eBay has started an e-waste program to recycle or resell or donate old electronic equipment, notably computers. The figures on the number of computers alone to be recycled in the next few years is staggering. And the amount of heavy metals it will put into the environment is staggering too. Over 400 million computers in the next 3 years. [And since Apple only sells about 4 million Macs a year, I can guarantee you that most of those are Windows computers, as Apple will sell only about 12 million at present rates in the same time period.]
Most cell phones are replaced every 18 months (and last I heard there are more cell phones sold every year than computers!). I've been thinking about a new phone, but frankly, they are starting to get so overloaded with features that I think I'll just hold off a while until they finish "converging" cell phones, PDAs, iPods, and digicams together. And then wait a bit more until they work the kinks out. Or until Apple makes one (which may happen sooner than you think) as they are the only ones likely to do the job write. Microsoft certainly won't (despite repeated attempts so far.)
Even more interesting is the fact that over 75% of all computers ever sold remain stockpiled in storage rooms, basements etc. (I've got most of my old ones!)
It's time and past time to pull them out, put Linux on 'em and use 'em for servers, to processes SETI or other science data, grid computing, whatever. Donate 'em to old folks/kids/schools/low-income folks who need simple 'Net access, too. Or maybe my local school for use by younger kids. The big problem is finding the older software they'll need.
I've been trying to think how I could redeploy some of my old computers for my own use, too. I'm going to put one of my old Newtons with it's speech generation software in my bedroom so that it can wake me up and make sure I drag my butt into work for important meeting (I'm not a morning person and the alarm is just too easy for me to ignore...both of them I have). Pity that the company that made that software the Newton had for downloading a TV guide went out of business....now that there is wireless WiFi access available for the Newton, I could have left a couple more old Newtons by the TVs in my house, and have them pick up the schedule automatically and wirelessly. Not so needed anymore with my satellite dish, which has a searchable guide, but not all my rooms have been wired for satellite; the rest are wired for cable tv, and the local bare-bones non-digital cable I have with my broadband access doesn't have a program guide (certainly not a searchable one). Newtons also make better (wider/taller) web browsers than most pocket-sized PDAs do. Yep, I really need to revive those old newtons and revisit them for portable web browsing, They're not color, but that's ok. With the use of the wifi drivers now available and www.skweezer.net to strip all the extraneous graphics out, they should make pretty good portable 'Net padds!
Other initiatives on the 'Net like FreeCycle or R.O.C.K. (recycle old computer kindly) are good ways to give new life to old equipment. If they don't get too "picky" for their own good. Our local R.O.C.K does just Windows PCs, for gawd's sake. They also want fairly new ones, and functional ones. Ridiculous! And they don't do Macs...which seems senseless to me since the give a lot of computers to schools....and most local schools use Macs (I just saw a picture of a computer class room at an Urbandale school recently, full of current eMacs and some older original iMacs. You'd think that R.O.C.K. would be interested in stockpiling any sort of computer part they could find. Or software. Maybe they got too many donations to store or something, but still.....they seemed awfully picky! And giving a PC to a school seems counter productive...it's widely known and proven that schools don't have the resources to keep PC's running and virus/worm free....and Macs don't have to worry about that.
I've also heard of an organization that ships old computers over to poor/developing nations in Africa and Asia.
I keep my previous computer as a "backup" for my current one; so should everyone. it's easier for me, since I use laptops exclusively. But of course, by the time I buy yet another new one (typically 4 or 5 years with Macs) the old one isn't worth much if you tried to sell it. I've given a few to relatives who have far less powerful computing needs than I have, but that only goes so far. Some friends of mine asked me recently to help them reformat and sell their old Mac laptops (an Duo 230 and a 1400 and a G3/230. The 230 is probably worthless, and the 1400 not worth much of anything...and the 230 they should keep as a backup for the new iBook G4 they got.)
I use laptops mostly, since about 1990, so I've thought about putting my old ones around the house since they are convenient for a quick web-lookup, and take up little space or power. I recently put my most recently replaced laptop in my bedroom as a CD/DVD player, too...and since I have a wireless network, it's also a good way to access the 'Net quickly without having to go downstairs. I'm debating whether I want to leave it in sleep mode, as I don't really use it all that much. I'll have to find figures on how much power it uses in sleep...but it's certainly going to be much more practical if it starts up immediately than if I have to wait a minute or two for a boot.
I'm also thinking about pulling the old Duo 2300 laptop I had before that out of mothballs; When I bought my PowerBook G3, I had set it up as a web/ftp/mail/news/dns server to run my old Info-Newt web site about the Apple Newton Messagepad. I had to take it down when I moved to my new place because about that time the Code Red virus hit and the new broadband provider I switched to when Qwest repeatedly dropped the ball moving my DSL account to the new place (at two weeks intervals for almost a month!) had closed all the ports I needed to run the servers, to prevent Code Red from spreading, and the server wouldn't work anymore. I think they've opening things back up now.
I used a laptop as a server because I can easily set it to spin down the hard drive and turn off the backlight and even slow down the processor when it's not busy....perfect for a low volume personal server. Most new computer that are Energy Star certified may allow this as well, laptop or not.
Now I just have to figure out how to let data reach the system past my firewall without having to pay my provider extra $$$ for a second IP address. Should be loads of fun, since the concept of "user friendly" has yet to really reach the halls of network router hardware makers...
Anyway....dust off that old computer equipment and put it too good use! Don't put it in the landfill. Either way, putting the old computer in the closet or the landfull is a WASTE. Try to keep all the old manuals and disks for your computer in one place too...a computer isn't much use without OS and application software manuals and disks...and you often get new or upgraded apps when you get a new computer. I'm sure your old apps and software can be of use to someone somewhere. FIND THEM! Even if they are in your own household or family or neighborhood. Even if they don't use them much (like the computer I gave to my Mom). You don't use a rake or a snowshovel every day either....but we still have them around when we need 'em. That's why I'm so glad to see laptops pushing 50% of all computers sold or more (at Apple anyway). They take up a whole heck of a lot less room, and for most folks are perfect. Most folks except gamers and computer hobbyists don't need huge boxes full of card slots or huge screens. A laptop is what they need, and more and more of them are realizing it.
