By Lori Ehde
As updates in software and technology rapidly outpace the shelf life of most computer hardware, computer owners find themselves with "perfectly good machines" they’d rather not use.
Because they’re still technically operable, it’s hard to justify throwing them out.
The result: computer graveyards have established themselves in basements and storage areas of homes and businesses around the world.
Luverne School District Technology Coordinator Wade Hiller said he tries to sell as many school computers as he can on the district’s rummage sale.
Last year, the school district upgraded nearly 70 Macintosh PowerMac 7200s to i-Macs, and Hiller hopes to get $50 to $75 apiece for the old machines.
That might be wishful thinking, given other rummage sales have taken in only $100 or $150 total.
"We don’t make much, but our purpose is to give everyone an opportunity, and so we don’t have to pay for the disposal," said District Financial Officer Marlene Mann.
"Yeah, it’s a low-end computer, but it gives them an opportunity and it allows the school to get rid of them."
The district pays garbage fees by weight, and discarding a large volume of sizable computer monitors would be costly.
Buyer beware
The seven-year-old machines are sold "as-is" with no technical support agreements.
"They’re all in pretty good shape, but some computers don’t have working CD ROMs or floppy drives," Hiller said. "We try to pick them apart and salvage some things before we sell them."
Hiller said the machines are all in good operating shape, but buyers need to understand they’re not getting speedy Internet surfers.
"They’re painfully slow," Hiller said. "That’s why we’re getting rid of them. They no longer have educational value."
He said they, like most used computers, are suitable for composing letters or organizing finances.
He advised most people considering their first home computer purchase to "get the latest and greatest with technical support."
If individuals and small businesses think their computer stockpiles are getting out of hand, Hiller is happy to show off the district’s massive "bone yard," as he calls it.
That’s where he and his student interns prepare used computers for sale, or strip down broken computers for parts.
They clean them up, "wipe the hard drive" and reinstall the original operating system software.
Wiping the drive
Wiping the drive, as he calls it, is something everyone should do before selling or donating used computers.
He said simply deleting files doesn’t permanently clear them from the computer’s memory.
Information, or at least remnants of it, will remain in the computer’s data storage sectors until new information is rewritten over the top — or until the drive is manually erased.
While Symantics, Disk Warrior and Norton Disk Wipe are reputable software options, Hiller said most computers come already equipped with disk wiping capabilities.
He also advised those with older machines to buy older wiping software to make sure it will be compatible.
He recommended home computer operators seek help when wiping their drives. "Most people aren’t going to know how to do it," he said. "Most people will need assistance to get their computers free of information."
That help could come from students who show interest in computer technology, and Hiller said he’d be happy to refer people to some kids who can help.
The reason it’s so important to wipe a drive is that personal computers often contain personal information, such as credit card or bank account numbers.
Donating computers
Another option for used computers is to donate them to charities.
While there are no established local organizations that receive computer donations, the Web site christina.org links interested donors with charitable organizations interested in receiving them.
Among those links are:
The Lazarus Foundation, which refurbishes used computers and gives them to the needy. Since 1993, its mission expanded to include teaching the recipients how to set up and use these computers. It can be found at www.lazarus.org.
Jamaica Organization for Youth (J.O.Y.), which provides needy children in Jamaica with technology in schools and community centers. It can be found at www.funspot.net/joy.
Heartsandminds.org offers a listing of several reputable organizations that accept computer donations.
If all else fails, used computers collecting dust in graveyards eventually find their way to legitimate junkyards.
It’s not that throwing them away is an expensive option for Luverne residents.
According to City of Luverne Public Works Director Darrell Huiskes, residents can dispose of their computers with their regular household garbage for no special fee.
Star Herald photo illustration by Sue Bruynes
