SE Dual-Floppy, Apple is trying to thwart our efforts!

[System6+Vista]

Dearest comrades in the quest to liberate 68k Macintosh computers,

Today there was an electronics recycling drive in my town (Lexington, MA) and I brought a CRT and some old cell phones to properly dispose of. My town is predominantly wealthy, and highly prioritizes academia and technology. Thus I thought there may be many desirable Macintoshes that I could liberate today. I was right and I was wrong.

I pulled up, and grabbed the CRT out of the trunk for the guy. Then I spotted a beautiful little compact, and asked the guy if I could have it. He told me he wasn't supposed to, but I could trade it for my CRT. Wonderful, it is a dual-floppy SE in 10/10 aesthetic condition, and works perfectly as far as I can tell. I then looked around and spotted some B&W G3s and what looked like could be some compacts. In hopes of acquiring more examples, I asked to speak to the manager. He told me that I could not have any Apple computers because the recycling company had a strict contract with Apple to seize and destroy all Apple computers that are recycled, and not to let anyone have them. I wish I had questioned him further, but his explanation was that Apple didn't want them to "go to places like Japan or Nigeria" even though they "make nice fishtanks." He told me that he couldn't budge on this situation, and that Apple was a very serious company.

All this time I was looking a beautiful little 128k/512k/Plus and drooling because I do not have a good example of one of the early compacts. My girlfriend and I were considering just grabbing it and running off in the car, but there seriously was a police officer there with his brand-spanking-new charger. Suffice to say, I was only minimally sucessful in my efforts to liberate the 68k victims. I would have cherished that Mac Plus, and kept it busy and happy - but now it will be destroyed because Apple explicity asked for that - but WHY is Apple so insistent on ridding the earth of these computers?

 

[Strimkind]

I think it has something to do with Steve Jobs return back in the day. I believe I heard that he had staff clear out all the old macs they had sitting around their offices. This is probably an extension of this practice out into the IT world and probably be why we are seeing less and less of older equipment being sold to the public.

 

[MacJunky]

Can't offer him a bribe?

If the books did not list them and no employees remembered seeing them... Then Apple would never know.

 

[LCGuy]

I think it would have to do with them having a contract with Apple - Apple is very serious about recycling these days, and if I'm correct they actually have contracts with a lot of recycling organisations where the organisation has a legal obligation to recycle ALL Apple-branded gear.

 

[sambapati87]

Sounds like BS to me. Apple doesn't care. These "recycler" jerks just want the money they get from selling the scrap metal. It drives me insane how they can have these "drives" like they're doing a public service, when really they're just trying to make a profit. Even better that public tax dollars were spent on their security.

 

[Bunsen]

When you think about it, it would make perfect business sense for Apple to back the crushing of older Macs. The fewer used Macs out there on the market, the higher the price, and the more attractive it looks to just pop for a new one. Let alone the supposed good will generated by "responsible" recycling of their "waste".

Course, you and I know the best form of recycling for an old Mac is liberation, restoration and reuse.

 

[Mike Richardson]

For every recycling company that might have a contract with Apple, I'm sure that 10 others don't.

I only purchase regularly from one recycler, but I could probably get stuff from at least two more if I harassed them enough, although those other two wouldn't give me any hard drives. The first recycler doesn't care.

 

[4seasonphoto]

There could be a less-sinister explanation: Some recyclers were actually just shipping off old computers to poorer countries, and it was an environmental nightmare. And it sounds like Apple is now holding recyclers accountable. As for us collectors, who here has never, ever simply tossed something out which was technically supposed to be handled as hazmat? }

 

[Mars478]

Gentlemen, it seems this war has another enemy. Apple. They are making our mission harder. I think we should campaign. Email Sjobs@apple.com and DEMAND that the old macs be saved and be put in GOOD HANDS! We have been working hard on this mission. The reason may be that Steve demands all these Macs be thrown away because HE did not design them, and it was not his company. And we all know Steve is very stingy about things. LETS SAVE THE MACINTOSHES.

 

[Gil]

I doubt Steve gives a crap about 20 year old computers (that were built when he wasn't even at Apple at the time).

 

[System7]

The issue here is not apple. It was most likely a lie. And that is going to just end up in china and be burned. Its the recyclers wanting MONEY per pound of "Junk".

 

[System6+Vista]

What would be a method to figure out whether it was the recycling company or apple who made the decision? As the guy obviously hadn't cataloged the donated computers yet (all of them out there had been dropped off in last half hour) he could have easily let me have them without Apple ever knowing. That makes it seem like he may have been speaking truthfully about the contract, but maybe only out of convenience so that he could collect more units.

