Infosec.Pub

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/25100231

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.04.07-144241/https://www.theverge.com/tech/639126/india-frankenstein-laptops

In a dimly lit, cluttered workshop in Delhi’s Nehru Place, the air hums with the sound of whirring drills and the crackle of soldering irons. Sushil Prasad, a 35-year-old technician, wipes the sweat off his brow as he carefully pieces together the guts of an old laptop. It is a daily ritual — resurrecting machines by stitching together motherboards, screens, and batteries scavenged from other trashed older laptops and e-waste — to create functional, low-cost devices.

“India has always had a repair culture … but companies are pushing planned obsolescence”

“Right now, there is a huge demand for such ‘hybrid’ laptops,” Prasad says, his hands swapping out a damaged motherboard. “Most people don’t care about having the latest model; they just want something that works and won’t break the bank.”

Really interesting article on how old hardware is being rebuilt in Delhi

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/upliftingnews by /u/bojun on 2025-04-08 14:59:00+00:00.

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.04.07-144241/https://www.theverge.com/tech/639126/india-frankenstein-laptops

In a dimly lit, cluttered workshop in Delhi’s Nehru Place, the air hums with the sound of whirring drills and the crackle of soldering irons. Sushil Prasad, a 35-year-old technician, wipes the sweat off his brow as he carefully pieces together the guts of an old laptop. It is a daily ritual — resurrecting machines by stitching together motherboards, screens, and batteries scavenged from other trashed older laptops and e-waste — to create functional, low-cost devices.

“India has always had a repair culture … but companies are pushing planned obsolescence”

“Right now, there is a huge demand for such ‘hybrid’ laptops,” Prasad says, his hands swapping out a damaged motherboard. “Most people don’t care about having the latest model; they just want something that works and won’t break the bank.”

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/linustechtips by /u/ProfPragmatic on 2025-04-08 11:58:18+00:00.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27910994

Spare laptop accessories stacked inside a Nehru Place shop that specializes in laptop and mobile repairs.

In a dimly lit, cluttered workshop in Delhia€™s Nehru Place, the air hums with the sound of whirring drills and the crackle of soldering irons. Sushil Prasad, a 35-year-old technician, wipes the sweat off his brow as he carefully pieces together the guts of an old laptop. It is a daily ritual a€" resurrecting machines by stitching together motherboards, screens, and batteries scavenged from other trashed older laptops and e-waste a€" to create functional, low-cost devices.

a€oeIndia has always had a repair culture a€¦ but companies are pushing planned obsolescencea€

"Right now, there is a huge demand for such a€˜hybrida€™ laptops," Prasad says, his hands swapping out a damaged motherboard. "Most people dona€™t care about having the latest model; they just want something that works and wona€™t break the bank."

Across India, in metro markets from Delhia€™s Nehru Place to Mumbaia€™s Lamington Road, technicians like Prasad are repurposing broken and outdated laptops that many see as junk. These a€oeFrankensteina€ machines a€" hybrids of salvaged parts from multiple brands a€" are sold to students, gig workers, and small businesses, offering a lifeline to those priced out of Indiaa€ …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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