On Jul 16, 10:42 am, Mark Kent <mark.k...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgro...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>
>
>
> > OLPC official challenges Michael Dell
>
> > ,----[ Quote ]
> >| Walter Bender, the One Laptop Per Child program's director of software, told
> >| DesktopLinux.com on July 13 that he invites Dell Computer founder and CEO
> >| Michael Dell to help figure out how to better use 125 million computers that
> >| are discarded annually because they are archaic.
> > `----
>
> >http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS6331409497.html
>
> > Context here:http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=5625
>
> > Also here:
> >http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10005621o-2000331759b,...
>
> > The Register also covers the Intel-OLPC story properly...
>
> > OLPC czar shames Intel into board seat
>
> >http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/13/intel_joins_olpc/
>
> 125 million computers per year. So, after a decade, we will have buried
> 1 and 1/4 thousand million computers. That's enough kit to cover most
> continents in one go. The only hole to be patched is around persuading
> people that linux on older hardware is functional and effective, against
> the marketing monster of Microsoft.
Keep in mind that every computer Dell CAN'T give away costs as much as
$300 per PC for disposal. PCs are actually loaded with Toxic waste,
including arsenic, cyanide, selenium, phosphorus, nickel, lead, zinc,
titanium, and dioxin. Sticking them in land-fill contaminates water
supplies.
Nearly all of the parts can be recycled. But to recycle a computer
means breaking it down to component parts, shipping drives back to
drive makers, shipping CRTs back to CRT makers (not much market for
that any more), and shippng the metal boxes back to the steel plants.
Even the boards can be sent back and broken back down into polymer,
gold or silver, copper, tin, and lead. the chips can be crushed and
reused as casings for new chips. The problem is that this recycling
is expensive. Most of the "profit" comes from collecting a "recycling
fee" from the OEMs or large corporate businesses.
Nearly every town and village in the USA has a "recycling center"
where home users can drop-off or pick-up used computers that they
consider obsolete. Several times I have dropped off computers that
were picked up while I was bringing in my second load.
I usually write "Works" on the computers that are still functional,
but too slow to stay in MY rack. I still have a 1.3 Ghz Athalon I
purchased almost 5 years ago.
Keep in mind that Linux often runs in a virtualized environment, so it
might only be given 256 meg of RAM, 10 gig of hard drive, and has to
fight with Windows to keep that.
> | Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
> | Cola faq: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/ |
> | Cola trolls: http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/ |
> | My (new) blog: http://www.thereisnomagic.org |
|
|
