If you've never run a node before, simply take your beat up old laptop and:

Go on bitcoin knots github

Press lateat releases

Install the package relevant to your OS.

Run the application.

Open the config file and write: prune=2000

Let it sync (may take ~1 week)

This is a huge first step and will show you that running a node is not difficult at all, and my bet is that you'll be running a full node after doing this just for fun and out of your own curiousity.