 

[porter]

"go to places like Japan or Nigeria"

Yes, I've noticed that the Wall St Journal always puts Japan and Nigeria in the same bracket. Perhaps the bloke should have just said he doesn't like foreigners, did he also say "You're not from around here, are ye?".

He wonder if he knows that exporting actually reduces a trade deficit.

 

[Gorgonops]

The recycler in question wasn't this company, was it?

http://www.recycleapc.com/

Parent company homepage here

Looks like they host collection events... and actually, never mind, it was these guys, wasn't it?:

Upcoming Collection Events

DATE TIME LOCATION

07/18/09 9am – 3pm Lexington High School, XXXX St., Lexington, MA XXXXX

It looks like that, yeah, they *do* have some sort of contract with Apple. However, reading between the lines on their website I wonder if this is the real reason they wouldn't let you walk off with a load of machines:

"... Reselling data storage devices or erasing data may seem economical but it is risky business when valuable information can be retrieved. At Metech, all information storage devices, including hard disks, flash drives, memory, media and documentation, are physically destroyed beyond recovery. Our process ensures that your sensitive information is secure and cannot be retrieved by anyone."

On top of that several states have passed laws regulating how recycling companies handle computers in an attempt to combat identity theft crimes. (And in other locations, electronics dropped off at collection sites magically becomes "hazardous materials" as soon as it leaves their owner's hands, so the only people authorized to handle them after that are companies that have the appropriate salvage licenses.) So, really, it may *not* have been legal for that guy to let you take *anything*. Were there people walking off with *non-Apple* hardware (particularly items likely to have hard disks) and getting away with it?

 

[System6+Vista]

Gorgonops, I think you have unearthed the most useful information. (And excellent research!) Funny though, that he didn't talk about sensitive information - of course I would have rebutted that the Plus i had my eyes on wouldn't have had a HD inside (neither does the damn dual-floppy SE of course!) but I doubt that would have swayed him. I think this is the best answer, but that still doesn't explain why he didn't even mention in it in his ramblings about export dangers and fishtanks.

 

[zerotypeq]

the warehouse i buy old apple computer gear from sells everything w/o hds (although the imac g3 and emac I bought had HDDs I assumed that was because they are just a bitch to get open and remove the HDDs from.

 

[MrMacPlus]

Eh, it's frustrating, huh? I volunteered at a computer recycling drive and missed a PowerBook G3 and what appeared to be a excellent condition Thinkpad. Along with other stuff only because they didn't want the data in bad hands. Ironically enough, prisoners were the one's to be scrapping the computers. I did make off with a bit, but only one computer, which I "intercepted" before it got to the truck. I asked the owner and she was happy to give it to a collector, and she handed me her pristine stock condition Mac SE FDHD, she also took my phone number and got all the software and manuals she had. Of course I wasn't exempt from the supervisor's wrath after she found out. "I had deceived the lady into thinking I was a recycler." BS.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8166

Good score either way, sucks to be compromised, though.

 

[Mike Richardson]

There's several different types of recyclers that I've experienced.

1. Non-profit computer recycler. These guys are great. I was there on a Saturday once and they had a U-Haul drive up packed to the gills with computers. I helped them unload and walked away with several old Macs for free. I also purchase from them whenever anyone donates Macs. I don't mind paying a little more here (though they are still fair) because I know it benefits a good cause. They trust me to wipe the hard drives so I walk away with drives intact. All PCs are stripped down on-site. CRTs are sent to another company and their fate is unknown.

2. Apathetic psuedo-recycler. These guys have the contract with the city, which went to the highest bidder. They erase the hard drives in all the PCs they get using DoD standards, but the Macs are sold as-is. He'll even give me extra hard drives when some of the Macs are missing them. PCs and CRTs are then shipped to India, China, or another country of that sort.

3. Hard-ass real recycler. The owner has some kind of obsession with fish, and with making sure that every single CD and floppy disk that enters his warehouse, including brand new in box software, is destroyed. Hard drives are hard to come by here, and they refuse to sit down and work out a deal for Mac scrap (beige) items. All I've gotten from here is iBooks, G4s, and G3 iMacs. These are probably the only guys that actually ensure all the stuff is correctly disposed of.

Your best bet is to find a non-profit or some kind of mom and pop company who is open to ideas. Show them how you can wipe old SCSI drives, offer to help out in exchange for old Macs.

Do not volunteer at a company like #3. They will eagerly accept your free labor and will provide you with nothing in return. A company like #2 may or may not allow you to take a few Macs if you're willing to work all day.

 

[Mars478]

Very interesting...

I was overly dramatic in my last post ignore.

It seems that these roaches do it for money. But on the other side they are doing a good to the world by keeping that data safe. They might as well just take out the HD so that we can have them.