boat anchor

Slang definitions & phrases for boat anchor

boat anchor

noun

An old or useless computer; also, anything clunky and useless: replace the boat anchors on the third floor


boat anchor in Technology


1. Like doorstop but more severe; implies that the offending hardware is irreversibly dead or useless. "That was a working motherboard once. One lightning strike later, instant boat anchor!"
2. A person who just takes up space.
3. Obsolete but still working hardware, especially when used of an old S100-bus hobbyist system; originally a term of annoyance, but became more and more affectionate as the hardware became more and more obsolete.
[Jargon File]