What do you do with your 'old' computer? (Page 3): Good one, PixelStan77! We have done this with numerous PC's, and it is an excellent suggestions!!!

Michael1079 Loc: Indiana

PixelStan77 wrote:

Donate it to not for profit or local school

Good one, PixelStan77! We have done this with numerous PC's, and it is an excellent suggestions!!!

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

rmalarz wrote:

For me personally, I use my older systems as servers. When I purchase a new iMac, my old one will be a second monitor.
--Bob

The Saint KK4GO Loc: Florida

elliott937 wrote:

I'm enjoying my one year old iMac. But here's my question. I have an iMac, G-5 to be specific, from 2005. It still works perfectly with the software on it. Newest software, (to the best of my knowledge) won't work on it.

Since it is fully operational, I don't know what best to do with you. That is why I thought I'd ask you all what functions you might have found for your older computers.

I thank you in advance for your ideas.

Bill

I use my old G-5 to address envelopes, since I have terrible handwriting 😎

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

I sold my old G-5 at a garage sale.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

If you have more than one set of tasks that you do routinely, then dedicate the G5 to one of them, the one that doesn’t need upgradable software. For image editing tasks you need the most modern Mac for using the latest software. If you have the monthly subscription Photoshop, Adobe might be continually touching it up.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

elliott937 wrote:

I'm enjoying my one year old iMac. But here's my question. I have an iMac, G-5 to be specific, from 2005. It still works perfectly with the software on it. Newest software, (to the best of my knowledge) won't work on it.

Since it is fully operational, I don't know what best to do with you. That is why I thought I'd ask you all what functions you might have found for your older computers.

I thank you in advance for your ideas.

Bill

I still have a computer, that is over 20 years old, but it has a few programs on it, that I enjoy using from time to time and therefore I'll keep it around and use it whenever I feel the urge!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Dngallagher wrote:

Don’t kid yourself...I have bought “used” hard dri... (show quote)

My first laptop was a used 386 with about a 12" monochrome screen and "tough case" that belonged to some prison in Texas (a guy at a gun show at the LA Fair Grounds had what looked like 100 of them-cheap. They just used "delete" so the undelete command brought everything back. Wasn't interested in their files so I then did a through clean and three formats - one with a third party app that at the time was supposed to be the best. Then I installed the LA School District's electronic role book and used it for a couple of years. You better believe I deleted, formated etc before I took it to an electronic recycle center. The school IT guy even gave me an app that ran on another computer connected with a cable and did a remote format of everything including the OS (DOS) and firmware.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

robertjerl wrote:

My first laptop was a used 386 with about a 12&quo... (show quote)

Yep! When I worked for the court system, when we surplused computers we used Boot & Nuke to wipe and erase to DOD standards. Nothing was going out the door after that.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

I still have my 10.7.5 version iMac with 4 GB memory -- copyright 1983-2012! I love this mac. I was given a new iMac but I couldn't adapt to it unless I jumped through many hoops and hurdles ---I just gave up on it as Apple does not seem to make any better machines ---- I WILL DIE USING MY OLDER MAC!

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

We have always found charities that refurbish older computers and then donate them to impoverished students in need. Such charities exist in Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky, to name a few.

Always make sure to fully erase your hard drive using DBAN (Darick's Boot and Nuke) or similar utility.

shoelessjoe

I had a number of the old CRT screens that I needed to get rid of when I was moving. I found out that Staples has a computer recycle policy where then will take old computers, screens, printers, etc. They will not take TV's.

Stan Gould Loc: La Crosse, Wisconsin

TriX wrote:

Formatting or partitioning a HD in Windows using the native tools won’t necessarily offer protection from a skilled hacker. You need an application that will write 0s to every single memory location such as Dban http://www.dban.org.

I wipe old hard drives as best I can, then take them apart and drill holes in the platters. Next I “fold, spindle and mutilate,” with a sledge hammer. Overkill? Probably, but then if anyone can hack it more power to them. 🔨

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Stan Gould wrote:

I wipe old hard drives as best I can, then take them apart and drill holes in the platters. Next I “fold, spindle and mutilate,” with a sledge hammer. Overkill? Probably, but then if anyone can hack it more power to them. 🔨

If someone can hack it after that they can make a good living doing data recovery for people then they won't need to be a hacker.

mtbear

PixelStan77 wrote:

Donate it to not for profit or local school

Few schools will take it.

mtbear

I've got two old high quality scanners, a flat bed which does 8.5 x 11 transparencies and a slide scanner that does 50 slides in a batch. Both only run under older software since the manufacturers deemed them too small a niche to keep the software up to date. I also use my older Mac to digitize analog music and VHS videos.