PCs from across the road
Martin Klang
There's now a pile of PCs in the space, as mentioned in another thread, donated from the good people across the road.
They're all fairly old, 5-6 years, most probably Pentium 4's and Celerons.
I haven't looked up the specs yet, but the inventory is as follows:
Dell Dimension:
4x 2400
1x 2300
1x 2350
2x 4550
1x 8100
1x 5000
Dell Optiplex:
1x GX260
1x GX240
Plus two generic PC towers. Beige.
So there's 14 in total. They're currently in a pile in the dirty room, I'll try to stack them somewhere out of the way this evening.
I suggest we keep maybe 2 of them for hackspace use -
the rest we can donate to users, if anyone wants them, scrap for parts, and/or donate to charity.
Suggestions/views on uses, charities to donate to et c welcome!
/m
Martin Dittus
Martin Klang
yes agreed, I want to have them gone by Monday.
what do people think, should I do a fresh linux install on two of them for 'space use, or not bother?
/m
Elliot West
Things we don't need (we have to conserve space so thanks for the offer, but no thanks).
- Old desktop PCs and CRT monitors (but if it's something special, please ask)
Elliot West
Chris Foote (Spike)
http://www.computeraid.org/
They refurbish surplus IT equipment and donate it to charities.
There's a form to fill in http://www.computeraid.org/donation-form.asp
Thanks!
Spike
Adrian Godwin
The serial terminal didn't seem to stay in use (though I rather liked the idea myself) so we're down to just lovelace for visitor use. I'd have thought we could manage at least one more, maybe in the quiet room or the workshop (to look up component specs, tapping drill sizes etc).
In addition, I could probably take one or two away - but not by monday, unfortunately.
-adrian
Elliot West
The serial terminal didn't seem to stay in use (though I rather liked the idea myself)
so we're down to just lovelace for visitor use.
I'd have thought we could manage at least one more, maybe in the quiet room or the workshop (to look up component specs, tapping drill sizes etc).
Sam Cook
Martin Klang
On 30 Mar 2011, at 20:23, Elliot West wrote:
> Thanks for the effort, but see: http://wiki.hackspace.org.uk/wiki/Wishlist#Unwishlist
Based on a previous discussion on this list the idea was to get 1 or 2 machines for the space.
I then offered to take them all to save our kind donors the hassle of disposal, with a view to getting rid of them asap.
I will try to do this without causing further alarm or inconvenience to other hackspace users.
> Unfortunately they'll probably be as useful as the caravan sink and surfboard that also arrived this week.
That looks like a wakeboard to me. A lot less useful than a surfboard.
/m
Adrian Godwin
We have lovelace and difference in the main room. Given that these don't get that much use I'm not sure I follow the argument that we need another computer.
I do think lovelace gets a fair bit of use, at least during busy times, but I don't know what difference is - I thought that was the serial terminal. If it's another machine with a browser in the main room then fair enough.
We have a computer in the workshop that can be used for looking up stuff if needed: the laser cutter machine.
Yes, but it's busier than lovelace .. I wouldn't want to use it while someone was running the laser cutter.
There is likely to be another one there soon to run the CNC that's expected for the small mill, That would be sufficient, I agree .. but do we need one of these for that job ?
-adrian
Charles Yarnold
bobby
bin,
could be useful on my boat.
bobby w
On Mar 30, 8:23 pm, Elliot West <tea...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for the effort, but see:http://wiki.hackspace.org.uk/wiki/Wishlist#Unwishlist
>
> but no thanks).
>
> - Old desktop PCs and CRT monitors (but if it's something special, please
>
> Unfortunately they'll probably be as useful as the caravan sink and
> surfboard that also arrived this week.
>
Martin Dittus
Maybe we're in the wrong business and should set up a swap shop instead.
m.
Ciarán Mooney
> Maybe we're in the wrong business and should set up a swap shop instead.
Two steps ahead of you there,
Sci
Hash: SHA1
Certainly interested in one! Guess I'll see what's still around at the
weekend?
Secondary IDE line on my workshop machine has now died. Really couldn't
come at a better time. o_o;
Specs:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Dell_Dimension#Tech_Specs
~ Sci
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Jasper Wallace
>
> yes agreed, I want to have them gone by Monday.
>
> what do people think, should I do a fresh linux install on two of them
> for 'space use, or not bother?
Open them all up, look at the hardware, see if anything is interesting,
find the best ones and strip ram from the rest to upgrade them.
Since they've got parallel ports maybe keep one for a CNC controller for
the latemillcombo?
Throw the rest away.
P.S. one of them as a bunch of video capture cards in it (presumably from
a cctv setup?), I might grab a few of the cards.
--
[http://pointless.net/] [0x2ECA0975]
Will Pearson
On Mar 30, 8:36 pm, Elliot West <tea...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > The serial terminal didn't seem to stay in use (though I rather liked the
> > idea myself)
>
> Me too.
>
> so we're down to just lovelace for visitor use.
>
> There is another desktop machine in the main room - with a white/beige LCD
> screen. Never seen it being used though.
bit slow though, I think. As is lovelace.
We could do with upgrading both of these if we can. I might come in
tomorrow to have a look.
Will
Billy
Might take the strain off babbage.
Sci
Hash: SHA1
On double-checking the 8100 should be fitted with RIMM memory modules. A
friend's got a server of unknown function because it doesn't have any
RAM. Guess what sort it takes?
