I'm fairly sure that we're all hanging onto obsolete tech items no longer use that's taking up space. I'm somewhat of a hoarder, and have a hard time letting things go, especially items that I got a great deal of mileage out of. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I did some Spring/Fall cleaning and pulled out a bunch of items that I no longer use like a Netgear wireless adapter, an old (still functioning) printer, PS2 Internet adapter, and several old, boxy Computer Monitors, just to name a few electronics. I'm not sure if I should donate these items to Goodwill or Salvation Army as I'm sure someone could use these things, or just throw them away; they're taking up valuable space that could be used for other things. I also have a ton of VCR tapes (most of which have been replaced by DVD's) and a VCR, and that's becoming a haven for dust. I kind of hate to throw all of these things away knowing that someone less fortunate could make use of them, but the Goodwill is kind of a racket and I don't know where their profits go, so I'm at a bit of an impasse. What do you guys and gals do with obsolete technology items? Just curious...
I bring my old tech to Green Citizen who will take the stuff you described for free or a small nominal fee. They used to have two locations near me in San Francisco but now they just have one location in Burlingame.
I love to take old electronics apart and see what makes them tick. I once took apart an office printer/scanner/fax machine before. I still have one of the pieces, a lens that works really well to magnify things. All the stuff I don't keep goes to the Eco Station.
I've hung on 2 one VCR and a hoard of old tapes. I even have audio tapes even though I don't have a way to play them right now.
the only old technology i have are gaming consoles, controllers and games as early as NES, a tv to play said consoles, and a few VHS, 8tracks, and other stuff that we hold close to our hearts.
Donate it anyways. At least someone gets it cheap. Or.. just put it in a box outside with FREE on it. I always do the FREE box and it's always empty by the end of the day
Give it to kids on Halloween. Here kids, why ask for a Snickers bar when you can have this CRT monitor. But realistically, I usually hang onto stuff even though I will probably never use it again. I have 2 CRTs in the garage and a VCR and tapes even though I haven' even hooked it up in 4 years. I know the moment I chuck them, there will be some reason I need it. I do wish there was a way to record shows like a VCR did. I don't have cable so no DVR option. I'm not running the antenna signal though my PC. Sometimes, technology progresses but we loose some capabilities.
I've got a box of computer crap in my closet. DVD drives, video cards, old hard drives, etc. I don't want to get rid of anything because you never know when I might have need for it.
Hoard the small and donate the large stuff. I still have my beeper from high school and every cell phone that I ever got.
I still have a Power Macintosh G3 that's got to be twenty years old. And an Apple laser printer that weighs roughly 800 pounds that I'm quite sure no longer works. I think I have a Jaz drive somewhere. I would give it all to the first person who said they wanted it. (No one has ever said this.)
Things like landline phones and DVD player? eBay. I still have a Logitech Wingman Light, wish I could still use it. don't want to pay 30 for a new one and don't need more than two buttons. loved playing Descent with it.
If it still works and isn't a huge pain in the ass to move, I keep it. Otherwise, recycle. Just recently I've found need for my old tape players (a boom box from 2000 and a Walkman from the early 90's), in digitizing rare tapes I own. And of course my laserdisc player and VCR still both work and still have huge collections to play...tho I'm losing more and more LDs to rot and am gradually replacing the VHS tapes with DVDs. --Moony
Keep some of it. Still use a VCR from time to time because I keep a lot of older things like my VHS tapes. We've got a couple of older analog tv's too that we still use. And I think I've still got a few of my old CD players that I used on the bus while I was still in school. I have a ton of cd's lol I love old tech, sometimes more than new stuff.
Haha, you and me both my friend I remember that theme music was the shit for that game back in the day. I still have a bunch of Godzilla flicks on VHS, they always had sweet boxes for the old ones, kinda like G1 boxes, haha. Problem is I don't have a VCR anymore.
I've got an old CRT TV as well. It was my parents' before they bought a new one back in the day. I guess the TV must be nearly as old as I am. I use it in my bedroom for my Mega Drive and Mega CD.