[Yr7-10it] Retired computers available in bulk

[Roland Gesthuizen]

www.*greenpc*.com.au  .. or pop a GreenPC brochure into buyers hands.

Our school council supported the notion that college needs to consider the
sustainable disposal of old hardware. Tossing it into the domestic rubbish
or dump master was no longer an acceptable option. If there is no residual
value, I can now pay for computer equipment to be recycled instead of
pretending that the heavy metals do not exist and tossing it into landfill.
We do a shuttle run to a merchant that disassembles the broken hardware.

If we accept the notion that the supplier has a responsibility in the waste
cycle, then schools need to consider the final destination for their old
hardware. We already see this with printer cartridges and mobile phones. The
prickly issue for me now is, should we take back old or obsolete hardware
that was donated or sold in good faith to students? If we don't accept this
responsibility, then we have to accept the practice of dumping toxic
electronic waste in third world countries that don't have in place either
the technology or systems for correct disposal.

I must admit, when a student turned up with a "useless old computer" that
refused to work, we managed to build a working Xubuntu Linux system he took
back home as a second family computer. In an increasingly disposable world,
the notion of "No hardware left behind" is appealing. Golly, I even remember
John Widmer many years ago, getting the Internet running on IBM XT computers
that others were donating to him.

Kevork, I am greatly pleased and encouraged by your efforts to spend those
extra hours (in your own time too I bet) to build up a batch of working
systems and taking responsibility for its decomissioning, instead of tossing
it all into the dump master. The return may be small but the investment in
the future is priceless. Well done :-)

Regards Roland

PS: VITTA has produced an eWaste position statement if anybody is interested
for a read:
               http://www.vitta.org.au/pubs/infonet/view.php?id=250

On 20/04/07, Kevork Krozian <Kroset at novell1.fhc.vic.edu.au> wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
>    Please excuse cross posts
>
> Due a holiday upgrade of machines we have a total of 100 Pentium
> workstations available for sale to any school or group that wishes to
> buy in bulk ( 20 or more in one purchase ).
>
> The specifications are :
> HP VL420 Workstation
>
> Intel Pentium 4    ....   1.5Ghz Processor
> 256Mb RAM
> 20Gb IDE Hard Disk Drive
> Floppy Disk Drive
> 10/100 Integrated Intel Network Card
> AGP ATI Graphics Adapter
> 4xUSB Ports (2 front, 2 rear)
> Built-in Audio
>
> 17" HP72 CRT Monitor
>
> 104 Key PS/2 Keyboard
> PS/2 Mouse
>
> Most machines will have a Windows 98 OEM Licence.
>
> Cost : $150 per machine.
> Buyer to pick up
>
> Please email me off list if you are interested.
>
> Best Wishes
>
>
>
> Kevork Krozian
> IT Manager , Forest Hill College
> k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
> http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au
> Mobile: 0419 356 034
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>



-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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