I'm currently unemployed, broke and using a 5-year-old laptop to work on my startup. The laptop has undergone multiple emergency surgeries and is basically on life support at this stage, going into cardiac arrest every hour or so.<p>Does anyone happen to have an old laptop or desktop laying around unused? I'm really, really not fussy about what type of machine it is, or how many times it has traveled around the sun.
Check out freecycle.org, it's a place where people advertise stuff to give away for free (normally on condition of you picking it up). There is also a "wanted" section to ask for particular items, which you might find useful.<p>Here is the URL for the Brisbane group:
<a href="https://groups.freecycle.org/group/freecycle_brisbane/posts/all" rel="nofollow">https://groups.freecycle.org/group/freecycle_brisbane/posts/...</a>
We've got a small office in Brisbane - we might have something spare up there. If you can't get anything email me: smj (at) fastmail (dot) com
I think you need to sort out your life before you continue to work on your startup. I don't say that to criticize you, I am just being realistic. It's disadvantageous in almost every way to be absolutely broke (mostly for obvious reasons) while trying to pursue something as amibitious as a tech startup. You're really pushing the odds.
While I can't help with your immediate crisis, if you ever want to talk startup strategies just ping my email (in profile). squirrel in London has a great gesture I'd like to pay forward now I'm back home in Brisbane, of always being willing to buy you lunch, learn about what you're building, and offer to help / connect in anyway I can.
Ah, memories. I started our company in 2006 with a very heavy, very yellow, 486 compaq laptop.<p>Yes, I'm fully aware there are better machines I could have used for a fairly nominal amount, but all I needed was bash, mutt and vim, and money was better spent on food and water.<p>Graduated to using a "broken (needed a new HDD)" ibook when the roof decided it didn't feel like keeping rain out one night.<p>That doesn't help one jot with your immediate problem, but I empathise, and have been in your shoes.
I'm in between moving, but when I unpack I have a bit of a PC graveyard and can piece together something if you're still stuck. Even a Windows key I guess if you're that way inclined.
If you don't need Windows or the mobility, a Raspberry PI 2 may be an alternative. They are about $35 plus tax and the model 2 is as capable as a five year old Laptop.
I'm on the southside and have an old p4 2.4ghz w/ 2gb ddr2, some asus motherboard, gpu and a coupla hdds. Unfortunately there's no case but if you can come grab it it's all yours. Also a raspi 1 model b and 22" lcd.<p>Email me hnpc at eggsampler dort com
Great to see such good gestures from the community. I have 2 laptops which are not working(one with motherboard problem). Is their any way I can dump them as they are just taking up space in my home.<p>PS - I am from India.
Freecycle.org is a good option<p>One other way is to check out the surrounding local council's hard rubbish collection days. Scour the nature strip for exactly this and you will be quite lucky. Your chances improve with the poshness of the council.<p>I recycled a Multi-function printer 8 years back in Melbourne, Australia and it works fine except its hard to get the print cartridges, so gets used mostly as a scanner.