There are groups in Cleveland that refurb computers and donate them to 
non-profits. The computers include a special (legit) windows license from 
Microsoft.

http://www.capinc.org/
http://www.goodwillgoodskills.org/computers-again
http://www.ret3.org/

When I was volunteering at CapInc (years ago), they were paying $10 each for XP 
licenses as part of a special program offered by Microsoft.

If you were to find a local group doing the same kind of work and spent some 
time volunteering for them, I am sure you could work something out.

-Dave Walton

On Sep 13, 2013, at 1:02 PM, Omar Rassi <[email protected]> wrote:

> On the Windows front, the only thing that has stopped me from creating and 
> maintaining a windows workstation (which I would love to do) is that we don't 
> have an authentic license key for Windows Vista, 7 or 8. The minimum 
> requirements aren't that high for current versions. An OEM licensed copy of 
> Windows 7 Professional is $139.99 from Newegg.com (Professional is necessary 
> since the space  infrastructure resembles an enterprise environment and 
> Windows Home cannot effectively utilize all network resources, protocols and 
> security features needed for a multi-user public environment). 
> 
> Andy, if you would like to see a Windows workstation at the space, I would 
> recommend that you either donate one (I donated my Mac Mini to bring MacOS to 
> the space), bring your own for temporary use (as many other members currently 
> do including myself) or propose the release/raising of funds to the 
> membership to get one.
> 
> 
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 11:33 AM, Torrie Fischer <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> On Friday, September 13, 2013 04:06:28 AM [email protected] wrote:
> > \¥/ Hey look, Torrie wrote another novel!
> > \¥/
> > \¥/> absolutely cannot afford right now. We have 15 members now and we would
> > \¥/> need at least 7 more Budding Nerd members to afford rent and internet
> > \¥/> alone. Keep in mind, with this number we would be JUST BARELY making
> > \¥/> rent
> > \¥/> and internet payments. The board has expressed that they feel a lot
> >
> > I just recently went and posted flyers at Akron University :)I would like
> > to see more members out spreading the word.
> >
> > \¥/> I'm hoping the Akron maker faire will help us gain more members.
> >
> > Getting members to sign up as makers will help to show what the space is
> > about, along with SynHak's booth.
> >
> > \¥/ Here's Torrie's seekrit agenda for growth at SYNHAK:
> > \¥/
> > \¥/ 1. Build sustainable, persistent infrastructure that doesn't depend on a
> > \¥/ single person with all the tribal knowledge
> > \¥/ 2. Entice others to contribute to basic upkeep of the infrastructure
> > \¥/ 3. Encourage membership in exchange for collective funding of the upkeep
> > \¥/ 4. ???
> > \¥/ 5. Profit! (Intellectually)
> > \¥/
> > I'm good for #4, I'm full of ?¿?.
> >
> >
> > \¥/ If y'all have friends outside of SYNHAK
> > -forever alone-
> >
> > \¥/ * Where the heck can we put a friggin coat rack?!?
> > We have a three dimensional space, put it on the ceiling.
> >
> > \¥/ * Solar powered winter heating system?
> > Awesome but, we still need access to the outside, same issue as the AC
> > unit :/ AANNDD I would really like to see both systems up and running,
> > with or without the landlords help. we just need to get him on the line...
> >
> > \¥/ * Make it look pretty with arts
> > I brought in that nice picture of the MythBusters. :)
> >
> > \¥/ * Raspberry Pi+RFID cards to check training on spiff when you try to
> > use a piece of equipment
> > That sounds like a bad idear. I can see this stopping me from using stuff
> > right when I need to use it. Kind of like the "open / close" status for
> > SynHak (no offense to Torrie)
> 
> None taken. Computers are hard.
> 
> I think a friendlier idea for the RFID stuff would be to just have a small
> black box with a red/green LED. If you swipe your card and you're trained, the
> light turns green. That way others can quickly verify that you're trained, but
> it doesn't lock out people if the system is broken.
> 
> >
> > \¥/ * Certainly, someone knows more LaTeX than me and can fix the namebadges
> > \¥/printed from the Kiosk
> > I know latex, oh wait, wrong latex.
> >
> > \¥/ * Having a SYNHAK-managed computer means we've got an answer to people
> > who
> > \¥/ need to print from their windows desktop (until samba is setup). They
> > can \¥/ copy
> > \¥/ the file to the workstation and magic happens.
> > Please, just put a windows system for people to use! (I don't have time to
> > learn free bash / linux printer drivers! I just need to print a doc!)
> > -well, it would be nice to see a selection of systems to use, Mac, PC,
> > Linux-
> 
> Nothing is really stopping others from maintaining a windows box. We don't
> have one at the moment because the people who maintain the computers prefer to
> maintain Linux systems.
> 
> >
> > Just my thoughts! See you at the space!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Dungeon Studios Prototyping
> > www.dsprototyping.com
> > [email protected]
> > (330)814-6103
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Discuss mailing list
> > [email protected]
> > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
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