Used or upgraded PCs can help wallet, environment

SAN FRANCISCO – Computers are going the way of cell phones — commodities that are easily discarded for a better model.

But people can save cash — and the environment — by buying used computers instead of new ones or upgrading their existing PC hardware to get more life out of it. Selecting a computer that was returned shortly after its initial purchase and then refurbished can save buyers US$100 to US$200, said analyst Shane Rau of IDC, a Framingham, Massachusetts-based market research firm.Rau recommends asking resellers for standard warranties and service and support for refurbished machines.Some people may think they need a new computer when they only need to upgrade their present one, particularly if all they use it for is e-mailing, Web surfing and other tasks that require much less memory and processing power than graphics applications and games.It takes a lot of energy to make a computer, and disposing of an old one creates environmental and health risks.Many PCs end up dumped in landfills or being recycled in countries where environmental standards and worker safety regulations are lax, said Eric Williams, project coordinator of the Information Society and Environmental Issues Project at U.N. University, a think tank at the United Nations.”Before buying a new computer, people should ask themselves why they need it,” he said.Williams is co-author of a new book called ‘Computers and the Environment’, which encourages people to look at alternatives to buying new computers because of the environmental impact from manufacturing them.”People assume that new operating systems mean we need a new computer, but we don’t (always) get additional utility” with new hardware, Williams said.”We’re saying: ‘Let’s think smarter about getting the most out of the equipment we have.”‘ Some manufacturers, like International Business Machines Corp, sell computers that customers used for a few years or returned to stores shortly after purchase.Used machines are also easy to get on auction Web site eBay (www.ebay.com) and online retailer Amazon.com (www.amazon.com).Other companies, such as Computer Renaissance in Lakeland, Florida, PCs Evolve in Wallingford, Connecticut, and Second Chance PCs in Cambridge, England, specialise in selling used computers.Online retailer Refurb Depot (http://refurbdepot.com) said it sells refurbished computers and other electronic equipment for anywhere from 30 per cent to 80 per cent below the prices of comparable new systems.Computer Options buys used computers from large companies, cleans and fixes them if necessary, and sells them to consumers or small businesses.Prices start at US$149 for a machine without a monitor, said Annette Freeman, an owner of the Raleigh, North Carolina, company.”These are commercial grade, designed to hold up better than the consumer line,” she said.Typical customers are families who want a second computer for their children and small businesses that want to save money on equipment, she said.”Small businesses come in and get two or three for the price of one new one,” Freeman said.”Most businesses don’t need the latest and greatest thing.Business applications typically don’t require that much power.”HARDWARE UPGRADEWilliams, from the U.N. University project, suggests consumers upgrade their system if, for instance, their PC runs a little bit slow or has a full hard drive, which also can affect performance.For applications like video editing and games, a faster processor might be needed, but doing so requires more technical expertise than a lot of people have, according to IDC’s Rau.”You need to do a personal assessment before an upgrade,” he said.Besides figuring out the cost, people should consider whether they are comfortable opening up their PCs.At Computer Options, where technicians can do the repairs and service upgrades for customers, it costs $40 to $50, for example, to upgrade to 128 megabytes of Random Access Memory from 64 megabytes.Installing a new motherboard, the unit that holds the processor and related circuitry that serve as the brains of the computer, with a microprocessor running at 2 Gigahertz speed, can cost about $200, Freeman said.Recycling is often touted as being good for the Earth, but Williams points out that not all of the materials in a computer are reusable.Those that are, mostly the metals, still require fossil fuel use in order to turn them back into computers or other items, he said.”Extending the life of older machines is better,” he said.”It reduces the size of the waste stream and the mountain of waste.”- Nampa-ReutersSelecting a computer that was returned shortly after its initial purchase and then refurbished can save buyers US$100 to US$200, said analyst Shane Rau of IDC, a Framingham, Massachusetts-based market research firm.Rau recommends asking resellers for standard warranties and service and support for refurbished machines.Some people may think they need a new computer when they only need to upgrade their present one, particularly if all they use it for is e-mailing, Web surfing and other tasks that require much less memory and processing power than graphics applications and games.It takes a lot of energy to make a computer, and disposing of an old one creates environmental and health risks.Many PCs end up dumped in landfills or being recycled in countries where environmental standards and worker safety regulations are lax, said Eric Williams, project coordinator of the Information Society and Environmental Issues Project at U.N. University, a think tank at the United Nations.”Before buying a new computer, people should ask themselves why they need it,” he said.Williams is co-author of a new book called ‘Computers and the Environment’, which encourages people to look at alternatives to buying new computers because of the environmental impact from manufacturing them.”People assume that new operating systems mean we need a new computer, but we don’t (always) get additional utility” with new hardware, Williams said.”We’re saying: ‘Let’s think smarter about getting the most out of the equipment we have.”‘ Some manufacturers, like International Business Machines Corp, sell computers that customers used for a few years or returned to stores shortly after purchase.Used machines are also easy to get on auction Web site eBay (www.ebay.com) and online retailer Amazon.com (www.amazon.com).Other companies, such as Computer Renaissance in Lakeland, Florida, PCs Evolve in Wallingford, Connecticut, and Second Chance PCs in Cambridge, England, specialise in selling used computers.Online retailer Refurb Depot (http://refurbdepot.com) said it sells refurbished computers and other electronic equipment for anywhere from 30 per cent to 80 per cent below the prices of comparable new systems.Computer Options buys used computers from large companies, cleans and fixes them if necessary, and sells them to consumers or small businesses.Prices start at US$149 for a machine without a monitor, said Annette Freeman, an owner of the Raleigh, North Carolina, company.”These are commercial grade, designed to hold up better than the consumer line,” she said.Typical customers are families who want a second computer for their children and small businesses that want to save money on equipment, she said.”Small businesses come in and get two or three for the price of one new one,” Freeman said.”Most businesses don’t need the latest and greatest thing.Business applications typically don’t require that much power.”HARDWARE UPGRADEWilliams, from the U.N. University project, suggests consumers upgrade their system if, for instance, their PC runs a little bit slow or has a full hard drive, which also can affect performance.For applications like video editing and games, a faster processor might be needed, but doing so requires more technical expertise than a lot of people have, according to IDC’s Rau.”You need to do a personal assessment before an upgrade,” he said.Besides figuring out the cost, people should consider whether they are comfortable opening up their PCs.At Computer Options, where technicians can do the repairs and service upgrades for customers, it costs $40 to $50, for example, to upgrade to 128 megabytes of Random Access Memory from 64 megabytes.Installing a new motherboard, the unit that holds the processor and related circuitry that serve as the brains of the computer, with a microprocessor running at 2 Gigahertz speed, can cost about $200, Freeman said.Recycling is often touted as being good for the Earth, but Williams points out that not all of the materials in a computer are reusable.Those that are, mostly the metals, still require fossil fuel use in order to turn them back into computers or other items, he said.”Extending the life of older machines is better,” he said.”It reduces the size of the waste stream and the mountain of waste.”- Nampa-Reuters