Minor Score

[Erik]

I was helping clean up at my son's pre-school today and had a chance to go around back to toss some trash. When I got back there I saw piles and piles of old computer junk.

Most of it was printers (HP LaserJet IIIs, mostly, with a few color laserjets and some misc stuff thrown in.) but there were a few gems.

First was a complete Apple IIe system with a pair of drives. I snagged that quickly.

I also grabbed a nice, clean mini model M keyboard (IBM PS/2 keyboard without the numeric keypad.)

I left some stuff behind including a pair of IBM Selectric II typewriters, the aforementioned printers and an unknown quantity of later PC stuff.

I may go back and dig some more later if I get a chance.

Cheers!

E

 

[carlsson]

Is this some kind of IT pre-school, or how could they otherwise collect that amount of computer junk? Even if they have piled for two, three years before going to the junkyard, it seems a lot. Maybe there was some other business in the house before the pre-school moved in, and they had to clean out the old stuff first? If this was outside, one would assume that weather and wind eventually will cause damage on the stuff, if it was not completely broken to start with.

 

[Terry Yager]

Hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth. If it's free, rescue whatever you can use or pass along to someone who can, and hope someone else can save the rest. Anything is better than the landfill.

--T

 

[Erik]

Is this some kind of IT pre-school, or how could they otherwise collect that amount of computer junk? Even if they have piled for two, three years before going to the junkyard, it seems a lot. Maybe there was some other business in the house before the pre-school moved in, and they had to clean out the old stuff first? If this was outside, one would assume that weather and wind eventually will cause damage on the stuff, if it was not completely broken to start with.

The pile is actually collected from the whole school district - it's just housed behind the pre-school.

Most of the stuff looked unmolested by the weather. We haven't had much rain here for the last few months. From the looks of things this was a warehouse cleaning effort in progress.

Erik

 

[elbowgeek]

Hi Erik,

Sounds like you found a treasure trove there. The IBM small keybards came with the PS/2 Model 25s I believe, which were aimed at the education market. Still great keyboards with that great IBM typing action. I myself use the full sized version of that keybard; this has to be the Rolls Royce of keyboards and will last forever. So if there's any left, grab 'em, especially if they're the full sized version.

The keyboard I'm using and my spare both came to me free: one I found on a pile of computer trash whilst walking to a movie with my friends (they thought I was insane LOL) and another came from a friend's estate who passed away.

Great stuff there.

Cheers

 

[ahm]

Y'know, LaserJet III's are almost impossible to kill. I'm guessing I'd still have my LJ ///p if I hadn't been given a pair of LJ 2100 printers. Not to worry, though. The ///p was given to a buddy whose kid needed a printer for school.