Free Computers and Monitors - University Students and Faculty

[Gog]

I don't know how many people this applies to, but I have been getting away with robbery at the school I attend. The school has recently been replacing older computers with newer models that come with new LCDs. What happens with the old computers and equipment? Simple, it gets trashed.

So far I have managed to carry home two Dell 17 inch monitors, one of which is a one year old DELL Ultranscan P780 Trinitron (its beautiful, esp at the price I got it at) and a HP Laserjet 5p printer. Friends of mine have been carting home entire PCs, most of which are PIs, PIIs and a few PIIIs.

The key is to find how and where your school discards their old equipement. Once you find out the info, its nothing but happy pickings.

 

[littlezipp]

Might I ask where you go to school?

 

[SupaCh1nk]

<< ...DELL Ultranscan P780 Trinitron (its beautiful, esp at the price I got it at) and a HP Laserjet 5p printer. >>


i find that hard to believe, or did u really mean robbery?

 

[GetReal]

Schools around here return old and surplus equipment back to the district office where they auction it off at public sales. The state colleges do the same. Simply throwing away good computer equipment is irresponsible and if a state or federal sponsored school is engaging in such practices, they should loose all their funding. No wonder tuition is so expensive for students these days!

 

[Gog]

Of course it wasn't robbery. As a matter of fact, I had to get written approval from an IT guy to be able to carry the items out of the building, otherwise the security guard would of stoped me.

I am floored at the stuff that the school I attend discards (doesn't suprise me that the tuition is so high!). To tell you the truth I don't know what happens to the 'garbage' when its disposed of, maybe they send it to some recycling center.

 

[AnyMal]

I find it hard to believe that any school would have an official policy allowing free distribution of any equipment. BTW, where is the hot deal?

 

[Gog]

no one said there is an official policy of the free distribution of equipement, rather students or faculty have the chance, if they so choose, to save computer equipement from the dumpster.

This is a hot deal because if students or faculty at schools find out the pertinent info, they can walk away with some great equipment.

 

[RadioactiveMagpies]

You can also find some cool stuff in the dumpsters of large corporations. Should I start a new thread on that?

 

[Milkyman]

I can see it now, anandtechers near and far gathering behind IBM and fighting tooth and nail for first crack at the dumpsters

 

[Dug]

<< Simply throwing away good computer equipment is irresponsible and if a state or federal sponsored school is engaging in such practices, they should loose all their funding. No wonder tuition is so expensive for students these days! >>



Depending on what state your in- its actually cheaper for schools to throw stuff away. They unoffically give students computer equipment (by telling them when it will be by the dumpster)

But most schools find use for good monitors and such. Our school only lets go of the really, really old stuff that nobody would take because its more work than its worth. The rest of it goes to an open lab for student to use.

 

[tojunk]

<< I don't know how many people this applies to, but I have been getting away with robbery at the school I attend. The school has recently been replacing older computers with newer models that come with new LCDs. What happens with the old computers and equipment? Simple, it gets trashed.

So far I have managed to carry home two Dell 17 inch monitors, one of which is a one year old DELL Ultranscan P780 Trinitron (its beautiful, esp at the price I got it at) and a HP Laserjet 5p printer. Friends of mine have been carting home entire PCs, most of which are PIs, PIIs and a few PIIIs.

The key is to find how and where your school discards their old equipement. Once you find out the info, its nothing but happy pickings. >>



is it a regular school? i want to go to your school!

 

[Freebie Hawk]

I used to work for an IT department at a University...Let me tell you this. The ONLY things thrown away were for good reason. The were not worth JACK *grin*

 

[yomega]

Same thing at my school, I was going to class in the bacement of the ECE building and there was this pile of computer stuff marked "JUNK"
There were a couple of 19in SUN monitors 2 Sparc II desktops some routers and switches, and the smallest IDE controller I had ever seen (it was the length of a PCI solt and about 2 in tall).

Too bad I ride the bus and I wasn't able to take anything.

