Linux Machines...

[W3WN]

Just out of idle curiousity...

Do you think there'd be a market, so to speak, for slightly older machines pre-configured with a flavor of Linux (most likely Ubuntu)?

The company just bought 20 Dell Optiplexes to upgrade our Intern computers from the older HP/Compaq machines they'd been using. (Amongst other things, this lets us finally get out of the XP side of things, and lets us run almost all machines on Vista. Except our roving laptops on Win 7, and the IT Department machines on [ugh] Win 8 ).

I may have an opportunity to acquire some or all of the machines for next to nothing... basically, haul 'em away. (Operative word there is "MAY", it's not definite yet).

If I do so... I have two basic choices...

Break them down for parts and scrap what's left
Convert them to Linux and try and sell them

I don't mind doing the work to upgrade them, but I don't want to bother if the machines left will just collect dust until I break them down anyway.

Thoughts?

[KJ3N]

Specs on the machines?

[KC2UGV]

You can generally offload them with a pre-loaded Linux OS for about $40 on Craigslist. Best successes I've found. Hard to charge more when you can get a brand new machine for under $400 now.

If you end up doing it, learn how to image them, instead of trying to install the OS on each one. 30 minutes of learning Clonezilla will save you about 20 hours or more, depending on how many machines.

[WØTKX]

Donate them to worthy causes. Tax write off or no, donate them.

[W3WN]

Donate them to worthy causes. Tax write off or no, donate them.We've done that in the past with surplus machines. But we're only talking about a relative handful (about 20), so it may not be worth it. (Company's decision on that, not mine)

[W3WN]

You can generally offload them with a pre-loaded Linux OS for about $40 on Craigslist. Best successes I've found. Hard to charge more when you can get a brand new machine for under $400 now.

If you end up doing it, learn how to image them, instead of trying to install the OS on each one. 30 minutes of learning Clonezilla will save you about 20 hours or more, depending on how many machines.I was thinking more along the lines of $25 to 30 each. In the past, I've used Ghost, although Symantec/Norton has made that once nice little utililty into a real piece of bloatware. (Obviously I'd boot the machines off of floppy to do that cloning!)

[W3WN]

Specs on the machines?HP/Compaq D220MT

I'd have to fire one up to get you the processor speed, memory, and hard drive.

Suffice to say that these won't be the fastest machines on the 'net, these days... but for most routine things done in the shack, or as a "learning" machine, they'll be more than sufficient.

[K7SGJ]

For what it's worth, I had some IBM T30 laptops I was going to sell. My daughter is a teacher in Austin, and with all the cutbacks, computers are few and far between. She asked if I had anything I could send her, so I set up 5 of them and sent them to her to use. I loaded XP using the MS XP codes on the sticker on the bottom of each unit. Since they came preloaded with the OS, there are no legality issues. I then ran the MS validation program to insure there were no issues. I put Firefox as well as IE on them, as well as a few freeware apps including open office. She loads the software the school has and other apps available for free for teachers. It's a win win for everyone. You may want to consider fixing them up and giving them to you daughters school. I know they can use them and will be grateful for any donations they get.

[KC2UGV]

I was thinking more along the lines of $25 to 30 each. In the past, I've used Ghost, although Symantec/Norton has made that once nice little utililty into a real piece of bloatware. (Obviously I'd boot the machines off of floppy to do that cloning!)

I suppose it's dependent on the market, but at $25 -$30, they'd move pretty quickly. I would put a couple up first for $40, to see if there's any biters. Generally, that's where I see the older machines at here locally.

[KK4AMI]

At our Computer-4-Kids Shop, we turn our noses up at anything with less than a 2.8 GHz P4 processor. However, that is because we refurb them with a new licensed copy of Windows 7, 4gig of memory and a DVD Burner. Anything less, we donate to Virginia Organizing who gives them to the poor old folks, or to various Parolee halfway houses. The Celeron, PIII and AMD scrap iron goes to the recyclers. Below standard Laptops we find will sell better on Ebay and Craigs list if they have some OS on them. Since we wipe all drives before taking in a computer, we usually add Linux Ubuntu 12.10.

[W3WN]

For what it's worth, I had some IBM T30 laptops I was going to sell. My daughter is a teacher in Austin, and with all the cutbacks, computers are few and far between. She asked if I had anything I could send her, so I set up 5 of them and sent them to her to use. I loaded XP using the MS XP codes on the sticker on the bottom of each unit. Since they came preloaded with the OS, there are no legality issues. I then ran the MS validation program to insure there were no issues. I put Firefox as well as IE on them, as well as a few freeware apps including open office. She loads the software the school has and other apps available for free for teachers. It's a win win for everyone. You may want to consider fixing them up and giving them to you daughters school. I know they can use them and will be grateful for any donations they get.If memory serves, I ended up getting some bits & pieces from some of those from you, a couple of years back. Those are good machines, too, even if the hardware & the OS's they can support have seen better days.
...
I should mention that ALL of the PC's under consideration come with XP Pro license keys, that have never been activated (we have a site license, so the individual keys were never touched). What I don't have are all of the original Compaq disks... my predecessor managed to, ah, misplace most of the sets. Well, it is a storage problem... I have a box full of CD's that came with our 120+ Dell's, a few years ago, sitting in our store room. In any case, what I will very likely do is make copies of a set, along with a copy of the source code I put on the machine, and attach them to each box. So if someone really wants XP badly enough, it's all theirs.

I'm planning to do the same thing with the house Compaq machines. When we do our next hardware reset, now scheduled for 1Q 2014 (and it must be done by then), I'll be able to get my hands on some Optiplex 760 machines. And even though we're running Vista on them, they will run Win 7. I (ahem) conveniently managed to get a couple of Dell OEM DVD's for Win 7... in any case, these 4 remaining Compaqs will go out the door configured the same way -- Linux of one flavor or another pre-loaded, with a copy of all the OEM CD's. From that point on, it's someone else's problem. I've also got a few Compaq laptops here in the shack... same fate awaits them.

We shall see what happens, shan't we?

[W3WN]

I suppose it's dependent on the market, but at $25 -$30, they'd move pretty quickly. I would put a couple up first for $40, to see if there's any biters. Generally, that's where I see the older machines at here locally.It's hard to judge.

Thing is, if and when I do this, I don't want to just give the units away... but I also don't want to take them home with me. So I'd rather price them a TOUCH below what they're worth, and still have room to get SOMETHING for them.

[n6hcm]

omg. whatever you do get yourself an email address and phone number (google voice) for just this purpose if you're going to sell these to the public. you may SAY you're not going to support these systems, but that won't stop people from calling, emailing, ... looking for free computer support.

[W3WN]

Oh, not to worry. I've been rebuilding & selling computers for years. Even had a small IT consulting business on the side, although it's been pretty much dormant since I started working here.

And, you know all the jokes you hear about the doctor who's approached by someone (not a patient) at a party? Well, they happen to IT consultants as well. Total strangers call, people who claim to be a friend of a friend of someone who remembers me from a job I worked at 5 years ago... and then get mad at me if I don't have the instant answers, or don't drop everything to run over to their house/workplace (which, of course, I already know where it is, so they don't have to tell me), or worse... expect to be paid for my time.

I can handle the calls.