What to do with my old Sony VAIO laptop?

February 23, 2010 9:06 PM

What to do with my old Sony VAIO laptop?

(Please assume that I'm slightly computer illiterate, and that's why I've turned here for help.)

I've got a Sony VAIO laptop (PCG-6G4L) that I bought in August 2005. I've since gotten a new laptop and wiped that one.

It does turn on, and has a copy of Windows XP on it, but nothing more. The battery won't hold a charge at all, and the power cord, while functioning, is frayed at one point. 1.73GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 74.5 GB of memory.

I have no need for it - my question is, is there any kind of market for a laptop this old? A quick scan of Ebay and Google Products doesn't turn up much, and YouRenew.com doesn't seem to want it either. Will anyone anywhere give me any money for it, or am I better off just giving it away?

Thanks!

posted by Quidam to Technology (7 answers total)

People sell comparable laptops on Craigslist all the time for $100-$300. Assuming that's a Pentium M processor, that machine is perfectly capable of browsing the web, running Office, watching YouTube, etc. Look at similar ads to determine your asking price. You could also add some more RAM to make it more attractive; RAM is very cheap these days, and a computer listed with 2GB will probably get more bites (ha!) than one with 512MB.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 9:22 PM on February 23, 2010

Most new low-end netbooks have about as much kick as your old VAIO. My EEE is roughly as powerful and cost ~$150. You might find someone to take it off your hands for fifty bucks or so, if you're lucky.
posted by griphus at 9:26 PM on February 23, 2010

You can trade it in for up to $300 credit depending on specs towards a new Sony (if you want another).

http://sony.tradeups.com/
posted by wongcorgi at 9:47 PM on February 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

I have an old laptop that is otherwise useless. I use it as a dedicated torrent machine which I run 24/7. When it eventually dies, no loss.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:36 PM on February 23, 2010

Best answer: In my area, you can donate laptops to charitable causes like domestic violence shelters or needy students. I have a VAIO of about the same vintage and that's what I was planning to do.
posted by jeffmshaw at 5:31 AM on February 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

I sold my old laptop on Ebay for about $200 (a yea ror so ago) it was in terrible shape and barely turned on. I said all this and more in the advert but still someone bought it. so I wasn't fussed. free money.
posted by mary8nne at 6:07 AM on February 24, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks for the great answers - I ended up finding someone at my church who needed a computer. Appreciate all the info!
posted by Quidam at 3:45 PM on February 26, 2010