boat anchor

n. [common; from ham radio] 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, bulky, quirky system; originally a term of
annoyance, but became more and more affectionate as the hardware became more
and more obsolete. Auctioneers use this term for a large, undesirable object
such as a washing machine; actual boating enthusiasts, however, use mooring
anchor for frustrating (not actually useless) equipment.

