As a Linux user, I'm always on the lookout for sturdy laptops that can be "recycled" by installing a Linux distribution on them. Considering how wasteful some users are when it comes to their electronics, and with laptops being tossed aside for ultrabooks and tablets, now is the best time to find old laptops for use for students and kids who can't afford a laptop but want to learn Linux, computers, and networking. People with disposable income and the privileged can be extremely cruel to their old laptops and netbooks, treating them haughtily and with disdain after the machine's years of service.
I pounced on an old ASUS U80A that an acquaintance was going to dispose of after deciding he "needed" a Macbook Pro. The U80A was old but serviceable with a competent T5900 2.20 GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM. In fact, it was a bit too powerful to be demoted from a business machine to a student's laptop, but I could definitely see a young student using the system for learning programming, graphic design, and Linux.
The laptop was sold a good 4 years ago but with a little bit of work can be revived to become a fairly powerful machine. My first stop was testing for Linux compatibility and booted via LiveUSB into Knoppix 6.5, which is several releases behind the current Knoppix (which is at 7.x). However, the Debian-based distribution is so dependable as a LiveUSB, I've never really upgraded, Moreover, Debian's well-known hardware support is what I need for testing "old" hardware like the U80A.
Knoppix booted up perfectly and supported all the necessary hardware including:
1. Atheros Ethernet Controller
2. Intel Wifi Link 5100
3. Maximum display resolution of 1366 x 768
4. Webcam
5. Bluetooth
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