Comments on: Don’t Accept Used Corporate PCs

By: computer recycling center

computer recycling center — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:06:00 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.

By: bruce storlie

bruce storlie — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:06:43 +0000

Unlike most here, I agree with the author.

Wife works at a school and they replace the boxes every two years and offer them to employees for 50 bucks….with tube monitor, keyboard, mouse. Bought one that lasted 6 to 9 months before the motherboard fried…..the capacitors are actually ooozing brown goo. At its best, it booted slow and had stability issues. I’m guessing that it was never powered off for the whole two years the school had it. And its not a Dell or HP…..no-name with mid-grade mobo.

Spend a few bucks and build your own….so you can quit hauling boat anchors to the curb. Let that other guy send em directly to Zimbabwe.

By: Ericson

Ericson — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:11:44 +0000

This is ridiculous. I work in technology but I prefer not to blow my salary on hardware that will obselete rapidly. Every computer I’ve ever owned has been a second-hand corporate PC. Since I’ve had about 6 systems of this type over the past 20 years, I can tell you several ways in which you are wrong.

1. You fail to realize that corporate grade hardware is usually better quality than consumer grade – give me any 2 year old Dell desktop over a brand new HP or Acer. Not to mention how much “crapware” is “pre-expired” on consumer PCs – it’s a full day of uninstalling, cleaning the registry, and configuring to fix that.

2. Right now the most efficient PCs (measured by “performance per watt”) are either around 4 years old or brand new. Intel and AMD fought a brutal battle to make the fastest processor, which caused the chips to run super hot and waste tons of energy, with only nominal end-user performance gains (due to bottlenecks elsewhere in systems). I am perfectly happy right now running a few 1.5 Ghz machines at around 100 Watts average load. That comes out to about 2 cents per hour of utility cost by my calculations. Go ahead and run some high-end gaming box with a Pentium D and some huge video card 24/7/365 and get back to me how high your utility bill is…

3. I’ve NEVER had a licensing issue with any Windows version that was corporate licensed, versus I have spent hundred of hours reinstalling Windows for friends with consumer systems. Microsoft knows better than to harrass their corporate customers with little validation popups and crippling tricks.

4. Dust, I can’t even comment. OK I will – clean it!

5. While we’re at it, my friend from Africa has been overjoyed to send boxes of old crappy laptops (ie. 200Mhz Winbooks) home. Do you know how happy it makes somebody in rural Zimbabwe to be able to burn CDs or surf the web on dialup?

By: Alain Laverdure

Alain Laverdure — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:30:33 +0000

For those of us who are in the NPO world ( Non Prophet organization) would welcome such used technology donations.

First Windows license is usually inexpensive for NPO Not an issue

Second: most used PC are PIII 1ghz or better, runs XP/Linux fine

Third: any performance upgrade depends on the model PC itself, just upgrading/adding additional memory will be enough of a performance boost,in most cases, for a general office desktop use.

Forth: Who cares how many time the PC has been moved, I don’t get it.

Fifth: if it is working with all that dust and dirt, then cleaning it only prolonged it life, chances are you will a few PC in the lot as spare parts, Practice Safe ESD.

Sixth: Just Because a Company is getting rid of old technology, does not mean it is no longer of value to others.
evaluate the equipment and decide for your self if it is something your NPO or club, school can use.

Alain J Laverdure
Consultant, Network Engineer

By: Marianne Bogle

Marianne Bogle — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:16:36 +0000

Rich’s comments are fair for everyday run of the mill users, but for those who are more computer savvy…wiping the hard drive and installing a Linux distro to use for a server or storage. We’re at least not putting them into a landfill.

By: Ed Fair

Ed Fair — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:51:19 +0000

For the last 6 to 8 years I’ve supplied probably 90% used stuff to end users. Mostly off lease Dell. Even paid money for them.

Most people who need computers don’t need the latest and greatest OS, hardware, or applications.

With a free operating system, free browser, free email , and a free wordprocessor people can afford to get a new monitor or printer.

By: Steven Hammons

Steven Hammons — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:35:25 +0000

I believe this article was aimed to those who are not as tech savvy. Since I am, I would take the system for parts if it were offered, but I do not recommend it for the average user.

By: Jase

Jase — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:44:01 +0000

As someone who refurbishes older PCs, I agree with the above comment.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:05:28 +0000

If it runs Folding at Home then why not?

By: Steven Hammons

Steven Hammons — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:11:02 +0000

This is something I can personally attest to as many of the users I support ask if they can buy the old system from the company when it is due to be replaced. However, my explanation is not as polished as Rich’s. I tell them it will cost them more money in the long run versus buying a new computer that will come with a warranty. Furthermore, company IT staff no longer support retired assets and it will add to the cost of ownership to have it serviced. In the end, another man’s trash is another man’s treasure does not float in this case (no pun intended).