DIY cheap laptop alternative for online classes, etc.

[Gerontius]

This works pretty well--I needed a simple laptop for minimal internet access, checking the e-mail and that sort of thing, keeping up in online classes, and writing.

I bought a secondhand iPad--probably a 2014 model?--for $44 on eBay, then bought a small keyboard case and two charging cables. All was less than $100.

The thing feels like a tiny laptop, has a little 9.7" screen, is too outdated to get most apps and too slow to get Facebook or Reddit full access. I can use a very old version of Facebook but cannot use Messenger.

It's perfect; if someone needs to get in touch with me that bad they can pick up the phone & call me. This is nice for low distraction and ease of use. And it's cheap --and I'm not buying new. (I refuse to buy electronics new because electronics are a major source of pollution, as well as a human rights violation in most factories. If I use modern tech it's always a few years out of date.) So if someone else hates tech companies & wants something simple, get a used tablet & a keyboard case and you have the most basic laptop there is.

 

[Jordy]

Some people use old retro computers to get their writing done without distraction. A raspberry pi could also get the job done.

 

[Crossbreed]

I have an iPad2 that I won by participating in an autism survey. (It was state-of-the-art at the time.)
Apple stopped supporting it after iOS 9.3.5 .

The app store still has many apps that only require 9.3.5 or earlier.

 

[Gerontius]

Some people use old retro computers to get their writing done without distraction. A raspberry pi could also get the job done.

I'm building something else that needs one of those--I have a Pi and am building it into an internet-free word processor. That one is going to have a mechanical keyboard (still have to solder a ton of sockets for that) and a small but reliable display...no touchscreen, no nothing, just a basic setup.
(Also the Pi will run LibreOffice.)

 

[Suzette]

I'm building something else that needs one of those--I have a Pi and am building it into an internet-free word processor. That one is going to have a mechanical keyboard (still have to solder a ton of sockets for that) and a small but reliable display...no touchscreen, no nothing, just a basic setup.
(Also the Pi will run LibreOffice.)

That is more like what I expected.

I actually had a word processor machine back before "word processor" was synomynous with software.
It was something like this:

 

[Gerontius]

That is more like what I expected.

I actually had a word processor machine back before "word processor" was synomynous with software.
It was something like this:
View attachment 75652

Those little machines are both cute and capable. That one looks like one of the Alphasmart models. I have considered buying one of those for typing but I usually just use pen & paper or an old typewriter. The problem with typewriters is that they break down when not kept tuned, cannot get to online classes, and are beginning to get difficult to find. I love manual typewriters but some college stuff requires a computer.

The DIY word processor is an unlikely mix of Pi 4 computer, mechanical keyboard, home made monitor (fresnel magnifier, small LCD display, Bristol board and glue) and a small 5v power supply, all built into the iron body of a 1920s Remington office typewriter (the typewriter was dropped on the ground and broken beyond repair so I am using the guts to rebuild a second Remington upright that a fellow collector found at the junkyard, rusted solid and looking as if a streetcar had run it over and dragged it for a couple blocks.

Again, much as I Iove the no-fuss nature of a typewriter, I'm still always on the watch for a reliable and cheap way to access the Web and use modern digital stuff. Here's hoping that the "obsolete iPad & just a simple keyboard case" works out over the long run.

I really don't like Apple chargers. Their computer doodads last for a long time but I will always have little respect for the cheap, crappy proprietary cables that they use. So I may build one with a regular tablet set up to run Linux and use free open source software... it's a thought.

 

[Suzette]

@Gerontius, that sounds like a steampunk computer. Very cool.

15 -20 years ago Asus' first version on the EeeBook ran linux. The first version was 7" and was like a tiny lap top for about $100. It was great! It actualy had a solid state drive at a time when only the very most expensive laptops did.

 

[Gerontius]

The old IBM Thinkpad can be converted to something much more modern, too...I have seen those setups with Linux and they seem like a neat idea.

That Asus laptop sounds very interesting and should be cheap enough, old as it is.

 

[Suzette]

The old IBM Thinkpad can be converted to something much more modern, too...I have seen those setups with Linux and they seem like a neat idea.

That Asus laptop sounds very interesting and should be cheap enough, old as it is.

I did a cursory glance for the old eeebook. I couldn't even find a memory lane mention. Too bad. It really was a sweet little machine. Mine was barbie pink. Looked like a toy but was fully capable.

 

[Luca]

I have a “normal” laptop, but also a Surface tablet that I use as a tiny laptop. It’s red and very cute (my phone is also red. I like red electronics for some reason.)

 

[Jordy]

I'm building something else that needs one of those--I have a Pi and am building it into an internet-free word processor. That one is going to have a mechanical keyboard (still have to solder a ton of sockets for that) and a small but reliable display...no touchscreen, no nothing, just a basic setup.
(Also the Pi will run LibreOffice.)

For linux there are also terminal based text editors, combined with a markup language you can write documents and convert them to pdfs or html.

 

[Gerontius]

Just to see what would happen, I tried pairing the Bluetooth keyboard from this set-up onto my phone. I have a cheap, VERY cheap & VERY basic Android smartphone.

So I'm posting this from my phone typing on the regular keyboard of the DIY laptop alternative and this feels like the sketchiest hackish-est thing I've built so far, but it's working.

Kind of wild.

 

[Matthias]

I bought a secondhand iPad--probably a 2014 model?--for $44 on eBay, then bought a small keyboard case and two charging cables. All was less than $100.

You can get a refurbished chromebook for less than $50 with everything included.