Uncharged ones too.

 

Regards, Jim

 

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of JS Kaplan
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 3:29 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Eug-lug] inside NextStep

 



I too have admiration for Lorraine's work. That said, there's some very
contemptible policies and practices going on there.

Parts? I'd like a PC please. Avec wi-fi. Hold the mayo. Extra pickles &
onion. Thanks. 

Stan retired to a ranch in Costa Rica. Fuzzy is on the right coast en
Marital Bliss. Jim plays with charged atomic particles.
I'm back. Looking for work.

NextStep just opened in Springtuckey. Retail. No drop off or refurb
there, or so am told.

--jk




________________________________

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:21:12 -0800
Subject: Re: [Eug-lug] inside NextStep
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

A very honest critique...I had also wondered what was up, an empty case
w/o power supply for $10-20???  I would also like to see more Linux in
my rear view mirror.

BUT, I have to look at the totality of the journey that Lorraine has
made, from garage, and rummaging through the Goodwill computer section,
to national recognition.  There is a lot of good work, and will, built
up there.

As for parts, being on a bicycle, I find them all the time.  Two Epson
printers on Super Bowl Sunday, downtown, back alley, SCORE!  I get to
junk my ISA scanner w/ Millennium  eMachine  attached.  That Epson
Stylus CX5000 USB scanner made my day.  Needless to say I have a few
parts, if your interested (Linux spoken here.)

BTW, I just found an HP all-in-one that will find it's way to
NextStep...too bad there isn't a South Eugene dropbox, but I know it's a
turf war.

Brian

P.S. what ever happened to Stan?



On Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 8:25 AM, JS Kaplan <[email protected]> wrote:

When I first happened upon NextStep Recycling on 10th near Garfield, I
thought it was a helluva an idea.
Hearkened me back to the days of Stan's PC Training where used good PC's
were to be had for all. I've even bought
a microwave oven and a wifi card there.

However, after volunteering there I've changed my tune considerably. I
won't go as far as to say that the largess of the establishment cancels
out any reduction in carbon benefit. I'm just not that savvy, but I have
my opinions.

So, first off, to get a "volunteer box" you need to put in now 40 hours
(Figure around minimum wage your wholesale net worth is about $300 for
argument's sake). Secondly, what you'll receive is a Dell Optiplex GX50.
Which is a single board non-upgradeable celeron based POS around 1200
MHz with 384 MB or less ram and a 20 GB drive. You'll also likely not
recieive your "gift" for volunteering until several weeks after you're
done. I'm not sure if this is to discourage you taking inventory or to
encourage more hours out of you. Probably both.

Why am I complaining? Well, they have pallets and pallets of these
little gomers, which can be had on e-bay for as little as $7.99. $40 if
you want it tomorrow. Instead of offering a choice or being progressive
and loading Ubuntu or some nice current distro, you are stuck to the
task of un-infecting the drive of it's case of Windows 2000. (The P4
1.8's littering the place seem to be ending up in Guatemalen schools.
You can purchase a P4 2.6 system for around $175 there).

I'm complaining because I feel that my hours of labor are worth a tad
bit more than a doorstop in which a full-sized PCI card won't fit and an
AGP slot doesn't exist. I'm complaining because I feel that no matter
what the cost, even free, a Microsoft license is a Microsoft license and
a non-profit has no business purchasing Microsoft licenses when Open
Source exists. When Ubuntu exists. If Ubuntu is good enough for IBM,
it's good enough for every American.

I'm complaining because I feel the politics inside NextStep are about to
swallow itself whole and barf it back out. It looks like a Eugenian
Social Experiment, complete with a dot alt Board of Directors. It's
become really large inside and while still providing valuable services
to the community, most of thosse services should be borne by the
consumer purchasing home electronics. California now has a tax on
electronic goods, in effect a deposit law. Recycle electronics, net a
bonus. Toss them in the landfill, lose the bonus. Yet here in Oregon we
still can't control our Bottle Bill and recycle Coca-Cola Brand Water
Bottles.

I'm complaining because I feel NextStep should be using Linux in every
task from Office to Refurbishing. I'm complaining because I hate to see
people thumping their chests in the Weekly. *Usually* if the Weekly has
an overly positive take on something, it's called damage control or a
pre-emptive Media Strike. 

Now, don't go away just yet. Just because I've had a bad experience with
them doesn't mean you will too. After all, you can still give 40 hours
and opt for an iMac.

James S. Kaplan
[email protected]
currently under-employed 

"Sic Semper Tyrannis"
Marcus Junius Brutus, March 15, 44 BC 
John Wilkes Booth, April 14, 1865 AD






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