chucking out old computer PCs

[shadowninja]

Hi

I found a couple of 486 and 386 base units in one of my spare rooms and want to throw them out. Any suggestions? Would rather not chuck them in the local dump if they could be used by someone/enthusiast (even with the components binned and as just a base unit with brand new internals)... Are there companies/charity organisations who would collect them for free to rejuvinate them?

-Darren

[jamesc]

I have wondered if charity shops should take PCs! I have an old Pentium 1 proping up my video and DVD. However I would advertise them in a "Free Ads" paper. I got about £150 for an old 486 lap top.

James

[julianhj]

Free Ads - money for old rope.

Well worth a go, people will by anything!

p.s. searching for a good condition Atari 1040STE and software if anyone has one knocking around...

[mr_tony]

I have wondered if charity shops should take PCs!

I believe that charity shops have a hard time accepting any electrical equipment due to the possible legal implications of potentially dangerous s/h appliances.

Used to have a 486 as a useful appliance in my old flat.... It played a .wav file when you rang the doorbell.......

[deltaf]

Car boot!

[shadowninja]

cant see anyone paying for this. it's really something that someone might want if they wanted to build a second system with new components...

[CarZee]

shadowninja said: cant see anyone paying for this. it's really something that someone might want if they wanted to build a second system with new components...

The case won't be ATX form factor so you won't be able to put a new motherboard in it..

There is a charity organisation that takes old PCs - I read about it a while back... otherwise - linux geeks can run small apps on them - also make a perfectly good thin client with the disk taken out.. or said geeks might be desperately seeking a 486sx33 CPU.. you never know..

[shadowninja]

dont know the contact details/location?

[miniman]

The Consume project (www.consume.net) (wireless networking project) might be glad of them - I can ask the IT nerd at work if you like... (he's Mr Big in Consume, you know!)

[bacardi]

www.computersforcharity.org.uk/

or

www.computersforcharities.co.uk/

HTH

[shadowninja]

yeah please. can you email me his email address?

[Marshy]

High spec 486s and low spec Pentiums make perfectly good Linux based routers, firewalls and wireless LAN gateways.

Therefore, as has been noted, techies can usually find a use for them...

Not that I have any direct experience of this sort of thing. Cough.