Old Desktops

[Colm Duffy]

Hello,

We have 50+ old Dell Desktops in our school that are almost all no longer in use now. We have decided to destroy the hard drives and were thinking we'd just recycle the rest after that. My question is, before we do that is there anything better we could or should do with the other parts, monitors, keyboards, etc.? If anyone has any experience of this scenario I'd greatly appreciate your advice.

Many thanks, 

Colm 

[Sanmi Olade]

Hi Colm,

We could take them refurbish them and give it to needy kids via our charity.

Please send where are you located.

Sanmi

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[Colm Duffy]

Hi Sanmi, 

Thanks for getting back to me. We are in Ratoath Co. Meath. What is the name of your charity?

Regards, 

Colm 

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[Sanmi Olade]

Hi,

I work with a few Charities but my main one is NIHospice Belfast (www.NIHospice.org)

Thanks 

Sanmi

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[Muin Dee]

Also Camara, they take older computers, now they also take harddrives so it is worth contacting them. https://camara.org 

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[Chris Reina]

Hi Colm,

> and before everyone starts, yes, I'll be waving my flag… again! 😂

I have long been an advocate for upcycling.

It’s a little known fact that you can turn [almost] any device into another device.

Just because Windows is slow and won’t run - doesn’t mean other operating systems won’t.

The example I always give: we deliver S.T.E.A.M. workshops nationwide - and one of those is 3D modelling.

We have a suite of laptops to do this. I haven’t paid for any of them - they have all been donated by schools.

The oldest machine is my wife’s Principals 15” Toshiba which is now 12 years old.

I have put SSD drives into all of them and installed Chrome OS (Flex) on them - making them Chromebooks. (while drives have gotten expensive now, you can still get a 128GB SSD for €35.00)

They are still working perfectly today. The same can be done with old Windows boxes that seem end-of-life.

The process is [relatively] simple - and I’d be happy to walk anyone through that.

We have done this for quite a number of schools nationwide and they are still using these machines as perfectly good devices.

If ChromeOS doesn’t take your fancy - you can always choose another Linux Distro - there are lots to choose from - ChromeOS and Linux Distros are all free.

Making this a project in your school can be a really wonderful way to engage students with technology.

We did this about a year ago for a school (who were still purchasing new devices) - and the kids got to take the machines home with them. WinWin!

Regardless of this - I would ask that you don’t put all those devices (machines, monitors, keyboards and mice) into recycling. They can still be used!

The only cost involved is the SSD drives and time.

If need be - I would take them off you and pass them on to other schools who need them. (Although my wife won’t be happy as they’ll join the other 20 machine I am currently working on)

Feel free to drop me an email or give me a ring if you’d like more specific information.

Many thanks!

Chris

> He / him - what’s this?

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[Colm Duffy]

Thanks for this Chris, 

I had looked into OS Flex and it may be possible for some of them but our main issues is that we are opening up a new ASD classroom and the computer room has been slated as the new room so we don't really have the space for these computers any more.

Thank you again. 

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[Chris Reina]

Hey Colm,

Understood… space and time are always limited! (Oh, and money as well…)

Let me know if I can be of any help (even taking them if need be) - or, if you want to donate them locally, I could help facilitate getting them up and running in a new environment.

Cheers!

Chris

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[v...@valgavin.biz]

I agree 100% with what Chris said, turn them into Chromebook o/s or a Linux distro, and as Chris said SSD drives have got a bit expensive and so has all ram, but you can run those operating systems from a USB drive, a great learning experience for students on STEM program.

Val 

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[Donal Hunt]

The general term for this activity is "IT Asset Disposition" (ITAD). It involves the secure, compliant, and environmentally responsible process of disposing of outdated or unwanted IT equipment, such as laptops, servers, and mobile devices. It focuses on secure data destruction, maximizing value through refurbishment/resale, and sustainable recycling to reduce e-waste. 

There are a number of companies in the space, that will take the equipment, provide the necessary paperwork to demonstrate you've disposed of the equipment properly and in many cases return some money to your pockets (like used cars, you'll never get market rate).

Given every education provider likely has the same need, aggregating that demand across organisations could reduce costs and get more value back at the end of the asset lifecycle. 

Depending on the form factor, there is demand for these type of device too. e.g. SFF / Tiny / 1L form factor is perfect for Home Assistant tinkering. I'm personally building out a small Kubernetes lab with SFF nodes (low powered but incredibly useful for learning).

Kind regards

Donal

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[Colm Duffy]

Thanks for all the responses. You've been very helpful. 

Regards,

Colm

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