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Recycled Computing

Recycle Old Computers by Repurposing Them, Not Retiring Them

- 2008.02.15

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In many, many ways I am preaching to the choir here. If you are an avid reader of Low End Mac (and who isn't?), I can't help but think that you are predisposed to hang on to your old computer until the last possible moment and even then pass it on to a family member or friend in need.

Now I don't know why Mac users are more sentimental than PC owners, but I will note that there doesn't seem to be a site called Low End PC on the web. [Editor's note: We tried, but nobody cared. dk] Perhaps it is just the huge number of hardware manufacturers on the PC side.

I don't really know why this is so, but I know most of this site's readership will get a little misty eyed when I mention that my student aide just dusted off one of our Mac Classics (in our little Mac museum on campus) and started it up. Yep, it worked. And no, you can't buy it from me - it's not mine.

Technology no longer marches on - at this point it's a sprint. Today's cutting edge computer becomes tomorrow's landfill.

If you're like me, you can't help but think that the old and not so old should be useful in some fashion. Most of our developed countries in this world have up to date hardware and software, but the third world lags behind us in this field as well as many others.

Does a third world classroom need the latest Dell, Apple, or Toshiba? Or do they just need a ethernet equipped box with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse? Do they need the latest processor and gigabytes of RAM, or do they just need a processor and some memory? Do they need tabbed browsing or just a browser? Do they need the latest edition of Microsoft Office, or do they just need a word processor? Do they need the One Laptop per Child, or do they just need laptops?

My wife's school district has a contract with Apple that allows her IT department to give her a new laptop every three years. So what happens to all the laptops that are turned back in? There is a booming market for used Apple iBooks, so I don't have many worries that the laptops are still being used by someone, somewhere and in some capacity.

We used to have a bunch of old Power Mac 8600s and 7500s (remember SCSI?), and after wiping and removing the hard drives, we sent them away. At the end of this year, all our G3 desktops are going. Now G3s of this vintage can run Mac OS X 10.2.8, and wouldn't they fit nicely in a Third World country's school computer lab? The old G3s could provide a window to the world that these children might not otherwise have.

I don't know if I feel that a government program....

Oh, my God! Hillary Clinton just materialized next to me! How did she get in here without a hall pass? Oh, I see . . . I said the words "government program" and . . . Oh, my God! Bill Clinton just materialized next to her! I better stop before Chelsea shows up.

And now back to reality. Public or private, shouldn't we have a "Computer Corps" full of retired computer maniacs traveling to the Third World with the computers that are not as advanced as the latest and greatest? That's a lot better than languishing in a landfill or being ripped apart by Chinese recyclers.

Remember to keep reusing that 'puter!

Recent Recycled Computing Columns

Replacing the Hard Drive in a Clamshell iBook, 11.19. Yes, it is one of the most difficult Apple notebooks to disassemble and reassemble, but a 10 GB hard drive just will not do.
Macintosh Remote Control with Chicken of the VNC, 10.06. Sometimes you want to or need to control another Mac remotely. The free Chicken of the VNC program is a great tool for doing exactly that.
Upgrading a Pismo PowerBook with a Slot-load Drive Salvaged from an iBook, 10.01. Starting with a spare DVD-ROM module and the SuperDrive from a G4 iBook, the author ended up with a SuperDrive in his Pismo PowerBook.
Why the 20" iMac Is Perfect for Home or School, 09.29. The aluminum iMac has plenty of power and screen space, yet it's small enough and light enough to tote from place to place.
More in the Recycled Computing index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: 15" MacBook Pro Core Duo, Jan. 2006 - The first Intel-based MacBook launched at 1.83-2.0 GHz, had several teething problems.
Group of the Day: System 6 is the email list for those who choose System 6.
November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
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Recent Deals

Best eMac Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz Combo, $100; SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 GHz Combo, $119; SD, $319; 1.42 GHz Combo, $289; SD, $498.
Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
Best Xserve Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.17. Used 1.83 GHz, $750; 2.16, $800; 2.33, $900; refurb 2.4, $1,299; 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,899; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.17. Used 400 MHz, $50; 933 MHz, $80; 500 dual, $60; 867 dual, $90; 1 GHz dual, $150; 1.25 GHz dual, $225; 1.42 GHz, $499.
Best Mac OS X 10.5 Deals, 11.17. "Leopard" upgrade, $80; single user license, $135; 5 users, $173; Mac Box Set, 5 users, $230; Server, 10 users, $340; unlimited, $850. Shipping included.
Best Mac mini Deals, 11.16. Used 1.42 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.66 GHz Core Solo, $419; 2.0 Core 2, $450; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $769; Server, $990.
Best iBook G4 Deals, 11.16. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $210; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz, $479; SuperDrive, $498.
Best iPod shuffle Deals, 11.16. Used 1 GB, $35; 4 GB, $65; refurb 1 GB, $39; 2 GB, $59; new 2 GB, $55, 4 GB, $75. New and refurb prices include shipping.
More deals in our archive.

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