'Alternative' Tech/Hardware
Hey, this page is where I group together posts about hardware related 'alternative' tech interests like; second hand and retro electronics, repairs and maintenance, and home server management!
2nd hand & Retro
I don't have the money to waste replacing all of my devices biannually, I also don't agree with obseleting perfectly functional hardware for the profit of corps that engage in large scale resource theft and human exploitation. For these reasons I stick with second hand tech hardware as much as possible. This also blends with my interest in 'retro' tech, I enjoy following the old console modding/emulator scenes, and have a few friends to swap consoles with.
Repairs and Maintenance
Below are individual pages for all hardware I have/had access too, with troubleshooting and resource links :)
Computers
- Custom PC
- Asus Vivobook X541UJ
- Toshiba Satellite C660
- HP Pavilion 15-n008tx
HP Notebook 15-ac657TX(passed on to a friend ♡)- Dell Optiplex 7050 Micro
- Surface Pro 7
Old/Retro Consoles Status
- Original Xbox: Semi functional
- Nintendo 64: Indefinitely loaned to a friend ♡
- PS4 Slim: Indefinitely borrowed from a friend ♡
- Xbox 360: May be borrowing one off a friend soon
Xbox One S: Traded it in
Check out my new page '32-bit Support Report' for some resources regarding operating systems, browsers, and other apps that still provide support for 32-bit/x86 computers!
Home Server
I bought a second-hand office PC in 2024, the Dell Optiplex 7050 Micro, which sparked my interest in self-hosting/home server stuff. There are a bunch of these available at the moment for relatively cheap, most likely due to a lack of 'official' Windows 11 support. But they are highly capable, energy efficient, designed to be left on 24/7 in an office, have excellent support (both in parts and online troubleshooting), and are usually easy to modify. I only host a personal minecraft bedrock server atm, but plan to try other stuff in the future (Plex, Jellyfin, Project Zomboid). Recently I got an even cheaper second-hand HP Prodesk 600 G3 SFF that I have since replaced the optiplex with (in regards to server stuff).
Alt Tech Posts
Virtualization as Easily as Possible
My Mobile Phone Problem - Part 2 - 'Limbo'
Self Hosting a Minecraft Bedrock Server
Recent Random Ramblings About Hardware and Software
Running Windows Apps on Linux (My Experiences So Far)
Halo Trilogy 2k25 & Original Xbox Hardware Failure