Electronic Waste Graveyard

[hunter]

2. In the case of Chromebooks...

... they deliberately make it difficult to repurpose them as general purpose Linux machines. It used to be as easy as opening the machine up and shorting a jumper but lately it's an elaborate song and dance that can leave a machine bricked if you make a mistake.

That's increasingly true of all personal computing devices, Windows machines included.

The manufacturers claim it's for "security," but it's as much about locking you into a certain computing environment as it is about keeping the bad guys out.

I've been a computer nerd since I was a kid. Devices I can't jailbreak simply don't interest me. Other than a few Raspberry Pi machines, all my 21st century home computers have been diverted from the e-waste bins. The most I've ever paid for a home computer was $299 for a somewhat grimy 386 that was used as a shop display.

My all-time favorite computers are still the Atari 8 bits. I haven't discarded any of mine or their accessories.