62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer: (And Other Discarded Electronics)

I bought this book for my husband's birthday. He works on computers for a living and loves to do little projects so I thought it would be perfect for him :) The book is nice with a lot of different ideas in it, but there are too many that are useless. I do understand that when making things out of a dead computer you probably won't really be making a lot of useful things, but I just thought it would have more guy oriented cool projects in it. Not to sound sexist or anything, but making projects from a dead computer really seems more like something a guy would do (at least a much higher percentage), though I'm sure there are girls out there that do it too. So, being able to make sparkly trinkets for a cell phone just doesn't seem too appealing LOL ;) All in all, I wish there were more useful projects in the book and that it was a little less "go green" which in this circumstance seems to produce junk :( My husband has yet to make anything from the book ideas, it's been 1 month since his birthday...that is perhaps a review in itself.

great idea book, with lots of creative useage for the old, tured out, non working. (or working and outdated) computer items layign aorund. Thanks to this book that I innitally purchased as bathroom reading, I now have a sanitary compost starter in my kitchen that has no oder, and it gave me even more ideas, I have made a wooden mouse from the guts of a broken plastic led one (I hate ball mice) and am almost finished converting a old computer power sully, and Tivo chasis, to a master power supply for all my USB accories, that not only looks good, but will be much more pwoer saving due to the lack of "wall warts" that will be used, (these items always draw power even if the item is not turned on! should save me a few bucks each month from my power bill, but I am goign to leave the chasis its origional color even though it is becommign a "green item! lolworth buyign a copy of this, great idea starter! 62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer: (And Other Discarded Electronics)

The first few pages contain information useful for a "new to electronics" person--things like resistor color code and what to do with capacitors.While there is a temptation to consider this a manual for electronic scavengers, I think it works on a couple of deeper levels.First, it opens the door to electronics as an art form; you can take old parts and create something that doesn't use electricity at all. You can make things that are useful or just interesting. All things don't have to have a practical function--or be beautiful. Conversation pieces are good for--conversation-- (something we may have to work harder at as face to face communication is replaced by electronic gizmos).Second, this book makes us think about all the good stuff that we throw away just because it gets erratic or outmoded.To sum it up, this is a good book for the artist, for the electronic beginner or the person concerned about trashing things rather than finding a new purpose.

This book is like a Martha Stewart type of book. But it may not be for everyone. It more of a craft type thing you can do with old computers and electronics. Like building a lamp table from an old scanner. Its cool if your decorating your room with "geek" appeal or a whiz kids room, but that style may not be for most people. Overall the book is nice and I like how its an imaginative book on what to do with old equipment. If you were thinking that the book is about reapplying old equipment/electronic/computer and "modernizing" them like taking an old pc and installing linux to make it modern, this is not the book. But if you like crafts, and want to try something different then its a nice book.

This is a good book for 'makers' who like to dismantle older technology and make something different out of it. A bit dated - practically impossible not to be in this field - but the projects are fun and well written.

I picked this up hoping it would offer some type of "Hack" Electronic Project ideas, or even something like the old Radio Shack Science Fair projects from the electrical components - nothing of the sort. Instead it's a collection of useless projects like how to make coasters out of cables, compost bins from old scanners, or an ant farm from an old monitor. On the positive side the Author IS trying to get the reader thinking of ways to reuse "trash" and keep it from ending up in a landfill (hat's off for that), I just wish there was something of more value in the ideas.

Wasn't really impressed, but for others, these are good ideas

The most project are not electronic's projects. The services of the seller was excellent but the book is so so.

62 progetti? 62 cavolate, sarebbe stato meglio intitolarlo... Uno si aspetta delle IDEE quando compra un libro del genere, non il delirio di un adolescente con due cacciaviti e la colla a caldo in mano. Non c'è una, che dico, una, idea utilizzabile per creare qualosa di vagamente utile.

Me parecio bastante interesante al verlo pero una vez que lo tuve no me parecio tan bueno. Es un libro normalito.

I am using this book with students right now. Works great!