Post #2132259

2026-05-06 17:13 UTC

This week: Two donated Linux laptops have found new homes with people who would not otherwise had laptops. In the queue: I&#39;ve got three thinkpads awaiting new power adaptors, one of which needs a new battery, and another of which _NEEDS_ a new battery. And two macbooks, one of which is having (broadcom) WiFi problems. And the other is waiting. You: Are you a carer, a migrant, unemployed or otherwise could use an Ubuntu laptop? (Or do you know someone who would benefit?) Do you have old laptops* cluttering your space that you want to pass on? I will collect from anywhere in London. * If your laptop turns on, I&#39;m interested. If its already ewaste, sorry.

Replies (7)

@celesteh@hachyderm.io 2026-05-07 08:28

I'm doing a complete reinstall, so I do wipe the hard drives of all received computers. I'm just one guy. I'm extremely slow and don't keep records of anything. I'm not an expert. I feel kind of like a matchmaker in trying to figure out which computer is a good match for the person. Are they on the go a lot, so battery life matters? Are they actually just going to be browsing the web, or should it be fast enough to do other things? Do they need a good webcam? Computers come with a short training session and an invitation to contact me if they need advice or it stops working. The Gnome desktop seems to be super easy for people. Scrolling gestures and 'right' clicking on apples are often more awkward. I know what the computers are like because I spend time with them. Sometimes its just troubleshooting but sometimes I use them for my own work, so I can test or demo networking software. I'll probably use one of them to try out BSD. Part of the reason they're unallocated is because they need new parts like a better battery or don't have their own power cable and also I have more computers than people who want them. (Honestly, most of them would benefit from faster hard drives, but that gets quite expensive…) If you or somebody you know in London would get joy from a laptop, get in touch. There's no means testing or interview. The only constraint is that you have to tell me if you're under 18, so I know to schedule meetings in public places and bring along an extra adult. Or if you have spare thinkpad power cables!! Or Display port to HDMI adaptors.

Open ##2166047
@gb@hi.gbryant.co.uk 2026-05-06 17:36

@celesteh do you know anyone needing desktops? I've got an old desktop that just needs a power supply (which I could get if someone would want it). Ryzen 1600, 8GB RAM, small SSD and 1TB HDD, RX 560 (if I remember right)

Open ##2166048
@mia@hcommons.social 2026-05-06 17:47

@celesteh maybe! A Yoga laptop that I'm not using. Where are you in London?

Open ##2166050
@burnoutqueen@todon.nl 2026-05-07 03:59

@celesteh 🫡

Open ##2166052
@dianea@lgbtqia.space 2026-05-07 04:04

@celesteh Old Thinkpad laptops with Linux and *nix are crazy fast and the best 😻

Open ##2166054
@efialto@mastodon.online 2026-05-07 09:09

@celesteh you are the best. Thanks for your work!

Open ##2166058
@gb@hi.gbryant.co.uk 2026-05-07 09:17

@celesteh oh I also have a Thinkpad T410s with i5, 160GB SSD, 1TB SSD in the DVD drive bay, docking station, 65W and 95W chargers. I assume at least some of that is useful to you?

Open ##2166059