Just a question about donating an old laptop to charity.

snicrep · Jun 15, 2026

kemosabi49 said: ↑

Lot of people had Tandy computers. My first was a Tandy (Radio Shack) Color Computer. Wasn't any internet back then but you could use dial up to access message boards. I was using a 300 Baud Modem. My incoming came in one byte at a time, very slowly. Lol
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I took an intro to computer, course in college, late 80s. No internet. The machines were just dos. Amber characters. The main goal was to write a simple program and run it .
I recently got a refurbished iPad for out on the road. I hardly use it because my phone is simpler, and it's always on. Also it's my hot spot .
My son built a desk top unit, which I would do, but I'm never home.

Powder Joints · Jun 15, 2026

The_vett said: ↑

Awesome that you , and @kemosabi49 remember Tandy, ( then became radio shack) and unplugging the phone so you could spend painful amounts of time on the equipment they sold. Iv'e always missed the Tandy on Atlantic or Long Beach...Computing was very different .....now it is all about money. It spoiled the good parts...well TheTruckersReport, is a great site and so are all of you ! THANK YOU !
Exciting times , but its all changed , ...REM...those giant floppy disks....
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AOL....You;ve got mail...may take you 20 minute to get online, but eventully youve got mail.

The_vett · Jun 15, 2026

Powder Joints said: ↑

AOL....You;ve got mail...may take you 20 minute to get online, but eventully youve got mail.
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I hung onto Netscape as long as I could ......then as you know AOL says they bought them out but I believe Gates plowed his way to the top. I don't think our history is completely right. .................oh and remember that SKREECHHHH as it was connecting? YIKES!

Numb · Jun 15, 2026

Powder Joints said: ↑

AOL....You;ve got mail...may take you 20 minute to get online, but eventully youve got mail.
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I still use my old AOL account. REALLY!

the only e mail I have.

Moose1958 · Jun 21, 2026

Daughter is here this weekend. She is taking this laptop and giving it to another Flight Attendant who has a relative who needs one. I reinstalled windows 10 pro on it and sometime by the end of the day I will be also installing Linux Mint in a dual boot. I also replaced the CMOS battery. This person is getting a fine Laptop. I did speak to the person getting the laptop and they said they already have a USB ready to make a Windows 11 install using RUFUS.

Moose1958 · Jun 26, 2026

I wanted to add some news about Windows 10 support. Microsoft has extended support for another year. LINK

Microsoft ended official support for Windows 10 in 2025, but the company may have a harder time than expected putting the operating system out to pasture. After promising a year of optional extended update support, Microsoft has changed its policy, tacking on another year to its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. If you are still clinging to Windows 10, you don’t have to do anything but enjoy that extra year.

The last regular updates rolled out to Windows 10 in October of last year, but the Internet can be a dangerous place for unpatched Windows machines. That was a problem for Microsoft, as Windows 11 usage had only barely surpassed Windows 10 when support ended. Microsoft’s solution was to give everyone on the old OS a free year of extended updates.

That program was set to end on October 12, 2026, but Microsoft has updated its policy with hardly a whisper, pushing back the end of extended updates to October 12, 2027. The ESU support page was updated with that date, and Microsoft’s blog post on the program has a new editor’s note confirming the change.

The prevalence of Windows across so many devices and form factors has given Microsoft a massive customer base for decades, but it has also stymied the company’s efforts to roll out new operating systems. Microsoft famously extended the support window for Windows XP numerous times throughout the 2010s as it became apparent that millions of PCs would never be updated. Windows 10 isn’t quite as entrenched as XP was, but it has still been a slog getting people to upgrade to Windows 11 even nearly five years after release.

Unlike many past Windows updates, Windows 11 required some users to buy new PCs with specific CPU technologies and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Microsoft was widely criticized for excluding perfectly serviceable PCs, and that’s turning into a problem in 2026. The AI-driven shortage of storage and memory has made system upgrades vastly more expensive, potentially slowing upgrades. Some have also avoided Windows 11 due to Microsoft’s intense focus on AI features.

The result is that Windows 10 remains stubbornly popular. According to StatCounter data, Windows 10 is still running on about 26 percent of PCs, while Windows 11 sits at 72 percent. That means there are still hundreds of millions of active Windows 10 installs, but those machines will be up to date for at least an additional year.

To join the ESU program, just look for the enrollment option in the Windows Update menu. Customers in the EU get these updates for free, but in other regions, you have to sign in with a Microsoft account and sync your system settings to be eligible for free updates. Otherwise, it costs $30 (or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points) to join the program.

Once you’re in, the ESU license works on up to 10 devices, but Microsoft stresses this is for personal use—businesses have to pay per device for Windows 10 updates, but the program is available through 2028. But at this rate, Microsoft might be releasing Windows 10 updates even beyond that timeline.
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Just a question about donating an old laptop to charity.

snicrep Road Train Member

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Moose1958 Road Train Member

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