Who Buys Old Computers \/\/TOP\\\\
Instead of paying someone else to take your old computer or other electronic device, consider one of these ways to make money by recycling your old PC or other old computers you can get through other avenues such as the ones listed below.
who buys old computers
You can then list those parts for individual sale on sites like eBay, where tech-savvy consumers are searching for hardware and other internal parts they can use to repair their existing computers or build new ones to keep or sell to others.
Target and Best Buy stores have programs similar to the Amazon program. Best Buy allows you to trade in personal computers, laptops and a variety of other products just like Amazon does, and they pay you in the form of a Best Buy gift card.
On the other hand, you may be a business transitioning to new computer systems, with a lot of older computers to get rid of and not a lot of time to spend on the project. In these cases, we suggest teaming up with a vendor that can quickly secure trade in options or recycling and make sure you benefit as much as possible.
We strive to help individuals, families, students and businesses upgrade their Apple laptops, iOS devices, or desktop computers by offering to pay competitive prices for their used Apple products -- including Mac Pros, iMacs, iMac Pros, Mac Minis, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, iPhones, iPads, iPad Pros, iPods, Cinema Displays, Thunderbolt Displays & Apple TV's.
Launched in July 1976, the same year Apple was founded out of Steve Jobs' parents' garage, the Apple-1 was the company's first line of desktop computers. There were 200 models assembled by co-founder Steve Wozniak, and the one that sold for $905,000 was "one of the first batch of 50 machines built," Cassandra Hatton, a former director at Bonhams who oversaw the sale, tells CNBC Make It.
As Kottke, who tells CNBC Make It that he assembled many of the Apple-1 computers himself, recalls: "Steve was mostly in the kitchen making phone calls," while Wozniak, who designed the Apple-1, "oversaw assembly," but did not always build the devices.
Collecting vintage computers and technology is now one of the fastest-growing niches for collectible enthusiasts. Many older models are now considered collectable and are worth a considerable amount of money. And, as technology evolves and new models replace existing ones, more and more items become retro and later vintage.
Remember! Even failed vintage computers and other gadgets from the 80s and 90s can fetch a high price. Try to establish whether the computers are rare. Other owners may have chucked theirs away and upped the value for you!
It also helps reduce the amount of heavy metals found in landfills in the U.S., with computers and other e-waste having been reported to account for nearly 70%. In California alone, it is estimated that the average consumer has two to three computers lying around their home, yet they have no idea what to do with them once they are no longer in use. Now, just think about those numbers on a national scale. If everyone just threw them away, instead of simply taking them to a local computer recycling center near them, there would an environmental disaster that would take years to rectify.
Your first step is to call Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners. Our precious metal recycling consultants can explain how many computers you need to obtain, how to process them before sending them to be processed, and other information you need to get your start making money by recycling computers.
RenewIT was set up in 2010 to answer this question. It buys old computers and laptops from organisations, refurbishes and tests them on quality benchmarks and markets it to schools, NGOs or anybody who cannot afford to buy a computer at the current market rates.
RenewIT ended 2014 with revenue of Rs 3 crore and has refurbished and sold close to 20,000 computers till date. The company is growing at approximately 30 to 40 per cent year-on-year. The company is bootstrapped, and broke even in the second year of its operations.
IT Services replaces its general purpose computers every four years. The disposal of the replaced machines usually involves reassigning them for other uses by various groups around the University, for example for use in research.
IT Services does not sell old computers for a number of reasons. Firstly, the data needs to be erased from the hard drive - this task must be completed to a very high standard in order to protect privacy and and comply with software licensing laws. Additionally there are WEEE regulations concerning disposal of IT equipment and the need to extensively test the PC to ensure that there are no health and safety risks associated.
Faculty and Staff computers are currently replaced on a four-year cycle. After the replacement of a computer, the employee who had been using the computer is eligible to purchase it from TCU. If that employee elects not to purchase the computer, it is available for other employees to purchase. Arrangements to purchase your used computer after replacement can be made by contacting Information Technology at ITHardwareServices@tcu.edu.
