[Yr7-10it] Retired computers available in bulk

[Kevork Krozian]

Hi Roland,

 Yes, you are absolutely right to outline the great things we can do
with our old computers.

Actually I wanted to send these to East Timor, but the decision was
made to see if local schools or groups could use it first after which (
30 days ) we would look at donating to East Timor.

Alas, I am not sure what that poor fledgling nation would do about
e-Waste when they are finished with them , when you consider the more
immediate crises they are confronting just to survive ..........

Thanks as always Roland for the magnificent work you do on these lists
to keep us all informed and up to date.

Best Wishes

Kevork


>>> rgesthuizen at gmail.com 22/04/2007 11:33 pm >>>
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