If you've got a few outdated laptops collecting dust in your home, you're not alone. In a survey conducted last spring by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, more than half of the subscribers who purchased laptops since 2012 confessed to letting them linger under the roof long after they'd been replaced.
And that raises a good question: How do you go about finding a new home for an old laptop? Here are a few options to consider.
Sell It
Believe it or not, there’s a robust market for old tech. Between eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, you should have no trouble finding someone to take an unwanted computer off your hands. Using eBay, I’ve sold a non-functioning MacBook Pro with a missing hard drive for $100, a three-year-old iPad mini for $175, and an iPhone for $200.
Online marketplaces make it really easy to list items, offering intuitive step-by-step instructions to help you sell your wares. And even though eBay takes a small cut of the sale price, I’ve found that it still yields a bigger sum than the buy-back sites such as Gazelle and Glyde.
Before you sell a digital device to someone you don't know, though, take a few precautions to protect your privacy. You don't want bank account info, personal images, or your browsing history lingering on the machine.
With a tablet, a factory reset (activated through the Settings menu) will wipe the slate clean. For a laptop, you're better off removing the hard drive. (Just be sure to note that it's gone when you place the item on sale.) The website ifixit.com offers teardowns tutorials to walk you through the process. The only tool you need is a screwdriver.
Recycle It
If your city does not sponsor a collection day for old electronic products, you can find a state-by-state listing of organizations that will accept them by going to the website TIA E-cycling Central. You should check out the collection programs at BestBuy and Staples, too. Both are free. And Amazon will reward you with a gift card for items recovered through its trade-in program.
Donate It
It’s always nice to give back—especially during the holiday season—and a used computer is a valuable tool to a family without the resources to buy one. If you'd like to contribute a laptop to a family in need, the National Cristina Foundation and the World Computer Exchange can help you make that happen.
“So many of our children today come home from school with homework that has to be done online,” says Harry Rizer, CEO of the National Cristina Foundation. “If the family doesn't have a computer, they have to take the kid to the library every night and stand in line until it's their turn. And if the library closes, they're out of luck.”