After spending hours poring over the reviews and advertisements in Computer Buyer, comparing prices and looking for the best deals, you're eventually the proud owner of a brand new PC.
But what do you do with your old one? It's old and slightly worn, and not very fast when compared with today's PCs, but wishful thinking tells you it must be worth something and that somebody will buy it. Well maybe they will, but if the potential buyer isn't within travelling distance the carriage charges will be more than you'll get for the PC, especially if it includes a bulky CRT monitor.
Disposing of old computers is no easy matter, which is why two million Pentium PCs are dumped into landfill sites every year. There are, however, better things to do with an old computer than simply taking it to the local tip. Getting rid of an item by dumping it is seen by environmentally aware organisations as an admission of failure. Their mantra is the three R's: reduce consumption; reuse or recycle. Unfortunately, reducing consumption isn't an option when you've already got a spare computer on your hands, leaving just a couple of alternatives open to you.
Reuse your old PC
Presumably you've replaced your PC because it isn't fast enough or doesn't store enough for your needs, or maybe you need a bigger monitor and a faster graphics card for games. This doesn't mean somebody else in the family can't use it, though. If you've got kids, giving them their own computer could stop them wanting to use yours all the time. While an older PC may not be up to running the latest games and software, any computer can be used for word processing, homework assignments, browsing the internet or viewing reference works and encyclopaedias.
If your old PC is in good working order, but is too slow to run Windows XP, why not install Linux? Linux is a free operating system and there's plenty of free software to go with it. Best of all, it's not very demanding in terms of hardware and you'll be amazed how old computers seem to fly when running it. Of course, installing and using Linux involves learning new skills, but if you're game for a challenge it's worth seriously considering.
Another way of reusing an older PC is to connect it to the new one in a simple peer-to-peer network. Networking hardware is cheap and easy to set up, and if you choose the wireless option, the two computers don't even have to be in the same room. The hard disk in the old PC can be used as additional storage for the new one or for storing backups, and both PCs can use the internet through the same broadband connection. If you've ever found yourself in a queue to use the family computer, having two PCs and two routes onto the internet might be just what you need.
As an alternative to a peer-to-peer network, where all the participating computers have to run Windows and obey the commands of their users, you could set up a server-based network where the old PC performs all the donkey work. This leaves the other PC free for more productive or entertaining purposes. A server-based network makes particular sense if you have three or more PCs linked together.
Pass on your PC
If you can't reuse a PC yourself, why not pass it on to somebody who can? By all means have a bash at selling it if you think that somebody will be interested. If not, donate it to a local group, club or organisation that can use it for membership lists, accounts, newsletters and other undemanding tasks.
If you can't find a local user for your PC, then donate it to one of the many not-for-profit organisations engaged in refurbishing old computers and selling them to help local and overseas charities. Some even send equipment directly to Third World countries where users won't turn up their noses at a PC just because it can't run Windows XP. Reputable organisations in the field promise to securely blank hard disks in line with the regulations in the Data Protection Act, and to rebuild and test PCs before sending them out.
Most charities have no use for really old or underpowered machines - they're looking for at least a 500MHz processor and 10GB hard disk. Most of them will also accept monitors without an accompanying system unit. You'll have to deliver the PC to the charity yourself, or pay somebody to do it for you. To make it easier to donate equipment, some of the larger charities have arrangements with door-to-door courier services able to collect bulky and heavy items. Computer Aid International, for example, will send a courier to pick up boxed equipment for just £9. Call them on 0207 281 0091 or visit their website at www.computer-aid.org.
Salvaging and recycling
You paid good money for your PC and it may be that you don't want to give it away for nothing, but if you have no use for it and nobody wants to buy it as a complete system, then you should consider dismantling it yourself and selling it as spares.
Monitors can be sold locally for £10 to £25 through classified ads in the free local press, and many of the lighter items from inside the system unit will fit into a padded envelope and can be sold on eBay. Items that find ready buyers are processors, hard disks, memory modules and optical drives. Graphics cards with built-in TV tuners sell easily, but otherwise can be hard to shift.
If you're really ambitious, you can extract the power supply and sell that, but the case itself will be too expensive to send and is unlikely to fetch more than a few quid anyway. Motherboards complete with a processor and memory are easier to sell than without.
If the hard disk in your old PC is of a reasonable capacity (say 20GB or more), it's worth putting it into an external USB2 enclosure and turning it into a backup drive. Enclosures cost £20 or less, and come complete with all the necessary cables, connectors and a power supply. The only tool you need is a small screwdriver, and if your new PC is running Windows XP the USB drive will work without any drivers or configuration. Just plug it into a spare USB port. See our hard disk group test in issue 180 for more details on these.
When it comes to disposing of what's left of your PC, not every recycling company will be willing to help as some only handle bulk consignments from business customers. Visit www.wasteonline.org.uk for a list of local recyclers who deal with private customers, or take your PC to a local council recycling site. Many of these have dedicated skips for electrical and IT equipment, and with any luck, your old PC will be at least partially recycled rather than dumped straight into landfill.
This is due to change when the EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (WEEE) kicks in. It was supposed to come into force in August 2005, but was delayed due to problems of implementation. When it does, new electrical equipment will be tagged with a crossed-out wheelie bin symbol, signifying that it can be handed in for recycling at the same time as purchasing new equipment. The manufacturer will be responsible for the cost of recycling it.
Recycle your PC