Donate computers

December 24, 2002 9:20 PM

Donate Your Old ComputersThe February issue of Woman's Day magazine has an interesting blurb on recycling old computers. Two places mentioned in Woman's Day were Share Technology and PC's For Schools. Both have search engines to find local places to donate your computer parts and accessories. Tis the Season.
posted by sadie01221975 (8 comments total)

If anyone wants to donate me a "really basic" Pentium 4, with 512kb RAM, with a picture of "The Infante" on it, or a just a P4 with 512kb RAM will do. I'll be very happy.
posted by riffola at 9:26 PM on December 24, 2002

On a serious note, thanks sadie, I've got a really old laptop and a old working monitor that I can donate.
posted by riffola at 9:35 PM on December 24, 2002

512kb RAM, eh riffola? sorry to geek on you, but I think my watch has more memory than that. and it's analog ;^)

also on a serious note, I remember when my dad gave our old Commodore 64 to a women's shelter, and how appreciative they were. Maybe I won't use my old P133 for a router afterall...

merry christmas, everyone!
posted by krunk at 9:57 PM on December 24, 2002

Actually... I was just about to look for places to donate my old machines to. Thanks, Sadie!
posted by ph00dz at 9:59 PM on December 24, 2002

krunk, oops thanks for the catch. 512MB please. The config that I spouted off above is actually Miguel's new PC. :)
posted by riffola at 10:06 PM on December 24, 2002

Donate my old computers? Are you people crazy? These will be worth their weight in gold some day!

OK, I'm just a pack rat. Humor me.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:26 AM on December 25, 2002

I actually have two 266 mhz Pentium 1's sitting in my basement with a monitor or three, salvaged from a bank which was going to simply throw the machines away. None of the charitable organizations I'm affiliated with have wanted/needed them. In five minutes I've found a place to send them and have an e-mail out making the offer. Excellent.
posted by Dreama at 4:53 AM on December 25, 2002

I do some computer consulting on the side. When I help clients upgrade to a new computer, they often want to donate the old computer to a charitable cause. Unfortunately, from my experience, there aren't many willing to take these old computers. Schools, for example, aren't interested in a random PII-266 nowadays. Many schools have uniform systems in a computer lab environment, and adding a mongrel to their collection doesn't appeal to them.

Most of the time, I am the recipient of my clients' old computers. I strip them down and create what I call a "computer library". I have boxes labeled drives, av cards, cords, etc. When somebody calls me because their sound card has gone out or because they need a printer cable, the first thing I do is fish into these boxes of parts to see if I can't provide a free replacement. Most of my friends and clients have embraced this service enthusiastically; they see it as a way to help others and, potentially, to be helped themselves.

The downside is that keeping all of these old computer parts on hand takes a lot of space.
posted by jdroth at 8:51 AM on December 27, 2002