I use old laptops as my primary home server instead of mini PCs because they come with a built-in multi-hour UPS and a crash cart.
Using old phones offers similar advantages, in particular if your alternative was a Raspberry Pi.
https://hackaday.com/2025/08/16/from-smartphone-to-a-home-server/
@kyle All my old laptops are lucky to get one hour on their batteries. I'm not sure the laptop vs UPS battery equation works out.
@lwriemen if you price a multi-hour laptop battery replacement versus a multi-hour UPS, the laptop will win.
