Branching the One Laptop thread...
On May 27, 2006, at 10:27 PM, David Ecklein wrote:
I don't understand this fixation on laptops. These are commodities
for the
I would rather see an effort mounted to refurbish the many usable
desktops
that are going to the dump every day.
LUG members have done this. A group of MonadLUG members lead by Tim
Lind worked on this for a while last year. Tim's apparently succeeded
in getting a couple refurbished machines into local libraries and
elder care facilities. However, there's a lot of resistance to these
contributions: concern over support, toxic waste disposal, security,
etc.
For recycling, there are some good options:
http://www.des.state.nh.us/swtas/recycle_electronics.htm
http://www.des.state.nh.us/swtas/comp_recyclers.htm
Just heard on the news this morning that Governor Lynch had signed a
bill banning the disposal of CRTs in landfills or by burning:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NH_RECYCLING_TVS_NHOL-?
SITE=NHCON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
The participation of high school
computer and science clubs could be enlisted; there is more
standardization
with desktops than with laptops, and you don't need special tools
or skills
with the latter.
My son participated in a vocational-technical program at Concord High
nearly a decade ago. They were swamped with hardware. I think the
problem is not the supply, but the demand. Finding willing recipients
and arranging for training and support is a bigger challenge than
finding hardware or volunteers, I think.
Since flat screens are trendy and recently relatively
affordable, new CRT monitors are selling for a song, usable used
ones are so
plentiful the Salvation Army and Goodwill no longer accepts them.
CRT's are bulky, power hungry, age ungracefully (old CRTs are often
unfocussed; are most common commercial ones adjustable?). Very few
people are interested in 14" or 15" CRTs. Similarly, 17" and 20" CRTs
are bulky and heavy.
I thought the rise of Linux would make recycling desktops an
obvious project (an OS not as demanding as, say, XP), but now I am
not so sure.
Many folks want machines that will run the latest thing. That's
usually Windows and requires CPU and GPU power. Folks with an IT
"guru" usually specify P4 - 1 Ghz or later just to avoid getting
stuck with a white elephant even if a PIIi-500 could meet their needs.
A few places would be thrilled with kiosks running simple Internet
web browsing. If you know of one, post to the group and I'll bet we
can put together some volunteers and hardware to meet the need.
I was recently contacted by a major media outlet claiming they had
"rooms full" of computers to dispose of. GNHLUGers have talked about
this a bit on the list before; we'll need to be careful to screen
what we're accepting to ensure we don't get stuck with a liability.
At Hosstraders earlier this month, the sponsors had a trailer where
they accepted discards for a group that made money salvaging the
donations. Does anyone recall who that was?
Ted Roche
Ted Roche & Associates, LLC
http://www.tedroche.com
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