~ Sci
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xTw!7ch
If there going in the bin then i would rather take them home to beef
up my backup systems/lowend coding stuff. I can take them away
whenever, i just need to know which ones are up for grabs and ill make
sure they have a good home.
x
Billy
Chris Foote (Spike)
Rather than putting these surplus units "in the bin" as has been
suggested, Computer Aid http://www.computeraid.org/ are based in North
London and will gladly collect.
They refurbish donated equipment and distribute to charities, both in
the UK and abroad. Please see http://www.computeraid.org/donation-form.asp
Thank you!
Spike
Martin Klang
I've created a wiki page.
http://wiki.hackspace.org.uk/wiki/NazrulPCs
Please put your name down if you'd like to claim one of the machines - and pls feel free to do so!
@Spike: your reply has not fallen on deaf ears!
/m
Martin Klang
Generally I think it's a shame to just take the RAM from an otherwise working machine. Preferably the PCs should be repurposed for ourselves or a suitable community project.
But the 8100 is pretty darn old and might otherwise end up being scrapped so I'd say yeah, claim the memory if you can use it.
/m
Chris Foote (Spike)
I had to bcc myself in the message just to make sure "I was getting out" ;-)
Spike
Adrian Godwin
Sadly, even if we had something like a railway arch unit or an out-of-town warehouse as offline storage, I think it would still fill up with duplicates to the point where nothing could be found :-(.
-adrian
Martin Dittus
m.
Sci
Hash: SHA1
Done so!
Don't want to wreck a working machine, so my interest in the 8100's RIMM
modules is only if no one wants the machine whole.
~ Sci
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Sci
Hash: SHA1
On 30/03/2011 19:24, Martin Klang wrote:
>
> There's now a pile of PCs in the space, as mentioned in another thread, donated from the good people across the road.
> They're all fairly old, 5-6 years, most probably Pentium 4's and Celerons.
>
> I haven't looked up the specs yet, but the inventory is as follows:
> Dell Dimension:
> 4x 2400
> 1x 2300
> 1x 2350
> 2x 4550
> 1x 8100
> 1x 5000
> Dell Optiplex:
> 1x GX260
> 1x GX240
> Plus two generic PC towers. Beige.
>
> So there's 14 in total. They're currently in a pile in the dirty room, I'll try to stack them somewhere out of the way this evening.
>
> I suggest we keep maybe 2 of them for hackspace use -
> the rest we can donate to users, if anyone wants them, scrap for parts, and/or donate to charity.
>
> Suggestions/views on uses, charities to donate to et c welcome!
Took one of the 4550's, and the smaller pair of RAM from the 8100. I
only needed a match pair for testing purposes. With all the proprietary
connectors it's probably not going to recycle well, if they can get the
case open.
That said, the 8100 seems to contain security camera footage from the
former owners. I'd suggest wiping it or outright removing the HDD before
moving it on if this would be a security issue. Footage was 3-4 years
old, but randomly picked one did seem to include the police.
Also the CPU fan sounds like there's a small animal trapped in it.
I also tested the un-spec'd beige boxes. One seems to be a P3/P4 of
okayish-for-internetting spec, tho isn't booting properly (either CPU or
BIOs damage; intermittant boot, bios pages failing to display, keyboard
locking up after a minute). The other is a 233Mhz Pentium 2 "slocket"
which actually still has ISA slots, PCI and an AGP. Good if anyone needs
to get some legacy hardware running?
~ Sci
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Martin Klang
cool - did you mark up the machines you tested?
I've done that with a couple of them to save us all cracking them open et c.
I'm taking them away today so if anyone still wants to grab one, hurry up!
- or let me know and I can put one to the side for you.
cheers,
/m
Martin Klang
On 3 Apr 2011, at 23:15, Sci wrote:
> That said, the 8100 seems to contain security camera footage from the
> former owners. I'd suggest wiping it or outright removing the HDD before
> moving it on if this would be a security issue.
oh and yes - ALL DRIVES must be wiped clean if you're going to use any of these machines!
should have made that clear from the start, but it seemed kind of obvious.
/m
Sci
Hash: SHA1
Couldn't find any stickers so wrote on the top of the beige cases. The
8100 is unmarked I'm afraid, but there's only one of them.
~ Sci
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Sci
Hash: SHA1
The 4550 I took is now up and running.
Replaced 4 leaking power-caps (hidden under the CPU vent), added some
extra RAM, another HDD, added proper thermal grease, replaced the
optical drive with a better one, cleaned the case out, wiped and
reinstalled ready to dual-boot XP/Ubuntu.
Going from PC133 to PC2700 is SO nice. I can actually record from the
PS3 Eye camera now without it choking for memory bandwidth. Livestreams
and youtubing ahoy!
~ Sci
On 30/03/2011 19:24, Martin Klang wrote:
>
> There's now a pile of PCs in the space, as mentioned in another thread, donated from the good people across the road.
> They're all fairly old, 5-6 years, most probably Pentium 4's and Celerons.
>
> I haven't looked up the specs yet, but the inventory is as follows:
> Dell Dimension:
> 4x 2400
> 1x 2300
> 1x 2350
> 2x 4550
> 1x 8100
> 1x 5000
> Dell Optiplex:
> 1x GX260
> 1x GX240
> Plus two generic PC towers. Beige.
>
> So there's 14 in total. They're currently in a pile in the dirty room, I'll try to stack them somewhere out of the way this evening.
>
> I suggest we keep maybe 2 of them for hackspace use -
> the rest we can donate to users, if anyone wants them, scrap for parts, and/or donate to charity.
>
> Suggestions/views on uses, charities to donate to et c welcome!
>
> /m
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