If you would like to buy a used computer from our current inventory of machines for sale, you can do so by visiting our office using the information below. Used computers can be purchased at Sid Richardson, room 111, Monday thru Friday between 9am and 4pm. Payment can by made using credit Cards/Debit Cards or by checks.
We buy circuit boards from any device and pay you for the precious metals (such as gold, platinum, silver, and palladium) found within them. We buy circuit boards from computers, cell phones, telecommunication equiptment, servers, military equiptment, car electronics and many other sources. For computer specific scrap, see what components have value and our purchasing policies.
An easy way to get an old computer out of your house is to recycle it. There are lots of ways to recycle old computers, but one of the easiest is to take it to a local retailer. Many, like Best Buy, offer recycling programs for electronics. This is great for computers that are too out-of-date to be sold, and ensures the raw materials used to make them can be recovered and used again.
Check with your local libraries or schools, too. These institutions are often looking for old computers. Your local community might also hold electronics recycling days. Again, make sure to wipe your old computer of personal data before participating in a community electronics recycling event.
We currently have a "policy" that states no used equipment will be given or sold to staff. (It is more like a sentence in one of our equipment policies, which also includes us not working on any private computers 'except for the CEO's'.
Having used Microsoft Windows for a long time, I find Linux operating systems to be remarkably better, even more so because they are free to download and install. Furthermore, Linux operating systems do not steal your personal data and do not try to lock you in, like the newest operating systems from both Microsoft and Apple do. That said, even with Linux, obsolescence cannot be ruled out. For example, Linux Lite will stop its support for 32-bit computers in 2021, which means that I will soon have to look for an alternative operating system, or buy a slightly younger 64-bit laptop.
[3] André, Hampus, Maria Ljunggren Söderman, and Anders Nordelöf. "Resource and environmental impacts of using second-hand laptop computers: A case study of commercial reuse." Waste Management 88 (2019): 268-279.
[5] Kasulaitis, Barbara V., et al. "Evolving materials, attributes, and functionality in consumer electronics: Case study of laptop computers." Resources, conservation and recycling 100 (2015): 1-10.
Thank you for this very informative article. I've been tracking this trend of making use of old computers for some time. I recently bought myself a T420 Thinkpad, as it is the last model with a good keyboard.
As for Linux Lite ending support for 32-bit computers in 2021, perhaps you could look into other OS outside of Linux. May I suggest OpenBSD? It's dubbed by the most secure OS, while being minimal as well. It also supports many architectures, including 32-bit computers. Admittedly, it has a steep "learning curve," because the graphical interface looks very much outdated, but it can be modified, of course, to look and feel more modern. I have it on my Thinkpad X200 (my main computer, btw), and it's working great.
Thank you for this inspiring article. Nowadays, we rarely discuss the need to either use very old hardware (that are still capable) or design computers like we did ten to fifteen years ago, with the energy efficiency of today.
Also, as you stated, a holistic approach is needed, encompassing both hardware and software. Especially on the Web, where some websites are so bloated that it is almost impossible to use them with very old computers (from my personal experience).
Finally, a hack that could get you even further with your current hardware would be to use software that are entirely command line-based (depending on your need, of course). I think this is the most efficient way to use computers, both in term of energy/resource usage and productivity (for tasks like writing, and dealing with text input in general). It requires some effort to learn but once done, it is very rewarding.
I love this post. I thrive on discarded computers! Linux on old Thinkpads, can't beat it. Although I did acquire a random high-end Dell from 2013 for free, and Debian works great on it. You might use computers differently than I do, but I've been able to get about 10 years of life out of my laptops, or even more for my still-strong T420s from 2010.
I just wondered if you also compared the environmental improvements you have made using and repairing older laptops VS doing the same but with desktops? As these are very modular and parts can be mixed and matched across different makes and models. Basically the only limiting factor is what the motherboard accepts for RAM and CPU socket. But even if that becomes a issue the motherboard itself can be upgraded together with ram and CPU leaving the rest of the machine alone. The case, fans, power supply, screen, keyboard and mouse might never have to be replaced while a new laptop always discards these parts when one buys another (new to you) one. This is why I favour a desktop for home use and it might not be practical for someone who travels a lot. What are your thoughts on this? 041b061a72