Old computers?

[Lazy-Ferret]

Does anyone on here work with old computers?

I have a couple of boxes of old computer bits, cables, Keyboards, mice, cartridge DVD-r drives, sound blaster cards, 3.5" FDD plus other bits..... As far as I know, they all work, although they have sat in the spare room for a few years now. They were spares I carried in the old days when I worked on Voice recording systems, but are now no longer required. They seem to good to just throw away, but I have no use for them any more, and they are just taking up space. Some of the bits, like the DVD-r drives and single board computers are a bit specialist, but I surely someone can use them, even to fix old kit.

So the question is, I wondered if anyone on here would know if there are any places where they could be re-used for a charity, or something like that?

[solarman216]

Does anyone on here work with old computers?

I have a couple of boxes of old computer bits, cables, Keyboards, mice, cartridge DVD-r drives, sound blaster cards, 3.5" FDD plus other bits..... As far as I know, they all work, although they have sat in the spare room for a few years now. They were spares I carried in the old days when I worked on Voice recording systems, but are now no longer required. They seem to good to just throw away, but I have no use for them any more, and they are just taking up space. Some of the bits, like the DVD-r drives and single board computers are a bit specialist, but I surely someone can use them, even to fix old kit.

So the question is, I wondered if anyone on here would know if there are any places where they could be re-used for a charity, or something like that?

In my experience Clive old electronic equipment left unused for any length of time deteriorates and fails to work, whole host of reasons, damp, condensation, insects making home, corrosive air possibly from dead back up batteries, general decomposition of components, etc, etc, not to say someone may be interested but I would not hold my breath, shame I know, but how it is today, Rick

[Lazy-Ferret]

In my experience Clive old electronic equipment left unused for any length of time deteriorates and fails to work, whole host of reasons, damp, condensation, insects making home, corrosive air possibly from dead back up batteries, general decomposition of components, etc, etc, not to say someone may be interested but I would not hold my breath, shame I know, but how it is today, Rick

True... most of these are in Anti-static bags, and been kept in stacker crates in the spare room. But I do get where you are coming from.

[makeitfit]

I've recently upgraded my PC thanks to clivvy . I had bucket loads of stuff some still in boxes unused :doh All virtually worthless. You can melt the good bits to extract the precious metals if you're bored but otherwise give them to charity.

[solarman216]

True... most of these are in Anti-static bags, and been kept in stacker crates in the spare room. But I do get where you are coming from.

given you have stored them correctly, (batteries aside) they may have survived, I would give your local charity shops a look in, to gauge response, after all old reading glasses are recylable, Rick

[Sweety]

Sadly it's a through away world we all live in these days:doh:augie

[Lazy-Ferret]

Most of the places I asked won't touch components, whole working laptops and phones only.

Not talked to the people directly yet, but it appears one of the Guys in our 4x4R group helps with a charity "computers for Africa", so while I would rather they helped someone in this country, anything is better than just going to landfill. Fingers crossed he is at the meeting tomorrow night.

[makeitfit]

Checkout this guy,he recovers gold etc from all things . you can do it yourself and at today's prices it's the new shed hobby :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRy5gDHWX40

[solarman216]

Checkout this guy,he recovers gold etc from all things . you can do it yourself and at today's prices it's the new shed hobby :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRy5gDHWX40

Yea right so you paid say £400 for your lappy whatever, and the gold content is say £20 max, time you bought the chemicals to reclaim it you will be £££££ down, Rick

[makeitfit]

You're missing the point Rick. All this circuit stuff that's just binned like old tv sets, old pc towers , old phones just look at the piles down the tip. I'm not suggesting a new business but the principle is sound .

[solarman216]

You're missing the point Rick. All this circuit stuff that's just binned like old tv sets, old pc towers , old phones just look at the piles down the tip. I'm not suggesting a new business but the principle is sound .

but it has to be cost effective, no point in spending say £10 to extract £5 of goods, yes there is lots of stuff on the average printed circuit board, lead/tin/copper/gallium arsenide, and a host more that I cannot think of cos I am pissed, but cost of extraction just does not work on economic grounds, if you start to take in environmental issues then this is a different ball game, Rick

[makeitfit]

You're probably right, I'll return my rose tint specs to the bottom drawer and return to work as usual , sigh :lamer:

[AlexD333]

You're probably right, I'll return my rose tint specs to the bottom drawer and return to work as usual , sigh :lamer:

Haha I love this conversation :clap

[panelbeater]

rick,pissed.:doh

[panelbeater]

i used to buy in unknown work.none work pc to rebuild and sell on,had loads when they were costly to buy,as long as i had the windows licence on it i would repair and sell.must have 100 pc out there very few came back for more work.hardest job was getting them up and running on there internet.i showed them how they worked and spent a few hours with them.
i have loads of spares here now.as cost of new pc came down i turned it new to order mainly full on media centers.people still come for repairs or phone,how do i do this etc.if you were nearer i would have the stuff.my dead stuff goes to recycle center.

[makeitfit]

Full on media centers you say :sly
I'm into my sounds and have recently built up what I call my media PC. Do you recommend any particular sound cards and seperate DAC ?

[Mobieus_uk]

anything specialist might be worth sticking on ebay, as for everything else its worthless, technology has moved on so much that you cant even give stuff away
my first DVD drive when they first came out was over £200, now there like £15
my biggest purchase was a 16meg sim for £450, you can buy a reasonable pc for that type of money now

[terrano bob]

You're probably right, I'll return my rose tint specs to the bottom drawer and return to work as usual , sigh :lamer:

:lol:lol:lol :thumbs

[Lazy-Ferret]

anything specialist might be worth sticking on ebay, as for everything else its worthless, technology has moved on so much that you cant even give stuff away
my first DVD drive when they first came out was over £200, now there like £15
my biggest purchase was a 16meg sim for £450, you can buy a reasonable pc for that type of money now

The guy took them tonight, they are off to Africa. There were 5 DVD-Ram drives, they were £475 when I fitted them, back in the day, but they are pretty specialist devices. Part of the reason I kept hanging on to it all, was there was probably about £7k worth of bits, at their purchase price. There were 2 Single slot CPU's, designed to go into a Passive back planes, each £1.5K when new.

Still hopefully I have not left it too late for someone to make some use from them.

Put a few car bit into the fund raising auction, most of which went, the only things I could not get rid of, was a Landrover heater fan, which surprised me, and a couple of bits of a Suzuki SJ, which did not surprise me. Good news, I can now get in the door of the spare room, just another 500 cubic foot to clear now.:doh