We love new design ideas and tech, but that does not mean that we are still not attached to some of our old gadgets too. A quick office poll revealed that a lot of us still own early generation Apple gadgets, but unfortunately, many of them are sitting in a drawer rather than being used.
This is because taking apart and fixing Apple phones, Mac books and iPods was not easy. They were tricky to get apart and even more difficult to put back together again properly not to mention the problem of finding genuine parts. For many years, Apple pretty much cornered the market for repairs.
At one stage, most Apple repairs were expensive and often you would have to go for weeks without your phone or MacBook. Unsurprisingly, many people simply went out and bought the latest model. However, gradually that situation has changed.
These days it is far easier to find someone who can fix Apple tech and do so for a reasonable price. In most countries, there are now online firms who will tell you what they think the problem is and give you a quote via the web. If you are happy with the quote, all you have to do is to post your Apple gadget to them. They carry out the repair and send it back to you. Some of these firms offer a 24-hour turnaround, so if everything goes smoothly you can get your working Apple equipment back within a few days.
The best firms use genuine Apple parts, so you get a repaired iPod, phone or laptop that will carry on working for years. Of course, this is great, but the question is what you are going to do with your spare Apple gadgets.
Well the answer is quite a lot. Here are just a few ideas.
Turn an iPod Touch into a spare phone
If you have a 4G iPod Touch, you can easily turn it into a VoIP phone. You can find the instructions on LifeHacker.
Turn older generation iPods into storage devices
Old style iPods make great storage devices for photos, videos and files. If you want a music repository for using when you are in your car, running or cycling they are perfect.
Currently, I am learning Spanish, so I have uploaded all 100 lessons to an old iPod, which I leave in the car. This has helped to turn otherwise dead travelling time into productive learning time.
Turn an old iPad into a spare laptop
Often when I am travelling, I do not really have the space or the need for a full-blown laptop. Using a good Bluetooth keyboard and a few apps, which my Windows PC I have turned an old iPad into a functional alternative laptop.
For writing, I use Editorial, combined with Dropbox it gives me the ability to write on the go and sync up with my PC when I get back to the office. I use Wi-Fi for internet access, but also use my phone as a Hotspot when I need to. HipChat and Skype both help me to stay in touch while travelling.
This just a flavour of what you can do. There are literally hundreds of other ways to use your old Apple gadgets, so why not get them out ask for repair quotes and start enjoying them in a completely new way.
