I repurposed 4 old Apple devices, and now they all do something useful in my home

Source Domain: www.makeuseof.com

Apple hardware tends to stick around. The build quality is good enough that these devices don’t break — they just get slower, lose software support, and eventually end up in a desk drawer because something newer replaced them. I had four of them in exactly that situation: a first-gen iPad Pro, a 9th-generation iPad, a 7th-gen iPod Touch, and a 2017 MacBook Air. All functional. All ignored.

Rather than sell them for whatever eBay or Facebook Marketplace would offer — which isn’t much once the scratches and years of use are factored in — I found specific jobs for each one. Every device is still in active daily or weekly use, doing something genuinely useful. Here’s what each one does now.

iPad Pro (1st gen) — portable second display and smart home hub

Two jobs, one screen

This 12.9-inch iPad does two completely different jobs depending on where I am. When I’m traveling with my MacBook Pro, it comes along as a secondary display via Sidecar. Wired beats wireless here — the connection stays solid, and the cable charges the iPad while it’s in use. The screen size is the real advantage — 12.9 inches gives enough room to keep reference documents open, monitor communications, or sit in a video call while actually working on the laptop. At home, it lives on the kitchen counter as a dedicated smart home control panel.

The Alexa app runs permanently on the main screen, with device groups organized by room and zone. Ring cameras pull up fast. The myQ integration means garage door status is always visible — no more second-guessing at bedtime. Three HVAC zones sound manageable until you’re trying to adjust them from separate…

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