If your old monitor is of decent size, say 24 inches or larger, you can turn it into a portable smart TV. With this setup, you'll be able to stream content from your favorite apps like YouTube ...

The only caveat is that monitors usually do not have coaxial cable connections, meaning you'll have a harder time watching live TV if you subscribe to an old-school cable TV service.

The old TV-as-PC-monitor thing used to come with a whole hill of compromises. These days, any self-respecting TV does 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh, low latency, the works.

Using a TV as a monitor does come with its downsides. ... My old OWC dock doesn’t support 60Hz over 4K, so my only option is to either use two cables or invest in an expensive dock.

Next: Here's how I turned an old phone into a portable baby monitor; I added a smart display under my monitor — and it’s changed the way I work and this is how I made my mailbox smart — so I ...