It could still make a serviceable NAS computer, Pi-Hole, Minecraft server, etc. All of that is assuming it's running some Linux distribution of course. It's too old to be secure running some ancient Windows version.

I have an old netbook. I can't offer help, but I can share my plan.

I hope to have it network boot from my useful computer. That way, I can use it in the kitchen to browse recipes and stuff. Of course, then I also get to brag about having a mainframe. No one has to know it's a <$1k laptop.

I'm not sure if that would work for you. my netbook is 4GB ram.

Incidentally, I had a System76 computer with about those specs way back when. I loved it. It's hard to justify that form factor now since flagship phones are basically filling that role today. But now that I think about it, it's kinda like the equivalent of a 2024 smartphone was in my everyday-carry in 2009. Kinda wild to think about it that way. Not that it could make phone calls, but my phone doesn't seem to do that either :P

Wonder if it would serve well as the brains of a smart mirror? And if you have the inclination to make one...

https://magicmirror.builders/

Just put Windows XP on it and try installing some old games from that era (or even from the 9x era).

Still like Windows 7? Keep it permanently offline and maybe use it as some kind of software time capsule. Old versions of stuff like Microsoft Office, iTunes or probably even Adobe Creative Suite are still pretty usable.

Hate Windows? Get a lightweight Linux distribution and use it as what it was intended to be use as: a f***ing netbook. Lubuntu most likely runs fine on 1GB of RAM.

Don't feel like doing any of this? Just sell it, and use that money to buy a potentially better laptop.

I would use it as a network attached storage / media player running Linux.

It doesn't have to be always on, and having copies of photos or important documents would give peace of mind.

Debian, Ubuntu and the raspberry pi os (they have an installer for normal computers, not just pi's) would be distributions I'd consider with the pi os at the top of the list.

This comic was posted on Lemmy recently.

Also have an old netbook. I use it to run old games.

Mine's on windows 10, but yours probably still runs on XP which is no longer safe. So do a reset, make sure it can't connect to the internet(airport mode, disable wifi, firewall on lockdown), and google how to disable stuff/services to make it slightly speedier.

Gog has plenty of (free) older games. Don't pirate older games, they might connect to the internet, which is a security risk.

You could probably estimate how much poop is in the rectum of the entire human race, the rate at which it is ejected, the amount remaining, and all of the subsequent products you could make out of said poo. Computers are very powerful, and I think that your computer could handle these data points.