Wondering what to do with your old Macbook Pro? Remember when you first got your Mac and you used it all the time?
No doubt now it is just collecting dust while you are using a better, newer model.
You don’t have to throw it out though, because here are seven clever ideas about how to give it a second life and make something new!
6 Things To Do With Old Macbook Pro
Here is our list of cool things that you can do with your old Macbook Pro:
1. Make an (emergency) Wi-Fi Hotspot
If there is a dead zone in your house with no signal or somewhere the signal is very weak, your old Mac could in handy.
You can use it as a signal extender or router. This is especially useful if you are often on a wired connection.
- Simply connect the old Mac or MacBook to your Ethernet and put it wherever you need to access the Wi-Fi signal.
- Change the macOS settings to internet sharing and there you go!
You have a brand new hotspot for your Wi-Fi and don’t need to buy a new router.
2. Install Linux on There
Linux is an open-source operating system with thousands of compatible programs, and it runs on even the oldest machines.
Linux offers LibreOffice and OpenOffice, which are free alternatives to office suites, and GIMP which is like PhotoShop.
It also has popular web browsers and mail clients. This operating system can do most things the macOS can and it comes with even more customization options.
It boots quicker and isn’t vulnerable to malware.
Some things won’t work though, such as configuring it with your new printer, but Linux can certainly breathe new life into an old Mac.
3. Make Your Old Mac into a Network-Attached System
This will work better for an old MacBook Pro or MacBook rather than an iMac. If you have a good amount of hard drive in there, why not repurpose your own machine into an NAS (network-attached storage) device?
You can connect this drive to your home network so media such as files, photos and music can be shared on to every other device on the network.
As long as you have an internet connection you can access the files on the NAS. This is certainly a cheaper alternative than paying for iCloud storage or investing in an external hard drive.
4. Turn it Into a Chromebook
Do you remember the Chromebook from back in 2011? This laptop runs Chromium which is a Linux-based OS created by Google.
An old MacBook could certainly run as a Chromebook because of the low system requirements.
Although Chromium doesn’t run apps apart from Google Chrome and the extensions, you can use it as a device to access the internet.
This includes accessing cloud services, browsing the internet and watching YouTube videos. A Chromium laptop is also handy as a travel device if you are away from home.
All the data is securely stored in the cloud so even if the laptop gets lost or damaged, your data stays safe.
Chromebook is great for all web-based tasks.
5. Trade It In
Apple has a trade-in initiative, meaning if you trade in Apple devices such as an old MacBook or iMac (or something newer), you can apply to credit to a future Apple purchase!
If your Mac is simply too old for credit, you can also choose an Apple Store Gift Card instead.
6. Recycle or Sell It
If none of the above ideas appeal to you, and you are tired of your old computer just sitting there and gathering dust, it might be time to part ways.
People are always looking for spare parts, or they might want to try repairing an older Mac or doing some kind of project with it.
Selling it means you can at least make some money back. Don’t forget to transfer all your old data off the machine first; there are several ways of doing this.
Apple has a free recycling scheme which recycles used Apple computers responsibly, so if your device is simply not worth repairing you might like to take advantage of this.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can give your old Macbook Pro a second life and make it useful!
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions or suggestions, leave us comment in comment section.
Also feel free to watch video guide below: