is there any marked for older pc running linux

[cmay]

hi.
i been trying for some time to sell a couple of older pc i fixed and installed linux in them. over two month no one has even called me on the adds. just today i sold my little asus eeepc as its too small for me and i need an ordinary laptop thinghy instead. from the day the add was in the paper as early as nine in the morning people been calling me on that. i sold it the next day . it makes me wonder if there is any marked for other things than laptops and notebooks anymore.

i have a dream of fixing older computers and make them look nice wiht new cases and in generel make them run as good as possible and sell them wiht ubuntu and debian preinstalled. anyone believe that idea can become realistic and is there anyhone here that does this.
thanks for the input.

[Bölvaður]

I know there are people fixing old computers, setting them up with a distro that fits the computer's capabilities and then give it away to the poor... or just anyone that wants it really.

[cmay]

I know there are people fixing old computers, setting them up with a distro that fits the computer's capabilities and then give it away to the poor... or just anyone that wants it really.

i would not mind doing that if i had the money to do so. i am not one of those that has the most money to spend and when i do give away something i am proud that i could do it.

i was thinking that if i could make cheap computers running linux to help the enviroment not getting all those perfectly good but still older computers trashed then i would fix as many of them i could and sell them with out any real profit. thats the idea i have.

also it would make more people know about linux and i must confess i am a linux user for many reasons but having the old hardware running as long as possible is one thing i have very much dedication to.

i am just disappointed to find out that i am apparently one of the few that thinks like this. in denmark we trash more computers than we can dispose of as it is now. and its not so good for the enviroment. i think about these things when i start cooking up the idea about fixing older pc and make them run like a "new" product once again.
question for me is if it can be done. not if there is any profit but there can be no expense either as i do not have money to fix things and give it away in generel no matter how much i would like to.

[boof1988]

There are many Free Geek (http://www.freegeek.org/) organizations in the US. They disassemble computers for proper recycling and also to provide parts to build functional computers. The volunteers that help work on the computers will get a computer of there own after a certain amount of time volunteered.

Are there any organizations like this in your area? Maybe you can help start a recycling/re-building group yourself;)

[cmay]

There are many Free Geek (http://www.freegeek.org/) organizations in the US. They disassemble computers for proper recycling and also to provide parts to build functional computers. The volunteers that help work on the computers will get a computer of there own after a certain amount of time volunteered.

Are there any organizations like this in your area? Maybe you can help start a recycling/re-building group yourself;)

no there is not. i would like to start up one if anyone in my area would like to be a part of it. i can not do it by myself. i have been looking for a danish unix linux group and found a copuple of dead links. maybe thats an option.

otherwise i have to try and just see if people will buy the computers i make one at the time. which i found that they dont.... i try to sell them at the same amount as it took for me to fix them wich is for the two i have made ready is a new case and for one of them an ramblock. but they both run good and look brand new. i just found two old pc that was going to be trashed and i saved them. this is why i have two pc for betatesting and i have 3 pc for my own use. i can find perfectly good hardware in the recycling center at no price at all.

i would think it was a great idea if may people would start working with things like this and that way spread linux and help as many people as possible so maybe a linux bringing old hardware back to life and distribute as give away project group could be an idea for a linux usergroup.

[nitehawk777]

Take a look at the "Helios Project" listed in the Linux Mint forums:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=22662

Too bad there's nothing like that near you there in Denmark....

[cmay]

i am going to try to ask in the danish ubuntu forums if anyone maybe lives near my area or know anyone that could find time to start up something with fixing old computers and find a way to give them away. still like to read links if anyone got them however. thanks for the inspirations.

[zmjjmz]

It really depends on how much you're selling it for. Many people in my neighborhood normally couldn't afford a computer and would probably be glad to pick up a PIII for 80$.

[cmay]

UPDATE:
i asked in the Danish ubuntu forums and actually got a link to a project that collects some older computers and give them to kids in africa.
i have one already i can donate right now. if i can fix more with out ruin myself i can donate them also.

thanks for the time to those who read this and replied.

[boof1988]

UPDATE:
i asked in the Danish ubuntu forums and actually got a link to a project that collects some older computers and give them to kids in africa.
i have one already i can donate right now. if i can fix more with out ruin myself i can donate them also.

thanks for the time to those who read this and replied.

Good luck... And I'd like to hear how it goes for you.

[aeiah]

you're probably out of luck. i considered it a while ago but realised there isnt much market for it. the problem is that if someone is wanting a 2nd (or 3rd) pc, they probably want something that doesn't take up much room. most people seem to think that desktop computers take up a lot of space.

if someone hasnt got a pc but are in the market for one they're probably gonna be put off by linux, or again, the percieved space requirements of a desktop. laptops are a lot more popular nowadays.

if you do want to make a bit of money on the side and be involved in linux your best bets are:

- create media centres out of old pcs. put them in nice cases for the livingroom

- sell new netbooks with a modifyed crunchbang, kuki linux, easypeasy or ubuntu netbook remix etc with a slight profit margin for yourself

- sell hard drive images of customised linux distros for specific netbooks, guaranteeing that everything works out of the box and highlighting how good they are compared to linpus lite.

- sell old laptops with suitable lightweight distros on them, with new batteries and wireless cards

[cmay]

UPDATE:
i asked in the Danish ubuntu forums and actually got a link to a project that collects some older computers and give them to kids in africa.
i have one already i can donate right now. if i can fix more with out ruin myself i can donate them also.

thanks for the time to those who read this and replied.

no profit intened :)

[wildman4god]

The reason no one called you about the old desktops with Linux is because all they hear is the word old, they most people still don't know what Linux can really do, like how you can put puppy Linux on an older than dirt desktop/laptop and have it run like a new PC. They called about the eeepc because every one has heard about that, and yes it is very small so you can stick them anywhere.

Desktops don't really appeal to normal computer users, this is evident by the fact that laptops are outselling desktops even though they are more expensive and were in a major recession, its also the cause behind the net book craze, geeks are more likely to buy desktops as we can see the advantage that they have more power for less cost and we are willing to live with the fact that they aren't that portable (most of us have a laptop/net book for portability).

[cmay]

i kinda figured this .
i will however hope that as many people find a way to donate their old destop instead of just trashing it.

as i mention i found a project here in Denmark that collects old pc and ship them to africa wiht ubuntu preinstalled and i will absolutely try to get as involved in this as i can since its simply to hard to anything of anykind alone.