"Robert Heiling" wrote in message
...
Grinder wrote:

My local public library has a pile of antiquated PCs. There might be a
couple of 486s in the pile, but suspect most are 386s. Since no one has
the courage to just discard these crappers, we've managed to find a
charity that will take any PC, "as long as it works."

Are you so sure that's the right thing to be doing to a charity? Are the
people
at the charity knowledgeable about such things? If they expect to be able
to
sell them to generate funds for the charity, they will be quickly
disappointed.
If they expect to use them themselves, they will probably be similarly
disappointed. In the end, the charity will be the one paying the bill for
the
disposal of hazardous waste. FWIW



There still is a use for older machines...
over the past few years I must have taken in dozens of 486's and P1's with
win95 on them.

Though they can be made internet capable...
they are quite useful to someone who just needs a word processor...
or to be used with "simple" games.

Great for kids or people who are just beginning to use a computer...

Anyone who is "computer-phobic" seems to relax a bit if you give
them an old machine for learning on...and told that the machine has zero
value...
so "if you break it...no big deal."

In the time that I've been doing this...
few of the people have done any damage to their machines...
and most of them moved on, eventually to something better.


BTW: I just gave an spare floppy drive to a friend of mine...who's
mother still uses a 286 and word perfect!



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