What is Computers for Charity?

What is Computers for Charity

Upgrade and Dispose or Reduce and Reuse?

Microsoft has come out with another new OS, Windows 7. Since Vista turned out to be about as popular as Windows ME was, the software giant has followed the same path with Windows 7 as it did going from ME to XP. Windows 7 isn't really much more than a fixed version of Vista with some of the annoyances missing and new ones included.

One thing is for certain, the XP operating system that most people prefer is dead in the water and you can't even upgrade from XP to 7. I was a fan of XP from the beginning but then I had more disposable income to upgrade my system to meet XPs requirements. In today's economy though I am not in the same position I was then.

Also since then my values have changed. I was oblivious in the past to the environmental impact that all these hardware upgrades were causing worldwide in the form of e-waste. The carcasses and entrails of our old equipment polluted our landfills first, and then as local regulations tightened, were shipped to third world countries and dumped on the poorest of the poor.

Microsoft illustrates that neither it nor the big computer manufactures have changed their attitudes much in regards to their core business principals. Sure there are new initiatives announced every day by them but their hearts are still only on the bottom line. Keeping us enslaved to the Upgrade and Dispose mentality that lines their pockets is truly the only green initiative that they believe in.

Form what they are saying the minimum system requirements to run Windows 7 will be more modest that Vista. That is great news for computer refurbishers who have to work with the older hardware from peoples previous Windows upgrades right? Lets look at the facts. At minimum you will need:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 1 GB RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)

• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

The requirements recommended by Microsoft are insufficient; these are minimums, which means your experience will be minimal. If you load Windows 7 on a PC that does not have enough processing power, operating memory, hard drive space and the right combination of video and sound cards Windows 7 will work, but at a much lower capability than its optimum performance.

These are fairly high end requirements for those of us who shelled out the money for a new PC less than 5 years ago. I just got my desktop upgraded to 512 MB of RAM to run XP comfortably.

Then there is the cost of the OS, Were talking $200.00 for the Starter Edition. Add to that the cost of licensing Microsoft Office. Also add an anti virus program license annually, to protect your Windows system form the inevitable malware that it will be infected with if you don't. Theses are all considerable costs in addition to whatever hardware you have to invest in to do things the 'Microsoft Way'.

I'm writing this post from my laptop which used to have Windows Vista on it. Even with a Pentium Dual-Core processor and 1 Gb of RAM it was running like a limp turtle when running more than three applications and Vista. Now its running Mac Pup (a lightweight Linux distro). I'm currently only using 200 MB of memory and I have applications running in two other desktops. The entire OS is running in RAM so it is FAST.

Even the requirements for running a typical full fledged version of Linux are not prohibitive:

• Processor: Intel—Pentium 1-4 or Xeon; AMD—Duron, Athlon, Athlon XP, Athlon MP, Athlon 64, Sempron or Opteron

• Memory: 256 MB

• Hard disk: 500 MB for minimal system; 3 GB recommended for standard system

• Sound and graphics cards: Supports most modern sound and graphics cards

At Computers for Charity we advocate the use of Open Source software as an alternative to the commercial bloatware that will be discontinued in a few years and force you to upgrade your whole system. We may not be able to provide you with a system capable of running the latest Microsoft OS, but why would we want to?

For more information Please go to: http://computersforcharity.webs.com

100 Incredible Philanthropy Blogs

Made number 69 on this list. Check it out!

100 Incredible Philanthropy Blogs

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Just Owning Green Techology Dosen't Make You Green

In today's world many of the gadgets we use advertise that they are environmentally friendly. In some cases this is a clever advertising ploy meant to sway those of us who are environmentally conscious to purchase their product. Since there is no single international standard for eco-lables, these are considered vague and meaningless distinctions by the International Organization for Standardization. In other cases it is because of features built into the product such as power saving features in Energy Star compliant lighting, office equipment and appliances.

All of these are great Ideas but the burden is still on the consumer to use these products appropriately to maximize the benefit on the environment. Just owning green technology doesn't make you green. You still have to use good judgment in the way you consume resources. For instance the advent of the computerized office was supposed to eliminate paper waste. You remember the slogan the 'paperless office'. Well that was coined in the 1975 in Business Week Magazine. You'd think by now we'd be there. To the contrary the introduction of computers into the office increased paper use, doubling it from 1980 to 2000. The ability to print multiple copies without typing a document which are in turn easy to email and be printed again by the recipient accounts for some of the increase. Couple that with the ever growing paper trail that offices now keep to cover themselves from the IRS and other regulatory agencies as well as the ability of individuals to print documents at home as well as pictures, web pages, emails you can understand how the increase happened. To help minimize paper waste it is best to share documents online, write them to a disk or thumb drive to take with you or email them. You can also use recycled paper for those documents you have to print.

