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What to do with old systems?!

P

prochobo

Senior member
I've got a 450mhz P3 that I use for a media center that plays movies off the network. Works pretty good too. Now I've got a 433mhz Celeron system that's just laying around. Anyone have any ideas of what to do with it?! I'm thinking of doing the same thing I've done the the P3 system, setup another media center in my room.

I need something to do with these old machines. . . I also have an 800mhz P3 CPU and a K7 600mhz proc lying around.
 
Usually they're more trouble than they're worth. You could probably sell it for $50--maybe even $100. So, in effect, you're paying $50-$100 to keep it.
 
Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Usually they're more trouble than they're worth. You could probably sell it for $50--maybe even $100. So, in effect, you're paying $50-$100 to keep it.
Click to expand...

I don't know who would buy a 433mhz Celeron machine around here. It's more like I'd have to pay someone $50 to take it away since it's a piece of junk. There's just a thing with old machines that gets me. Looking for a good project to do with these, something creative!
 
Sell a P3 450? Lol. Any system that old I either trash or donate to the local church thrift shop after sanitizing the drive and putting a clean OS install on it.
 
Originally posted by: Xanis
Slap Linux and Apache with MySQL and PHP on it and make a nice low-maintenence webserver.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that. The media center playing off the networt hit me pretty hard and I thought it was a good idea. F@H is just a waste of electricity, the system will hardly get anything done. I'm going to do Linux something. . . but what?
 
Just put it on ebay....I had a similar situation last year when I wanted to get rid of my P3 750MHz Computer sold it for 60 bucks.
 
I've converted some old machines, e-machines and the like; into Linux with Fedora Core 4. I sell the computers for $100 minimum. to students in the Linux classes. Check with the instructors, and put flyers up to promote your stuff.
I collect any old hardware, sound & video cards, old mobos and modems, old memory and presto, a LINUX machine!
Imagine to my surprise, when some of the old non-descript cards suddenly came alive with drivers that were impossible to find as window systems.
 
Most cities have groups of people... called.... uhm... the disenfranchised, that's it... they can't get jobs because they don't have skills, they can't get skills because they don't have money, they don't have money because they can't get skills... blah-blah-blah. Anyway, larger cities have ways to redeploy your old computers to the needy. I've give away 5 such machines. Sure second hand machines can be sold. But old machines such as the one listed here are likely beyond being second hand. You should just gift if to a charity that deals in these. Call you local Salvation Army they may have a line on such an organization.
 
It seems that the Salvation Army and all the charities here, have computers to the rooftops and can't get rid of them. It takes someone with simple computer skills to come up with a unique solution. If one has the time, he or she can develop a decent home business to recycle some of these dinosaurs and give them a new lease on life. The 17" CRTs at our recent swap meet were down to $10 obo. The swap meet had spare parts for sale for pennies on the dollar. Old hardware is so cheap because people can't find window drivers anymore. Linux has drivers that I thought were gone and buried. Well, I only suggested this as a possibility. Recycle into LINUX.
 
router
firewall
radius
web
ftp
samba/windows file server
printing
test machine
x console
game server

....the possibilities are endless, it's a computer! You will have a project for it someday. You just need more imagination.....
Hell you could even build an alarm clock with it if you wanted.... Every computer from the 386dx days and up is still useful.
 
Old computer systems = dedicated servers. Like the other person said, Apache + PHP + MySQL (or in my case Jboss + MySQL + Struts). Here's my old 1.3 GHz P4 system:

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/992/00001858jt.jpg
http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/4455/00001892ck.jpg

...and before anyone says anything about the plastic bags being conductive, there's a paper plate between the mainboard and the bag (one of the high quality rigid kind) that elevates the board about half an inch into the air. There's also a hole in the side of the box that mounts a 120 mm case fan.
 
Originally posted by: Missing Ghost
router
firewall
radius
web
ftp
samba/windows file server
printing
test machine
x console
game server

....the possibilities are endless, it's a computer! You will have a project for it someday. You just need more imagination.....
Hell you could even build an alarm clock with it if you wanted.... Every computer from the 386dx days and up is still useful.
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Welcome to the forum missing ghost... I was really tempted to post something along the lines of a foot rest, but you did a stand up job listing some actual good uses.

:thumbsup:
 
Kahului, Maui! All the charities can't house all the computers, given to them, since Walmart's selling new E-Machines with 17" LCDs for $717.
Our community college has upgraded their computers and end up giving the old machines away because nobody wants them. Our landfill has seen more than they can handle. Just recently, the recycling centers are taking used computers. Otherwise, nobody wants them. You can come here and help get rid of the surplus. Thank you for asking.
 
Originally posted by: pkme2
Kahului, Maui! All the charities can't house all the computers, given to them, since Walmart's selling new E-Machines with 17" LCDs for $717.
Our community college has upgraded their computers and end up giving the old machines away because nobody wants them. Our landfill has seen more than they can handle. Just recently, the recycling centers are taking used computers. Otherwise, nobody wants them. You can come here and help get rid of the surplus. Thank you for asking.
Click to expand...

OK, so here is what's out there from a simple google search for you area alone:

http://www.catii.com/comp4kids.html
http://www.auw.org/community/stories/computers.asp
http://e-academy.k12.hi.us/recycle
http://www.youthfortechnology.org/frames.html
http://www.recycles.org/states/Hawaii/
http://starbulletin.com/2002/09/29/news/kokualine.html

...and that's just to start with from the first page of hits. Hawaii is considered quite afluent in terms of US states. you'll find many states have a much more organized re-use program. Africa is in desperate need of your used PCs because of restrictions placed on PC exports. Thanks for caring.


 
Originally posted by: Oyeve
Keep them piled all over your house and pissoff your wife. Thats what I do.
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haha same here! they just dont apreciate the relics of our past for some reason... *scratches head*
 
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