Laptops, unfortunately, go through a lot of wear and tear, to the point of unusability. Hacker Bart, however, shows us how just because a laptop's hinge, monitor, or keyboard is broken doesn't mean it can't still be a working, desktop computer.
This project is still ongoing, but has most of the kinks worked out and is a great springboard for a similar project with any laptop. After getting a free Macbook Air in not-so-great condition, Bart set out to turn it into a tiny desktop PC. Minimalist Mac towers are nothing new (from the old G4 Cubedesign to the newer Mac Minis), but this now-desktop is special—instead of being its own mini-tower, it resides in a small case under the keyboard and Magic Trackpad, hooked up to an external monitor.
The other nice thing about this project is that you don't need to wait five years for your laptop to break, either. You can buy lightly-broken laptops (i.e. working, but with broken hinges, screens, or other such quirks) for highly discounted prices on eBay, so if you're looking for a compact nettop, this is a great way to turn it into a fun and inexpensive project. Hit the link for more info and pictures.