Energy Star compliant computers and monitors are nice but are rarely used to their fullest potential on desktop PC's. Instead we opt for screen savers that show off our computers graphic capabilities or our favorite family photo album. A computer running a screen saver causes our monitor and CPU to consume just as much energy as if you were actively using the computer. Computers and other appliances draw energy even if they are in sleep mode albeit not as much. It is still better to turn it off when its not in use. Even when the computer is turned off it consumes energy unless it is unplugged or turned off on a power strip. The best practice is to have all of your electronic equipment on power strips that can be turned off at the strip when not in use for prolonged periods of time. This will eliminate the vampire load drawn from the equipment which can consume 15 to 30 watts of power for each piece of equipment.

We all like to have the biggest and best monitors and television sets. With the advent of LCD screens at an affordable price its easier to fit that big screen in your home or office. This is good because Flat Screen monitors consume about 50% less energy than their CRT counterparts. This is also bad because a 17 inch LCD consumes 30% more energy than a 15 inch. Its best to have a screen that fits your needs instead of opting for the biggest screen you can squeeze into your workspace.

When looking for a printer consider buying an ink jet printer. It will consume about 80% less energy than a laser printer. Its also a good idea to share a printer on a network as opposed to having one in each cubicle or room of your home. A shared printer prints just as well and will use less energy as well as take up less space in your home or office than multiple printers.

Another important thing to consider is waste management. Do you have receptacles for recycling paper, aluminum and plastic in your home and office? These are some of the easiest items to collect for recycling , yet many never bother with it. When items that can be recycled go into a landfill everyone loses. Its more costly and takes more energy to produce the raw materials for these products than it takes to recycle them. There is also the cost of the city managing waste that could have been recycled. It cost taxpayer money to have municipal workers to pick up the trash, transport it and manage it in a landfill. Those garbage trucks are not exactly energy efficient vehicles either. Not to mention all the heavy equipment at the landfill like bulldozers, cranes and compactors that are required to bury these easily recyclable items into your local landscape.

Another factor to consider in waste management is how to dispose of your electronic equipment. Computers in particular contain many hazardous substances that are regulated by the EPA. Here is a list of just some of them:

• Lead in cathode ray tube and solder

• Arsenic in older cathode ray tubes

• Selenium in circuit boards as power supply rectifier

• Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables and circuit boards

• Antimony trioxide as flame retardant

• Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors

• Chromium in steel as corrosion protection

• Cobalt in steel for structure and magnetivity

• Mercury in switches and housing
  

Americans junk over 3 million tons of electronic waste every year and it is the fastest growing category in our waste stream. One solution is to pay to have these items properly managed by a recycling facility. Another option is to donate your used computer equipment to a non-profit computer refurbisher like Computers for Charity who can provide you with a receipt for a tax deduction. We can then use this equipment to help individuals and other charities and non-profits. If we can't take it we can point you to an recycling facility that will properly handle your e-waste for you.

Being Green isn't just about saving the environment. It makes economic sense too. It also feels great to help someone else in need with what would have more junk in our landfills.

http://computersforcharity.webs.com/

What is a Green Church?

From a biblical perspective the environment is actually a part of God's creation - of which humanity is also a part. Therefore, caring for God's creation does not just mean caring for nature, nor does it just mean caring for humanity; it means caring for both.

Most major environmental problems such as air pollution and water pollution, hurt people. These problems fight against Christ's reconciliation of all of creation. In many instances they hit the poor, the children, and the elderly the hardest.

The United Methodist Church realizes and affirms the responsibility of every United Methodist to care for God’s creation. We are called to participate not only in the redemption of individuals and all of humanity, but in the healing of creation itself. Therefore, ministries that encourage care for God’s creation are significant in our mission as United Methodists.

Here are some ways to help:

• Reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft reports, and by making training manuals and personnel information available electronically.

• Plant flowers and shrubs that are well suited to your climate. The benefit: You'll use less fertilizer and pesticides.
  

• Donate unwanted supplies to local schools or nonprofit organizations.
  

• Donate cafeteria food scraps for use as animal feed.
  

• Advertise surplus and reusable items through a commercial materials exchange.
  

• Donate excess building materials to local low-income housing developers.

• Employ energy-efficient technology.This can help reduce emissions (air pollution) from power plants that produce energy. Energy-efficient lighting products offer warm, bright light with the added benefit of using 75% less energy and lasting up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs and fixtures.

