The benefits of living in a throw away society - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2014, 05:39:24 pm
content: Not off topic because it applies to electronics in general.Yesterday I bought an off-lease refurbished open box HP Compaq 8000 Dual core 3.0GHz with 4GB of ddr3 1333 memory Win7 Professional 64 bit and 160GB drive for just $140 including taxes at microcenterI don't play games anymore and most games are GPU intensive so the CPU is fine for a dedicated PC for FPGA and embedded development, I threw in a 500GB drive I had laying around and might put a GTX8800 video card that I also have laying around somewhere. But I'm never buying a new computer anymore (nor a car for that matter).I can't even buy the license alone for that priceIt's good to live in a disposable society

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2014, 06:18:14 pm
content: Yes, I have a lot of computer parts from that kind of free give away.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2014, 06:54:23 pm
content: Sadly f***ing sarcan in Canada does computer and electronics recycling now, you don't get anything, but now it's hard to find old electronics and stuff for free/really cheap

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2014, 07:02:47 pm
content: I just have to get there before the guys who strip them for the metals.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2014, 07:24:13 pm
content: Yeah, but refurbished by someone that wants to make the last few dollars out of a machine that was paid in full if no more from a lease, it's a win-win.Meaning I have a full legal license of Win7 Pro 64 and a system that will last me at least one year and with no work on my part to fix it or waste anytime with it, just configure like you would a new computer and that's it.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 12:47:30 am
content: Quote from: miguelvp on July 23, 2014, 05:39:24 pmYou must have the only working 8800 leftThey all died from bad bga joints

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 01:11:56 am
content: Quote from: Psi on July 24, 2014, 12:47:30 amMaybe GTS, but I have 3 of them, one of them is currently unused and so far no problems with any of the 3 8800s for the last 8 or so years.

author: Prime73
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 01:21:38 am
content: Quote from: XOIIO on July 23, 2014, 06:54:23 pmwell, there are a few "recycle" yahoo groups (at least in my area) where people offer all soft of stuff including electronics equipment for free. Also you can always pick something up on a curb as people throw away electronics all the time.

author: SpidersWeb
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 01:40:09 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on July 23, 2014, 07:02:47 pmYeah that's the problem here as well. Most places have an agreement with metal recyclers - and even though I'm happy to pay more $$$ for stuff, it's usually gone before I get there.I did get a working CRO for $1 though (had to fit my own plug and buy a set of $50 probes, but still!) a few months back.

author: edpalmer42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 02:02:33 am
content: It seems like everyone has forgotten the second 'R' in Reduce, REUSE, Recycle. Even if you want to reuse something, you can't because now it belongs to someone who can't be bothered to reuse it. They just want to melt it down for scrap. Care to guess how many gold-plated (literally!) circuit boards from classic HP test equipment have been melted down over the last decade? It's just criminal!Ed

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 07:03:13 am
content: I once knew a bloke who collected many old worthless old Pentium or 486 PC's off the side of the road in his neighbourhood. He used to examine the contents of the hard disk to check out the financial, other personal information and photos of people living in the area. He would format the machine, install an illegal copy of Windows 98 and then sell them off to technology inept pensioners at obscene rip-off prices. He has no conscience that what he was doing was wrong.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2014, 05:14:27 pm
content: Quote from: edpalmer42 on July 24, 2014, 02:02:33 amIndeed... When nations promote programs like "trade in old clunker" it goes to show how much reasoning has been lost.