Old Computers - Do NOT throw them Away!**

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Windows 8 can be setup to look just like XP, 7 etc. You can run a XP type desktop with XP type icons for your programs and access the internet the same way you do in XP. You don't have to use the 'tile' screen that I believe you're referring to. And in the right computer it's way faster. I'm running 8.1 in both of my laptops. My main computer is running XP with Firefox. Adequate but not nearly as fast as either laptop.

I'm also running w8 on a laptop. I upgraded from w7 because the course I took used w8. I have it set so it looks and operates like w7 but there are other capabilities I like about w8, like the search from the main page capability. I'm using an Asus/Amd 1.4ghz k53t series laptop with a 1gb radeon graphics card. It was kickass when I first got it and still serves the purpose.

I hope that donations are still coming in but a little far for me to send anything.

Richard

 

[wildbill23c]

OOPS sorry old thread. Delete if not wanted.

Well great another one of my ideas thrown out the window. Was just thinking of doing something like this as well here locally...I'd have to source the computers from other places though because where I live people seem to think their junk is worth a lot of money and they haven't touched it in decades, let alone remember they even have it.

I've picked up a few laptops on ebay pretty cheap for my Lenovo Thinkpad collection, working backwards to the IBM Thinkpads...newest is a T430 though, everything else newer is still pretty expensive. I picked up a Lenovo Thinkcentre Edge 73. This model only has a dual core processor, but it runs windows 10 just fine. Didn't have a hard drive when I got it, but I got a 500GB hard drive for $15 and threw in it. So far I'm into the system $50, including the hard drive, the computer, and Windows 10/Office 2013. I'm not sure which version of Office schools are currently using, I need to find out that part yet. I plan on giving this one to a kid here in town that needs a computer and cannot afford one.

The only thing now is how do I go about getting this computer to a family, rather a child in need? 2nd issue, if they don't have a computer in the house they possibly don't even have internet? So now, what good is the computer today without internet...kids need internet anymore to get their class materials, research for school papers, etc. Then the other issue I've been throwing out is ok, they have a computer that'll do everything they need, but should this donation/giveaway include a printer?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^ maybe go to a school and ask if they know of a donation type program they can recommend. As far as the rest...one step at a time.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

FWILIW when I was in school 15 years ago I did as much printing as possible at school to reduce the potential of damage between home and school.

Now they assign laptops to the students...

 

[97RangerXLT]

FWILIW when I was in school 15 years ago I did as much printing as possible at school to reduce the potential of damage between home and school.

Now they assign laptops to the students...

Laptops?!

I see your laptop and raise you to an iPad for every student. Yes, my 1st grader has to have an iPad for school. started with Kindergarten. I am still not overly sure this was a great idea, but for now we can keep it at school in a locked cabinet, but when he gets to 3rd grade, he has to take it home every night. my guess is one of these third graders (if not several) will lose their iPad within the first week of school..

ain't technology great.

And Kudos to you, sir WildBill for acting on the laptop. I would contact the school directly, they would probably have someone that can give you the answers you need.

Regards,

AJ

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Laptops?!

I see your laptop and raise you to an iPad for every student. Yes, my 1st grader has to have an iPad for school. started with Kindergarten. I am still not overly sure this was a great idea, but for now we can keep it at school in a locked cabinet, but when he gets to 3rd grade, he has to take it home every night. my guess is one of these third graders (if not several) will lose their iPad within the first week of school..

ain't technology great.

My cousin had one, he graduated in '14 so I don't really know what they are doing now.

When I was in school we had desktops, in middle school you wanted to get to the media center early so you didn't get stuck with an Apple IIE. The maybe half a dozen with windows 3.1 and three with the new fangled Windows 95/98 were highly sought after. By high school Windows '98 had taken over.

I would much rather type a report on a laptop than a IPad...

 

[Will]

I have kids scattered across our district grades 2-11 and they all have Chromebooks provided by their school. I don't see an Ipad being worth much for typing. The Chromebook-type education is pretty kickass compared to what we were doing 30-40 years ago in school. If you got home and didn't know how to do your math, you were screwed. Now you can look it up, ask another student, ask your teacher. Most young teachers are pretty cool about being connected with students in the evening through the schools network system.

Hell, my daughter takes tests on her trumpet at home, playing it to the chromebook and the band teacher knows what to work on with her the next day.

My 14 -y/o son can do his schoolwork on his chromebook, facetime his girlfriend on his phone and watch simpsons videos on his desktop, all at the same time.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yep, the technology is great, and the computers in schools and being used in class is great as well.

With windows 10, I'm finding it will run on some of the older machines once destined for the junk pile. I haven't tried windows 10 on anything older than an Intel core 2 duo yet however. I just picked up a Dell Latitude D630 with the core 2 duo 2.2GHz with windows 10 and 2GB RAM. It runs slightly slow with the 2GB RAM, still quite usable though...I did order a 4GB RAM kit though to help a bit. It only has an 80GB HDD in it so I may upgrade that to a 120GB SSD here soon as well and see how it does. Christmas is close, I may be able to find a kid here in town in need of a computer. Only problem is this D630 isn't like the ones we had at our National Guard Armory those were just plain plastic cases. This one has a brushed metal case on it, kind of like the looks of it...I may keep it and possibly give one of my Thinkpad T-series laptops away instead LOL.

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

the older the computer, the higher the gold content. recycle.