• Recycling from aluminum cans, and glass and plastic bottles, to paper and printer toner cartridges. Recycling reduces the amount of waste materials that are put in landfills or incinerated while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

Take care when dealing with lighting and electronic waste. The disposal of some of this waste is regulated, since both electronic and lighting waste may contain potentially harmful substances, and these products need to be separated from your other garbage. The best way to dispose of this waste is to recycle it.

Computers for Charity can recycle your old computers and accessories that are no longer in use. We refurbish the systems and provide them to underprivileged families and other non-profit organizations, here and abroad.

You get the advantage of not only getting rid of your unwanted computer equipment, but you get the satisfaction of knowing it will be used to help someone else in need. We can also provide you with a tax deductible receipt for your donations!

So, if you care about the environment and care about people too, please contact us:

computer.support.guru@gmail.com

http://www.wix.com/jeffbkill/computers-for-charity

http://computersforcharity.webs.com/

Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher Status

Computers for Charity is now an official Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher! No, Microsoft hasn't taken over our operations (thank goodness) or given us a budget (don't I wish). In fact, I still prefer to install Linux operating systems on the computers I rebuild but out of necessity I sometimes have to install a Microsoft OS on the systems due to software compatibility issues.

Unfortunately most equipment that gets donated to us doesn't come with the original operating system media and my standard workaround for this has been to install Ubuntu or Open Suse Linux on the systems with Windows emulation software enabled to make the systems compatible with Microsoft software. In fact , after working with Linux for a while it became my OS of choice for refurbished systems. I've covered my thoughts on that in a previous post thogh.

To make a long story short MAR status gives us the ability to install genuine windows software on a computer that originally had Microsoft software on it for a small administrative fee from Microsoft (of course they gotta make some money). But this is then a legal copy of Windows on the system and I don't risk entanglements for infringing Microsoft's software license.

Its also an assurance to our donors that we meet the eligibility requirements required to qualify as a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher:

• The technical competence required to preinstall Windows operating
systems
• Appropriate security measures in place to ensure the safe storage and
handling of COAs
• Adequate systems for data wiping and reporting, including
conformance to Department of Defense or similar standards on all hard
disks being reused through the program
• Conformance with applicable local health, safety, and environmental
regulations

As this effort keeps growing I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you as you do your spring cleaning and find all that old computer stuff your not even using anymore!

Please consider donating today and you will be doing a small part to help the environment and a big part in changing someones life. Because we a a non profit refurbisher you can get a tax deduction for your donation too!!

So whats holding you back form making your donation?

Contact me at: computer.support.guru@gmail.com or visit one of our websites:

http://www.wix.com/jeffbkill/computers-for-charity or http://computersforcharity.webs.com/

The Third Option

The future of technology is the Internet and not high end computing. An older refurbished computer can provide that just as well as any newfangled system can. But you say "How can you possibly get any use out of my old outdated Windows box?". Read on...

Microsoft and Apple dominate the software world that keeps driving us to upgrade our systems. Windows Vistas requirements are an abomination in my opinion and with Windows 7 it is only going to get worse. Its true your not going to install Vista or even XP on that old system. Nor will your old Mac fair much better as they've discontinued support for the OS on it. But there is a third option; Enter Linux. I use Linux on older systems and it provides all the features of a modern operating system without the high resource demand.

Most people have never heard of Linux or if they have they think its just an operating system for geeks and hackers. This is far from the truth. Linux operating systems like Open SUSE and Ubuntu are leading the way in innovations in the desktop environment. Microsoft keeps implementing features in its new OS's that I've had for years on my Linux boxes. In fact, when I distribute the systems people ask what version of Windows I've put on it! They truly can't tell the difference in graphics or functionality. I explain to them that its similar to a Mac OS only different.

If you have an old Windows or a Mac system you can't get updates for it any more. Not so with Linux. I've taken an old win 95 machine and refurbished it with a RAM upgrade and a network card. The computer ran perfectly but I couldn't find drivers for the network card for the life of me. No problem though. Booted to a Puppy Linux live CD and all was well. The system ran fast and had Internet.

I've had a lot better luck with installing Linux on laptops than trying to work with Windows. Even on laptops capable of running XP I prefer to use Open SUSE 10.3 because it runs faster and is more secure.

That's the other benefit of installing Linux. With every Windows installation I've sent out the tech support calls come in about a month later. Even with the anti virus software I install somehow they end up completely bogged down with ad-ware programs. People just can't resist installing all those free games and browser enhancements and who really reads those license agreements anyhow? I get a few calls on my Linux systems when people try to hook up a printer or a digital camera and I have to walk them through an installation. I've yet to receive a call about random pop ups or porn links mysteriously flooding the desktop.

