Spare computer gear for old neighbour?
Hi all,
my old neighbour (whom I'm looking after a bit) has her birthday at the beginning of October, and I want to make it a bit memorable - I don't think she had a proper birthday in a very long time.
I will bake one of my breads (see picture below) for her and bring a bit of a spread, but I also want to set her up with a computer system so she can watch some movies (I have DVDs that I can lend her), listen to music, might be able to get internet at some point and stay in contact with her friends and especially her sons in Wellington a bit better.
I managed to buy (sight unseen) an old 24in Core2Duo iMac from 2007 (that can't run the latest Mac or Windows system software any more so wouldn't be secure) very cheaply as it was considered defect. Turns out that everything works fine, it just needed a clean (especially behind the protective glass in front of the screen) and a new system installed, and as a bonus it unexpectedly had its memory upgraded to 4 GB of RAM (the still original 320 GB HD isn't big but should do).
I installed the latest Linux Mint (which IS secure) as it is specifically geared towards desktop users (so even has commercial multimedia codecs that other Linux distributions don't have) and has low system requirements (eg 1 GB of RAM even with a really nice desktop) - and after less than 1 hour (incl googling how do do some things) everything is done and it runs very fast indeed. I'm quite impressed.
What I don't have is a spare USB keyboard and mouse for it. So if anyone has some old ones around that they no longer need (Apple would be ideal but PC ones will do) then I would appreciate them for my neighbour.
Other things she could need:
If you happen to have an old external 250 or 500 GB hard disc for backups then that would be fantastic - I always feel uncomfortable when people don't have backups of their data as computers can be replaced … your data though - which is the important thing - would be lost when the hard disc dies.
And if you feel REALLY charitable and have an old-style 2.5in 250 GB SATA SSD that you would be happy to donate then I would dare go inside the iMac, replace the hard disc (which is a bit a pig of a job, but I have done that before), and redo the installation of everything.
A small USB stick to bring official letters in pdf form (to me or the library?) for printing out or sending off (until she has internet herself) would also be useful … 1 GB should be plenty. Companies used to give them away, so maybe you have an old one somewhere?
Thanks in advance.
Markus
P.S. One more thing: I can no longer drive for medical reasons (occasional dizzy spells) so unless you are close by would not be able to pick something up. But we are opposite Green Bay High School, so if you happen to come past and could drop it off that would be fantastic.
Secure your homes over summer
Police are reminding people to keep their homes secure during the summer months.
Inspector Glenda Barnaby, Christchurch Area Prevention manager, says daytime burglaries are just as common as nightime burglaries.
“Burglaries can be committed at any time of the day, and coming into warmer months there is more opportunity for thieves."
"Although a majority of burglaries involve forced entry through windows and doors, we are starting to see more incidents at insecure premises. Police deal with cases where burglaries are committed in broad daylight, sometimes even while the victim is at home. Good weather means open doors and windows, which makes homes more vulnerable to burglars.”
Inspector Barnaby says there’s a few things people can do to reduce their changes of a burglary being committed.
⚠️ If you’re going outside for gardening, relaxing in the sun, or working in the garage, take a moment to lock your doors and secure your windows first.
⚠️ Do the same at night when you go to bed - keep your doors and windows secure and close your curtains. Fitting window stays means you can get a breeze coming through, while keeping your windows secure.
⚠️ Get to know your neighbours - let them know if you’re going away and look out for one another.”
If you see any suspicious activity, people or vehicles in your neighbourhood, don't hesitate to contact Police.
If you witness or suspect any illegal activity, please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report through 105 either online or over the phone, if it is after the fact.
Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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72.5% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16.4% Hmm, maybe?
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11.1% Yes!
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