Opinion? What's that?
Published on June 23, 2008 By kryo In Personal Computing

Gartner Research announced today that the number of computers currently in use worldwide has now surpassed one billion machines. That's nearly one machine for every six people!

As computers become bigger and bigger parts of our lives, one can only wonder how the world might change with the next billion. Will things get better or worse? Will the continued proliferation of computers usher in a golden age of free knowledge and human networking, or will they isolate us from each other by allowing us to see and hear only what we wish?

On a less philosophical note, how many of us have old machines just collecting dust in the closet (I've got a few myself)?

There are all sorts of potential projects or uses for those old machines and hardware (some helpful, some less so)--any ideas to put them to good use, rather than just wasting space until they find their way to the garbage?


Comments (Page 1)
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on Jun 23, 2008
One Billion Computers!


I thought this was either a Mc'D's type of ad .*over one billion Puters served* thype of thing..
or It was a tally of the # of Pc's used to store Snows skin collection.   

Good read Kryo. interesting to see how far PC's have spread out in to home life.. I imagine it was like this with television back in the day..
on Jun 23, 2008

I have two laying around.  One is an iBook G4 which I have been thinking about selling.

on Jun 23, 2008
I thought this was either a Mc'D's type of ad .*over one billion Puters served* thype of thing..


Ditto!
on Jun 23, 2008
I am counting 4 if I look around
I am actively faking and pushing stats
on Jun 23, 2008
Folding is a great idea to put an old machine to good use. You can also revamp them for home file servers, HTPCs, as test a machine for various Linux distros, tons of stuff.

But wow. 1 billion machines. Impressive.
on Jun 23, 2008

i have 2 at my desk... vates behind me has 3... WR has about 20 lying about his work space... stardock loves its puters

on Jun 23, 2008

I have an old laptop under the bed, but the battery's bunk, the CD drive cover is broken and Windows won't boot, so I doubt I will be able to do much with it .

Interesting read anyways, and with the economic development of countries like China and India, the only way I can see the number going is up.

on Jun 23, 2008
Every time I get a new machine the old one goes in a huff and stops working. Sometimes a little before the new one arrives - just to mess with me.
It's true - on my 5th at home and every single one is a door stop.
Hmm, that's about one every 4 to 5 years (not counting upgrades).

3 machines around my desk at work - not counting the sacrificial one we keep around for kicking.
on Jun 23, 2008
Wow, thats 1 billion possible Stardock customers.
on Jun 23, 2008
In my house now
Server: 1
Laptops: 4
PCs: 3
Mac: 1
Apple ][c: 1
Palms: 1
Logitech SqueezeBox: 1


I try to do my part. 
on Jun 23, 2008
Well I count 3 PC's and 1 laptop.

Hmmmm............if we collect $1 for each computer we could throw one heck of a pizza party!  
on Jun 23, 2008
If I hadn't given away parts, I'd have 3 additional computers minus 1 mouse.
on Jun 23, 2008
Parents comp, my comp and whats rest of the shell of my old computer that friends have scavaged through for diff parts!
on Jun 23, 2008
I think most places have a group of people who take old computers, do them up {mix and match parts} and then give them to people who cannot afford to buy one.
I know my town does.
Check it out. If you don't have one locally, why not get a group together.
on Jun 23, 2008
I got 1 gaming rig, 2 old crt pc's, 1 xps lappy, 1 inspron lappy, and another gaming rig in the next 4 months, hopefully.
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