Grex Computer Rehabilitation Program

Sep 28 05:43 UTC 1994

Grex has been trying to establish a program of saving from the dustbin
old but usable computers. The board has established a revolving
fund, seeded with $250, to be replenished with donations in support
of the program. We have bought three computers from UM Property
Disposal, so far, and one has been donated to us. We have given one
away to an Attention Deficit support group. 

The future of this public service by grex depends as much upon finding
recipients as it does upon obtaining machines. At the moment, we want
to donate machines to other non-profit, public service organizations,
in support of their programs. We have also asked that any donated
machines that are no longer needed (or that break down) be returned
to grex (this is the only way we've thought of to prevent organizations
raising funds by accepting our donated machines and reselling them).

But there are probably other audiences for this program. I wouldn't
mind at all accepting *donated* computers, to donate in turn to
other organizations, with no strings attached - with grex just acting
as a central distribution point. Or, if people donated money, we could
buy obsolete computers and give them away too, with it understood
that the donations would, in effect, be passed on (as hardware) to
other non-profits. 

Or to, as an option, individuals that could make worthwhile use of
simple computers? 

What ideas do you have for expanding the program? And, would you
like to volunteer to participate?

There follows an announcement just posted to agora, to start the
discussion.

response 2 of 27:

Oct 10 12:35 UTC 1994

My gut feel is that the suply of old XT's exceeds demand.

response 4 of 27:

Oct 11 01:10 UTC 1994

   Except that shipping costs are too much.

   About XT's, we should not overlook 286 accelerator cards for
them.  Just where we get them cheaply I'm not sure, but with one
of them in place, the XT would have the computational abilities
of a AT.

response 6 of 27:

Oct 12 14:29 UTC 1994

Heck, even Apple 2e's (and their kith and kin) are valuable, useful
machines and perform lots of work for lots of people.
 
What we need is to find recipients for the the hardware and whatever
software we can put together.
 
And, around here (Grex) there just don't seem to be hardware-less and
software-less perns! (you knew that I knew that, didn't you).
  
I don't have a good idea where to start looking, frankly, but there
might be a worth organization that needs to +expand+ their computer
useage with another machine, like what we offer.
  
On advantage to that situation is that they are already somwhat computer
literate and wouldn't expect a multi-media machine. 

response 8 of 27:

Oct 13 17:05 UTC 1994

Sure, ask, but I'm not sure we can freeze-dry the hardware.

response 10 of 27:

Oct 31 16:09 UTC 1994

canis has donated a Star NX-10, parallel, to the rehab commitee, tnx.
  

response 12 of 27:

Nov 1 14:35 UTC 1994

What we have done so far is act on more direct requests, so we have
a little personal association with the ultimate user. NOW could be
an enormous, impersonal, sink for machines, whose use we would never
have any association with. (That is not to say that I have any
objection to anyone donating computers to NOW, or any other agency:
just that we can also have our own (much smaller) charitable activity
in this regard.)

response 14 of 27:

Nov 7 15:38 UTC 1994

sorry.. I'm still looking for a cast-off SunSparc II!

response 16 of 27:

Dec 6 07:38 UTC 1995

Thanks, nephi!

Update. We have given away only one more machine since a year ago. We have
had twin problems of coordinating between the supply of machines and
connecting with the requests (there being several pending). At the moment
we have five (5) systems in various stages of completeness (mostly missing
printers), but another problem has stalled the "delivery". 

When we started this program tsty was our hardware person, but his
circumstances changed and he ended up warehousing some machines without
time to work with them, until ajax volunteered to do the latter. Ajax
checked out all the machines and prepared a list of available systems, at
which point he *moved* and had to find a storage place. I volunteered, but
I have neither the space to set up the machines for testing, much less the
time or expertise to deal with PC hardware (I'm a Mac user now - my last
PC machine, still functioning, is a Zenith 151 (XT class), and I have
forgotten most of my DOS 8^{). 

So, we need a volunteer familiar with (old) mostly PC hardware, and with
space, to keep the inventory of machines, check them out as needed and
seek parts (e.g., printers to complete systems) while I get back on the
stick making arrangements with "clients" to receive the systems. 

I will get the current inventory of checked-out hardware into a file soon
and announce the filename when I do. 

Bottom Line: VOLUNTEER needed to maintain inventory of computer systems
between when we receive them by donation and donate them to needy
recipients. 

response 18 of 27:

Dec 7 06:03 UTC 1995

  Actually, I gave those five systems to Rane not just because of moving,
but because they're all repaired and working.  I have even more non-working
systems right now (in fact a monitor fell on my head the other day as I was
rummaging through my closet; the monitor came out fine).  The working ones
have hard drives that boot to DOS, monitors, keyboards, etc., but there's
only one printer and one modem between them.  I wonder if there are
potential recipients who could use a computer without a printer.
 
  I sent jazz e-mail about his or her offer.

response 20 of 27:

Dec 7 12:50 UTC 1995

        That'd be a "his offer". :)

response 22 of 27:

Dec 7 18:21 UTC 1995

  Neither the monitor nor my head broke, but my head is a bit
more cautious.  Skulls and brain fluid are great ideas.  It was
kind of impressive, the monitor fell about a foot to balance on
my head, leaning against the rest of the stack of equipment.

response 24 of 27:

Dec 7 18:44 UTC 1995

Can we call you "Skull" from now on? Please.