What to do with old computer?

[Cool Texan]

Any day now I should be receiving my new toy from the good folks at Gateway....2.5GHz, 512MB @ 333MHz, 120GB, 18" flat panel, etc.

However...that will leave me with a Compaq Presario, 450MHz, 128MB, 10GB (i think), 15" CRT monitor with nothing to do. Might set it up as a jukebox at home...but wondered what some other options would be for it.

Any ideas?

[The Fishing Geek]

That computer is still a very viable system which could easily be used as a kids computer, or even one that could be used by someone who doesn't need the horsepower and storage that the new computers possess.

Open it up and clean it out with some canned air (do it outside, as that dust can be murder), and it's ready to go!

I'd personally throw Linux on it and let a student use it. Consider also that you can donate those systems to your local school district and they'd proabably love it. If you do, make sure that you format the hard drive completely before you give it to them. They'll have to do it anyway and that will make sure that all of your information is disposed of.

Of course, there are ways for people to get that information off of that old hard drive even when formatted. That's another story entirely...

[sturgn]

Every year I build a system and give it to a family with kids and no computer, maybe you can do that??

[Cool Texan]

They can get old **** , i mean information off the hard drive?!? Yikes!! :tongue:

I'm not sure what I am going to do with it just yet. Its a bit quirky right now...modem wont hold the connection for very long, and its getting tempermental with Outlook. Open it, try to use it, it freezes. Shut it down, try again, it works. Who knows.

I just want my new toy!!!

What about monitors and printers that don't work? I don't want to put them in the land fill :depressed: but they're in the way.

[ 12-18-2002, 01:03 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[The Fishing Geek]

I'm not sure about what you can find down in Klamath Falls, but in Portland Free Geek remanufactures computers and components. They're a good place to take old computer parts.

I've heard about proposals to put a "recycle " fee" on electronics. I wouldn't be against that.

[The Fishing Geek]

Windows gets flakier as time goes by on most systems. I normally like formatting my Windows partition once every 4 months or so when I'm using it a lot (I've gone awhile lately, as I've not been doing as much in Windows). A format and reinstall would probably do wonders for that system.

[OceanBlue]

Donate old computer equipment to schools. Most high schools have tech programs that love to receive the equipment.

reformat the hard drive or remove it if you're concerned.

If your local school won't take the equipment for some reason, send it to STRUT web page it is my understanding that they HAVE to take it.

[ 12-24-2002, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Pilar's Mate ]

[Lepper]

well if it doen'st work to well, always a need for a 2nd boat anchor.... You could actually sell it and make a few $ (not much though) I'd be interested in some parts from it.. not the whole system though.
dave

[steelhead_fishn]

Just a note...

Formatting your hard drive gives you no guarentee that your data can't be read. If you give me a formatted disk, I'll read you your old emails. If you have ever done anything on your computer that you might not want others to know about, including credit card numbers, etc it is best to purchase or download free disk wiping utilities.

Jeff

[RvW]

I think it all depends on what you format the drive with...for example, on a win 95 machine, when you reformat with win 98se full version (not the upgrade) its gone...

reformatting with a non dos based OS such as win XP or Linux...same thing, the previous DOS based OS is completely gone, and nothing can be retrieved.

[Lepper]

in the good ol' days of dos all you had to do was put a /x on the end of your format command and that would wipe it very clean..

[Bobby Ray]

How about selling it to me :grin:
it would make a little boy and a little girl very happy

Bobby