Where to donate old computer?

[MrMatt]

I have an old computer (600 mhz single core Athlon, 16mb Voodoo3 card, 20 gig HD) that I have absolutely no use for whatsoever. After thoroughly running evidence eraser over it to make sure none of my info can be swiped off it, where can I donate it??

 

[Nik]

Call your local school district and ask if they have a donation program. Who knows, maybe you can get a tax write off

 

[MrMatt]

Call your local school district and ask if they have a donation program. Who knows, maybe you can get a tax write off

I should use the original price from 1998 as the tax write off

 

[Crono]

It's funny sometimes to think about how fast consumer computer technology has progressed, because there are very few schools that would make use of a computer that old, at least here in the U.S.

 

[coldmeat]

Donate it to the dump.

 

[Nik]

I should use the original price from 1998 as the tax write off

Haha, that sounds like a plan

"$8,000 for this?!"
"Uh, yeah, look it's even got front side USB ports! :awe:"

 

[Nik]

It's funny sometimes to think about how fast consumer computer technology has progressed, because there are very few schools that would make use of a computer that old, at least here in the U.S.

You've obviously never set foot in a modern public school...

Besides, there are a TON of uses for a machine that fast/slow/whatever. Mail server, FTP server, blah blah. You never know until you ask. Small schools need the most in donations. Private schools need uber donations.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Goodwioll?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

In english that ^ would be, Goodwill.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Local churchs are usually in need of decent computers, and you'd be able to write off a third of the original price.

 

[sciencewhiz]

The place use to volunteer with would not take a single computer donation if it was more then 6 years old. It was too much work for a virtually useless computer. If you have 20 of them, it might be a different story.

 

[marvdmartian]

Same problem I have, only mine is because of a friend. He keeps wanting to buy old computers at school auctions, thinking they can be re-sold to someone who needs a computer. Literally, "old school", in every sense of the term.

The last batch he brought over (for me to look at, naturally), were clearly marked WINDOWS 98 on the front. Yeah.......I'm sure you'll have people lining up around the block for these!!

I told him to stop buying anything that doesn't have at least Windows XP marked on it. Not worth looking at, otherwise.

 

[Rastus]

Ebay the Voodoo3. There's still plenty of collectors out there for some of the older stuff.

 

[Bignate603]

The place use to volunteer with would not take a single computer donation if it was more then 6 years old. It was too much work for a virtually useless computer. If you have 20 of them, it might be a different story.

This. The amount of time it would take to pay somebody to get that computer set up to the point where it would be useful to them is more than it would cost them to buy a $300-$400 dell that works out of the box and the new one would be significantly faster. See if there is a local electronics recycler that will take it.

 

[mjrpes3]

I have an old computer (600 mhz single core Athlon, 16mb Voodoo3 card, 20 gig HD) that I have absolutely no use for whatsoever. After thoroughly running evidence eraser over it to make sure none of my info can be swiped off it, where can I donate it??

Why would you want to get rid of it? With a Voodoo3 it can run Quake 2 silky smooth at 800x600.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Call your local school district and ask if they have a donation program. Who knows, maybe you can get a tax write off

I'd be really surprised if a school took that dinosaur.

Donate it to the dump.

This is the only place that is likely to take it.

Computers that old aren't really worth anything, unless a hardcore geek wants hoard old parts for a collection or some crap.

 

[dfuze]

Try contacting your local senior center.

Of course, you may need to show them how to use it too

 

[Rubycon]

It's funny sometimes to think about how fast consumer computer technology has progressed, because there are very few schools that would make use of a computer that old, at least here in the U.S.

If the OP timewarped back to 1984 he could own Steve Jobs' Macintosh with it.

 

[Wyndru]

It's funny sometimes to think about how fast consumer computer technology has progressed, because there are very few schools that would make use of a computer that old, at least here in the U.S.

Yeah, we even have a hard time getting rid of Dell GX-270's and 280's from our school, which run most stuff fine. Other schools only want 620's or newer.

 

[Crono]

If the OP timewarped back to 1984 he could own Steve Jobs' Macintosh with it.

I can (probably literally) own Steve Jobs with my Microsoft Kin One if I go back in time to 1984

(please don't tell Bill Gates, though... the humanitarian thing is just a ruse, he's really funneling money into developing time traveling email via quantum entanglement)

 

[Rubycon]

I can (probably literally) own Steve Jobs with my Microsoft Kin One if I go back in time to 1984

(please don't tell Bill Gates, though... the humanitarian thing is just a ruse, he's really funneling money into developing time traveling email via quantum entanglement)

I'll never forget seeing this ad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8

 

[Capt Caveman]

Outside for the parts, no one will want it.

 

[Paladin3]

The school district I worked for loathed donated computers. Most were too old to use and having a hodge-podge collection of computers with different drivers and specs required 3x the manpower to keep running. Donors often expected the computers to be used in their favorite teachers classroom, or had other strings attached to their donation. Eventually we quit accepting them unless they were newer systems.

A good use for an old computer is to donate it to a poor student who doesn't have one so they can type their homework. Maybe install Open Office on it. Throw in an old 128mb thumb drive and they will bless you every time they don't have to walk to the library.

 

[RKS]

CL for $20.