd like to promote as well. Have considered creating a separate website for this purpose and for the club, perhaps as a way to share information about the topic.
Btw, nice pcs I've got an Acer Veriton too, from the same era! Not sure exactly which year it is, but it has that case. Do you know the maximum amount of ram it supports? I've been thinking of bumping the ram up in mine, adding a few spare hard drives I have sitting around, and using it as a home data server.
Howdy! I like cheap computers. I think they're fun, liberating, and have a lot of character. I also think it's a fun challenge to get as much bang for your buck as possible. Thus, I created the $50 club, and I'm inviting people to submit computers that they regularly use, which are reasonably valued around that price point.
Eligibility for Submission:
1.) Device's estimated value should be around $100 or less. 2.) Device should be something you enjoy using and you use it often. 3.) Bonus points for customization, mods, and upgrades.
To join, submit a description of your computer and why you're fond of it, a photograph or two, and a link you want me to include on the club webpage (kudos if you set up a dedicated page on your site for your computer )
I have a feeling that copyright will become a hot topic within the next few years, at least among artists. AI pictures are making the topic unavoidable for visual artists, and for musicians the issue can only become more pronounced. If anything, I think the current AI situation has the potential to make copyright laws stronger; while I'm against that out of principle, it would be funny—in a slightly fucked up way—to see visual artists dealing with the same copyright-hellscape musicians have been navigating for years.
It's never been great for artists in the first place. I've had my work copied multiple times for someone else's profit, or just straight up stolen lol. Happens to most artists, has been happening for a long time, the recent AI thing isn't really new. Most people just don't see it as a big deal, and if an image is on the Internet, then it's most likely free to be used.
I'm sending this from my Chromebook which I installed Linux on within a year of getting it
Though I have a habit of getting old laptops from people and giving them a new life by installing Linux, I have three I've done that with now I want to say? I should try to do more with them but I'm honestly not sure what to do beyond maybe making a home server.
You could sell them on eBay, or give them away to people in need? Just make sure they pay shipping or, make them look really cool and funky so I can added them to my website.
For some reason, I felt compelled to make a cheap computer club. If anyone would like to a share photo of a cheap computer they use often, I'll add the image and a link to your site.
thanks! out of curiosity, did either of you see an error at the bottom of the homepage if you were browsing in firefox? i'm trying to track down a really weird bug i'm seeing but not sure if it's just my browser caching bad code or not
I did, unfortunately. Application error with about 15 lines beneath it. Nothing in Brave, though.
Welcome! I dig the name and the clean, minimal, friendly design Community building can be fun, enjoy your time building it. Hope you enjoy your time here as well.
...Now I'm actually curious if my parents have thrown out my mom's old Chromebook after it started being very slow from age.
Do you think installing a new system on it would help the poor thing work better again?
I've been eyeing Linux systems for a while now, but I'm not ready to commit to converting my main PC to it. Some crucial games and software I would really rather not lose do not seem to be doing well on Linux, or so my research have shown.
Now, having a separate little machine to try it out does seem fun, though...
Well, doing a powerwash of the Chromebook might actually make it run better. The keys to initiate this are Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R. It essentially resets the Chromebook, so any local data is wiped from the Chromebook.
Having a separate machine to experiment with Linux is definitely a pro. I didn't want to mess around with installing it and dualbooting on my main machine either. I don't think I would have messed with Linux if it weren't for this Chromebook, and while running it on my specific Chromebook might not seem like the best introduction to Linux, I think it has actually shown me how quick and lightweight Linux is, because Windows 10 definitely wouldn't be running on this machine. I see no cons in trying it, especially since it just wasn't being used beforehand.
Now let me say, Linux definitely doesn't run faster than ChromeOS on a Chromebook. Linux is simply larger and takes more system resources. That being said, there could be multiple reasons why your Chromebook is running slowly with just ChromeOS, such as the number and types of apps and extensions on the machine. So I would recommend just resetting it (if your parents don't mind) and seeing how it performs. If it happens to speed things up, then I would definitely give it a shot with Linux.
I do want to be clear, Linux isn't running "fast" on this Chromebook. I had 4 tabs open, and Discord open at the same time, and it slowed down to a crawl when I decided to browse a new website on a 5th tab. The reason for this is that this Chromebook has a measly 2gb of RAM, so I can't expect much out of it, but it still runs well and lets me play around with this distro, so long as I'm considerate about resources and don't try to treat it like a multitasking workhorse. I'm limited to a couple programs at a time.
If you look up the model of that Chromebook and it has 4gb of memory, you might have a really good time with a light weight distro! I know there are also some Chromebooks with 8gb going for $120-$180 new - I could see those being good options for starting with Linux without investing too much into it. If you think that's an option, try converting the old Chromebook into a Linux machine first just to get a sense for the process. It's not hard, but you still have to go through a few steps, such as opening it up to remove a write-protect screw, flashing a USB/SD card to hold the Linux image for installation, etc. If you can do it on the old one and feel comfortable with it, then a newer Chromebook might be a solid option.
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I've got an Acer Veriton too, from the same era! Not sure exactly which year it is, but it has that case. Do you know the maximum amount of ram it supports? I've been thinking of bumping the ram up in mine, adding a few spare hard drives I have sitting around, and using it as a home data server.
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If last years results are anything to go by, I think everything will be fine 
Community building can be fun, enjoy your time building it. Hope you enjoy your time here as well.