 

[MarkM]

brag and moan.

given you are posting to a hot deals forum & so far have refused to even say where you go to school (can get these things), it's pretty clear that you are more interested in bragging than in risking letting anyone get a piece of your "deal"

 

[TBP]

The school (state owned) I graduated from wouldn't allow anything be taken out, even for real trash (damaged computer equipment, etc). It'll be considered stealing state properties.

 

[unsped]

or if you goto a REAL school, they have their own department that handles this.

parts are typically sold in lots to recyclers, because of the way they are handled on the books you can't just THROW alot of high dollar items away (note the university doesn't usually depreciate items on inventory).

however this department that handles this sells stuff VERY cheap.

 

[Ogewo]

Gog,

what school do you go to? what department do you think you'd call to find out if and when they dump stuff?

gew

 

[LeprechaunKing]

Same deal for my college. NDSU has its surplus auction on the 2nd fri of every month.
I've picked up 166s for a dollar. Our school replaces all computer clusters, rotating every 3rd year. So we have 1/3 of computers going surplus each summer with a bunch of misc computers and always some misc computers/monitors/washer-dryers/furniture during the spring months. Has been a hot deal for me. I believe most schools should have a surplus auction, at least NDSU and UND do. YMMV, but if youre a student, it is definately worth a look.

 

[Dug]

<< or if you goto a REAL school, they have their own department that handles this >>



It has nothing to do with the school you go to. It has to do with how the equipment was aquired, what local and state laws are, taxes, age of equipment, etc.

 

[toant103]

rich school

 

[Gog]

<< I can see it now, anandtechers near and far gathering behind IBM and fighting tooth and nail for first crack at the dumpsters >>

Lol milkyman. When you think about it, this isn't all that much different from the people who lined up as early as 5am to be the first to get their hands on the Geforce 3 ti200 deal at BB when it was offered for $100.





<< given you are posting to a hot deals forum & so far have refused to even say where you go to school (can get these things), it's pretty clear that you are more interested in bragging than in risking letting anyone get a piece of your "deal" >>

Markm, this simply isn't true. First off, we don't go to the same school. Therefore it doesn't make a difference whether I tell you what school I attend, because only students who go to a particular school, are entitled to their schools 'trash.' Secondly, as you can see from some of the other posts, different schools have different rules. Its up to you to find out how your school discards their computer hardware.




<< Gog, what school do you go to? what department do you think you'd call to find out if and when they dump stuff? >>

Ogewo, when you think about it, the departments that usually go thru computers like Prez Clinton goes thru interns, the Departments that come up in my mind are the Comp Sci, Mathematics and maybe Physics Dept. Therefore what I do is patrol the halls of these departments during lunch and see whether anything is being discarded. If u find something u like u will probably have to get the paper work filled out so that you can take it out of the building. Usually u get the paperwork from some IT guy. The IT guy who gave me the passes was glad that my friend and I were clearing the hallway of these things.

Btw, whether you come across something useful is usually due to luck, you know, like being at the right place and at the right time. The reason why the Laserjet was being discarded was because it was broken and was clearly labeled so. After tinkering with it for about an hour, I found out that a clump of paper was the culprit and after clearing it out, the thing worked fine. The ultrascan monitor I got, was due to luck, if i had shown up like an hour or so latter, it would of been gone(some grad student would have nabbed it).

 

[Gilby]

YMMV. A lot.

The University I'm at has a surplus warehouse that stores some surplus for possible use by other departments, and sells much of the rest. None of the computer systems are ever what I'd call great deals...older stuff. And usually when computer clusters get replaced, faculty get first dibbs for their office computers. THEN they might make the surplus sale. Anyway, last time I looked they had some state-of-the-art 486 133s.

They do have good deals on filing cabinents, desks and chairs, though.

 

[virtuamike]

I go to UCD, all our surplus equipment goes to the Bargain Barn. The deals aren't the greatest but once in a while you'll stumble across a gem.

 

[sirsolo]

I have never posted like this, but LOCK THIS USELESS THREAD.

 

[Valvoline6]

I just threw an old monitor and a keyboard in my dumpster if anyone wants to go divin'.