Don’t Accept Used Corporate PCs
By Rich Menga on Dec 1, 2008 in Hardware | comments(10)
In larger corporations, PCs (otherwise known as "end user desktops") all have this stickers and/or metal badges with an numerical or alphanumerical sequence on it. This is called the asset tag.
When a corporation decides to get rid of computers as per the end-of-life cycle (anywhere between 3 to 5 years usually when the warranties finally run out), what’s supposed to happen to those tagged computers boxes is one of the following:
They are either sent "whole" or with wiped drives or gutted/stripped to…
- The computer recycling center.
- Destruction (literally).
But even in the largest companies this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes a computer box or two will "fall thru the cracks" so to speak. You may know a friend that works in a large company that can get his hands on a computer for you.
Most people would say "Cool! Free computer! Yes, I’ll take it!"
Trust me, you don’t want it for several good reasons:
First, the license of Windows you get on it will be 100% illegal to use and operate because you don’t own the license.
Second, the box is almost guaranteed to be slow and obsolete.
Third, it’s most likely true that any upgrades you add to it (hard drive, more RAM, etc.) won’t do a darn thing to improve the performance at all.
Fourth, it’s most likely true that box has been banged around quite a bit. It’s probably been moved from cubicle to cubicle, office to office, building to building.
Fifth, it’s probably riddled with dust on the inside. In many office environments the box is kept on the floor - right next to a space heater that throws a bunch of dirt, debris and crap right into the power supply and inside the case.
Sixth - and the most important reason - the box you get was most likely on the chopping block to get sent to recycling or destruction. That means the company who had it already deemed it useless to them.
Is this the kind of computer you want?
Absolutely not. You’re just asking for problems if you take one.
Granted, there are some instances where getting a box like this turns out to be a good deal (it was free after all) and may provide a few years of use. But the end result is that you still get an old crappy PC box - and it will always be an old crappy PC box.
Stay away from these.



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