School auctions

[aphetica]

I think older systems, especially old powerbooks, are great for writers.

Simple, inexpensive (often free), reliable, absolute minimal distraction.

I have to admit, when I was younger and someone donated a secondhand 386 to my family, we really only used it to play games... but what I got out of it was a working knowledge of how computers functioned. Now not only can I fix just about anything, but I am the only member of my family in my hometown who actually went on to college.

So... yeah. I'm grateful that I ended up with someone's crappy, secondhand PC.

But there's no way we can save them all, and with the advent of electric vehicles, nearly disposable electronic gadgets, and a growing population, we're going to need all the copper we can get. It's inevitable that these bulky, older machines get recycled for metals.

68kmla will eventually be reduced to a bunch of antique vendors anyway... so.. save what you can, while you can, cherish the best and recycle the rest.

 

[Mike Richardson]

I'm not out to make a buck on the Power Macs. The only money I really make is with the older LC 5xx and the slot load iMacs, and sometimes G3 AIOs.

The Power Mac 5xxx just kind of fall into a crack.

Answer this question: Is a Power Mac 5xxx better off in someone's home being used, or crushed up into metals? You can hook up a printer, and you have AppleWorks, now you can type letters. Resumes you can send out if you're low income looking for a job.

 

[Unknown_K]

Low income people fill out job forms with a pen, they don't have resumes.

As far as wether a powermac 5xxx is better off crushed or in a home, I think the question should be is the person in that home better off buying a powermac 5xxx, something newer, or nothing at all.

There is a cost associated with having a computer, mostly in the cost of internet services and electricity used. I think if you need a computer for internet use, you should get one that works well on the internet (newer). If you need a machine for general typing, then just about anything will do.

I understand you hate seeing old macs ground into dust, just like I hate seeing old analog video capture gear being tossed in the trash. But we both have to understand that those items were made for a purpose, and they have been eclipsed by newer technology. While I spend plenty of time and money collecting the old video gear I like, I also understand that anybody who needs to edit video would be stupid to use what I collect when the newer cheaper stuff is so much easier and faster to use (more reliable as well). I have a hobby that is a small niche in the computer collecting hobby which is not that big to start with. I collect obsolete junk, atleast thats what it is to 99% of the people out there, so I expect that 99% of the machines made are going to get recycled after I get the ones I want.

I get emotional over living things getting destroyed, but not over plastic and metal.

 

[Mike Richardson]

I picked up some other auctions today. I was really smart and bid on the pallet with keyboards and mice, and WOW - I got over 100 keyboards and at least 150 mice, all USB and mostly Apple brand stuff. I also got a bunch of DELL monitors that I gave to Goodwill.

We managed to get the 45 iMacs out of there. Lots of 500 MHz. Really nice.

Also got a LaserWriter 16/600, and some kind of Xerox copy machine, and an Apple Display 720.

There was lots of stuff sitting around, the guy let me take a IIGS(!) from one of the tables, and a 17" Apple Trinitron blue type CRT, for free.

Tomorrow we get the LCs.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Concerning recycling:

It's my opinion, that while recycling is inevitable, in the particular situation faced here, where one person can take the Macs and get them into homes where people can use them, or another person can strip them down into bare metals and plastics and other basic products, that it is better to keep the Macs going. These are working computers. They will die, yes, and at that point let them be recycled, but they're useful, maybe not on the internet, but they run some useful programs well, and that utilization is more useful than a pile of metal.

There's situations where recycling is immediately useful. Someone said don't crush the rare CRTs, I agree - when I said crush all the CRTs I meant the huge gluts of DELL and Smile Int'l and other generic VGA type displays clogging up the school warehouses currently. As a whole tens, maybe almost a hundred million VGA displays have been made but probably less than 10 million 5xxx machines, let's get rid of those VGA monitors and stuff.

That's all I have to say about it.

 

[Unknown_K]

I picked up some other auctions today. I was really smart and bid on the pallet with keyboards and mice, and WOW - I got over 100 keyboards and at least 150 mice, all USB and mostly Apple brand stuff. I also got a bunch of DELL monitors that I gave to Goodwill.
We managed to get the 45 iMacs out of there. Lots of 500 MHz. Really nice.

Also got a LaserWriter 16/600, and some kind of Xerox copy machine, and an Apple Display 720.

There was lots of stuff sitting around, the guy let me take a IIGS(!) from one of the tables, and a 17" Apple Trinitron blue type CRT, for free.

Tomorrow we get the LCs.

How much are you going to sell an Apple USB keyboard and mouse for?

 

[aphetica]

I wish there were some kind of movement to reduce the internet back to a state of coding simplicity... it's all this javascript and flash that really throws a wrench into what we're trying to do.

...if we could actually access the internet reliably on our 68k machines, I don't think we would be having this discussion.

 

[Mike Richardson]

I picked up some other auctions today. I was really smart and bid on the pallet with keyboards and mice, and WOW - I got over 100 keyboards and at least 150 mice, all USB and mostly Apple brand stuff. I also got a bunch of DELL monitors that I gave to Goodwill.
We managed to get the 45 iMacs out of there. Lots of 500 MHz. Really nice.

Also got a LaserWriter 16/600, and some kind of Xerox copy machine, and an Apple Display 720.

There was lots of stuff sitting around, the guy let me take a IIGS(!) from one of the tables, and a 17" Apple Trinitron blue type CRT, for free.

Tomorrow we get the LCs.

How much are you going to sell an Apple USB keyboard and mouse for?

I guess it depends on, if it's the puck mouse or Pro Mouse, and the older debut iMac keyboard or the newer "Pro Keyboard" full size one.

The Pro items have managed to hold their value on eBay, where a set can sell for almost $20 + ship. So how about $15 + ship?

For the older type iMac keyboard and puck mouse, maybe $12 + ship, choose your color.

 

[Christopher]

What model iMac's?

 

[Mike Richardson]

What model iMac's?

500 MHz Slot Loaders. Mostly blue I think.

 

[Quadraman]

Death to all puck mice.

 

[Christopher]

The puck mouse is a great mouse because of its size, I use it when I am servicing machines since it's small.

How much are you wanting to sell a couple for? What are the specs? 6GB 64MB OS 9?