Then there is the issue of running Microsoft software on a Linux box. Putting aside the fact that there is a Linux alternative to about anything Microsoft has to offer I can see the concern. But, as I tell people. It's like a Mac. You don't expect to run Windows software on a Mac do you? You either use the version designed for the Mac or you use the alternative. Or you use Wine. No, you don't just get drunk and forget about it .Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) is a program that allows you to run windows software in Linux. Although this program is not perfect I've found that it allows you to run many common Windows titles that that my clients use most frequently. Another option is virtulization.

Virtualization has been in use in Linux for some time now. You'll be hearing a lot mote about this powerful software soon, as Microsoft is poising to enter the market. Virtulization allows you to run entirely separate operating systems in a single computer. In other words you can run your Windows and Mac OS inside of your Linux installation. This is entirely different form dual booting or emulating an OS. You literally can have Windows in a window! These are known as a VM (Virtual Machine). I could write an entire blog about how VMs are going to revolutionize the IT world as we know it but I'll save that for a later time. Needless to say I never would have heard of virtualization software if not for dabbling in Linux.

The Main thing to remember here though is the Internet doesn't discriminate. It knows not weather your a Windows, a Mac, a Linux or any other Os. If we can refurbish a computer and install a functional Operating system on it that allows people to access Internet resources then we have accomplished our goal. Not only Is a world of information at your fingertips but the opportunity is there for education, communication, and enhanced social interaction.

That's what this is really all about. Its not just about keeping electronic waste out of our landfills although that is part of our primary mission . It's about providing opportunities to people!

For more information about how you can help to bridge the digital divide by donating your disused computer, please visit our website: http://computersforcharity.webs.com

Give the gift of technology!

Simply taking your computer to the nearest recycling center just doesn’t cut it anymore! Though well intentioned, your effort may be in vain. Most recycling centers simply disassemble the equipment ,shred it and melt it down for the precious metals and other raw materials the computers contain. ‘Recycling‘ in this manner consumes 20 times more energy than reuse.

Worse than that, some unscrupulous recycling companies sell the equipment to undeveloped countries as e-waste where it is recycled by poor workers in an unhealthy and environmentally unsafe manner. This is not only only harmful to the local inhabitants of these countries, who’s children play in the piles of hazardous waste, but for the environment as a whole.

Taking your computer to a refurbisher is a better option. Energy does not get wasted tearing down the old equipment and melting it down for the raw materials. There is also the benefit of one less computer that needs to be manufactured.

The benefits of refurbishing go beyond environmental consciousness though. Non-profits such as Computers for Charity will take your equipment at no cost to you and refurbish them to be distributed to disadvantaged families as well as other small charities who don’t have the disposable income to purchase new computer equipment.

So even if your not convinced that the environmental sky is falling, you can still feel good in donating to a non-profit refurbisher. You’ll know that the equipment that once served your needs will now be brand new to someone else and serving a good cause. It can save your company the cost of disposing your electronic waste through a commercial recycling agency. Also, you are eligible for a tax deduction for your donation to a non-profit refurbisher.

If you have a computer that is less than five years old, it can be put to good use by someone else. Even computers that are non-functioning can still yield valuable parts to repair other computers. We can recycle your old computer equipment at no cost to you and reduce the impact on the environment by refurbishing them and providing the gift of technology to disadvantaged families!

For more information on this environmentally safe and humanitarian effort please go to
http://www.wix.com/jeffbkill/computers-for-charity or
http://computersforcharity.webs.com

New mini website for Computers for Charity

How to get rid of that old PC junk!

• Do you have a computer that has been sitting around in disuse?
• Do you Know someone who is looking for a way to dispose of their computer?
• Is your company or corporation upgrading its computer systems?
• Are you purchasing a new computer and wondering what to do with your old one?

Don't contribute to the e-waste landfills!!! Donate them to a worthwhile cause instead!

We can recycle your old computer equipment at no cost to you and reduce the impact on the environment by refurbishing and providing the gift of technology to families in need!

We are collecting computers, accessories, parts and software and testing and doing repair work to create functional systems that are then donated to worthwhile causes and individuals for free.

We currently accept Pentium II class and better computers and the equivalent Macintosh.we can especially use laptops, notebooks and accessories. We also need current software that is complete with the CD and registration. Also needed are monitors, keyboards mice and other peripherals.

contact: Jeffrey Kill
email: computer.support.guru@gmail.com
web: http://computersforcharity.webs.com/

Fact: Americans junked almost 3 million tons of electronics in 2007. Computers contain dangerous toxins from lead, cadmium, mercury and other hazardous materials which if not properly disposed, will leak into our environment. Recycling computers is an important way to protect the environment while helping someone in need. Computers For Charity advocates the environmentally-safe disposal of all computer equipment that cannot be reused.