{"slug": "reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg", "title": "Reviving old PCs with Linux now that new ones cost an arm and a leg", "summary": "Apple's sharp price increases on laptops and other gear, driven by a datacenter-related computer parts shortage, have made new PCs unaffordable. The RAM crisis is expected to persist for years, prompting users to revive old PCs with Linux as a cost-effective alternative.", "body_md": "Apple [sharply raising the prices of laptops and other gear](https://boingboing.net/2026/06/25/apple-raises-prices-because-ai-ate-the-ram.html) brought home that the [datacenter-driven computer parts shortage](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/26/ai-memory-chip-shortage-consumer-electronics-prices.html) is only getting worse. It will [be years before prices fall](https://tech.sportskeeda.com/gaming-news/ram-prices-unlikely-drop-2030), with RAM at the epicenter of the crisis. The long-awaited [Steam Box is $1049 to start](https://boingboing.net/2026/06/23/valves-steam-machine-will-run-you-at-least-a-thousand-dollars.html), with disappointing specifications. — [Read the rest ](https://boingboing.net/2026/06/27/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg.html)\n\nThe post [Reviving old PCs with Linux now that new ones cost an arm and a leg](https://boingboing.net/2026/06/27/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg.html) appeared first on [Boing Boing](https://boingboing.net).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg", "canonical_source": "https://boingboing.net/2026/06/27/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg.html", "published_at": "2026-06-27 10:26:02+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-27 11:09:06.823932+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-infrastructure", "ai-chips"], "entities": ["Apple", "Steam Box", "Valve", "Boing Boing"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/reviving-old-pcs-with-linux-now-that-new-ones-cost-an-arm-and-a-leg.jsonld"}}