[ale] Planned obsolescence / Computers for Schools

[George Allen]

ALE:

I remember some people list a couple of years ago were doing projects
to put Linux Terminal Server based labs into several Georgia schools.
I was just reading this article here:
http://www.osnews.com/story/23451/Smart_Reuse_with_Open_Source_Linux_Goes_Green

At work we are definitely subject to the Windows lockin - as each
version of Windows is released, and then certified for our use, we
have to lifecycle many computers in order to meet the new hardware
requirements. The computers do get recycled, minus the hard drives via
the Defense Reutilizaiton and Marketing Office (DRMO), after looking
at the website a few seconds, they actually do have program for
schools to sign up: Department of Defense (DOD) Computers for Learning
(CFL) Program, https://www.drms.dla.mil/rtd03/cfl/index.shtml

Depending on the bureaucratic threshold, it seems like that would give
a school district a fairly reliable and bottomless supply of
computers.

Back to the first article though: In Austin, TX there was a "Goodwill
Computer Store." It was somehow associated with Goodwill thrift
stores, but was specifically setup to take donations as a non-profit,
rebuild the computers for reuse, and sell or recycle the difference.
Ie local corporation X donates 100 machines minus hard drives, GCS
adds drives, swaps some parts, and kids get linux boxen. There was
also a storefront with racks/bins of many parts, in case you needed
something for an old Sun or DEC or a 300 baud modem for some reason,
and a computer museum in the back of all the interesting boat-anchors
they'd found.

Anyway - I know the group has something in Athens the does much the
same, but I thought it was all worth mention.

-George