Dumpster Diving,

[Richard_Cranium72]

Today I discovered a few nice things in the trash, such as gender changers, network, phone and other cables, various old unopened programs,instruction manuals, a unopened Warp OS2-3, and an original "Microsoft Project for Windows ver 1.0" the book is almost mint condition, 576 page.. Junk,, I love it, but I'm sure it's totally worthless.. I left a dozen unopened dos 6.22 manual/certificates. It was fun, one guy found a complete Lotus something prog that they use for some Nascar stuff. later DrVette

[jadinolf]

Just make sure no one drops the lid on you when you're in there http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[Jinx67]

College dorms are a good place to find not so old goodies. "Kids are so wasteful." http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[sparki]

Are university we are not every thing we can get are hands on is used if we:

1. know what it is and what it does
2. If we dont we take it to bits and work out what it is.

[Richard_Cranium72]

What !! No one else has any war stories ?? I kinda think it's cool to get stuff that was going to the landfill and hopefully make some use of it.. My scavenging was from a 55 gl drum,, not a nasty scene.. I thought the original Windows version 1.0 manual was unique also....

[alpha]

Can I have a copy of DOS 6.22?

[jad1097]

After Hurricane Andrew I got a bunch of new funiture and appliances that people were throwing out because the insurance companys were just giving out money for things that were not damaged. Never got any computer stuff though.

[Richard_Cranium72]

Alpha, I looked today and the drum made it to the main dumpster. So I drive around to the other side and found about 30 tons of crud/coal/mud and trash on top of the garbage from yesterday. BUT, I think I've got a spare copy around here somewhere and I know I got a spare license.. Let'cha know when I find them.. btw, today found a copy of Windows 3.0 on 5-1/2" discs.. ancient ruins, HUH ? later DrVette

[alpha]

MaDneSS!!

[welsh wizard]

Not madness
they is many a school out there that now has a few extra systems thanks to what they call hard rubbish down under, best find I ever had was a 233MMX system with 8x CDRom and 1.2gig WD hard drive, once the battery had been replaced it fired up and worked fine, the system went to a school, to help them out http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
So if you see trash, its always worth a quick look see, one mans rubbish is another ones treasure.
WW

PS
I did format the hard drive,just to keep the info they had left on it private.

[This message has been edited by welsh wizard (edited 03-05-2000).]

[cs7smj]

why were you going through the rubbish anyway

[Richard_Cranium72]

to CS7Smj; Recycling any products is beneficial to the environment. The situation here was two 55 gl drums full of misc computer stuff, some old some new.. Just because the server does not need some items is no indicator that the items are totally obsolete for someone else. A local computer shop appreciates it when I drop off some old drivers etc cause their's don't last forever.. Lots of customers will spend excess funds just to keep the old machine going even though this is not really cost effective.. FYI, IMO, =>> DrVette

[Barney]

I have got 200 360Kb floppies lying inside a closet.These things are 15-20 years old.In those times my grandpa payd $100 for 10 floppies!LOL http://www.sysopt.com/forum/biggrin.gif .He gave them to me about 5 years ago.I haven't even used one yet.I never will.A week ago I exchanged my floppydrive for a writer.
I also have about 5 boxes from CDromplayers I used in the past.
I have a lot low DOS and Windows version manuals.
And lots of other junk like that
(cases,powersupplies,harddrives,etc.)

Ronald the Notorious

[welsh wizard]

I still have stock of those 5 1/4 floppies still sealed, and I still get some one asking for them, in fact demand is increasing for them as there is now quite a scene biulding on the old collectable computers and people now want them again, any one remember some of those old Atari and Commador games on Floppy disk, well they are now in some areas classed as classic same way some guys runs an old Model T Ford. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
and as stated computer gear is not enviro friendly in a land fill most of the time so any bits that are recycled into use is good for the enviroment.
WW

[This message has been edited by welsh wizard (edited 03-05-2000).]

[Richard_Cranium72]

OH NO !! WW, I left in a ton of programs still new and sealed in the trash on the large floppies,,, boo hoo... I HATE to waste stuff that might be used , someday.. oh well, later, DrVette

[Wiz]

my school scraped a 386 16mhz blazer today, someone had donated it to them. The HDD was 44MB and weighed close to 15 pounds. The case alone was 40lbs, made of steel, not aluminum.

I salvaged the PS from it for the 120mm fan inside. Just get it our of the box, which has proprietary screws.

[welsh wizard]

Wiz you left the eprom behind and all those handy junpers, what a waste, get enough of the 386 CPU's and make thyem into a necklass, they seem to be quite fashionable Down under. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
Dr Vette in a few years time you will think back when you see some collector paying a fortune for those Proggy's that some one reclaimed out of the garbage can http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
WW

[Wiz]

I didn't get the motherboard, a friend of mine did, and another friend got the processor, he sanded down the pins and made a necklace already =]

[Richard_Cranium72]

ALPHA, I found you a copy of 6.22. New and unopened.. Also, anyone know what the software "Progress" is?? this one is version 7.3a and it comes on about 30 floppies,3.5". see ya'll, DrVette http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[jak]

old computers is never rubish u ever hear about that place that offered to take peoples old heavy computers away? the people where like sure why not im not luggin it to the landfill. then the smart people took the old computers to their factory, took them apart, and melted it down at very high temperatures. this got rid of all the impurities and left was a fortunes worth in cold and silver that made up the motherboard, etc.
never rubish recyclable
i wish i did this first hehe

[DrCorvette]

Update on Dumpster Diving, Last week I contacted the local Trash Guard and told him I like pewters, he spat and said "You Do?" uh hum I mumbled, thinking I'd messed up, .. Tell ya what he said, Come by every couple of days and I'll see what I can do. Today I got some junk, a 14" monitor, works but dim a IBM, and a old Apple notebook. Haven't had time to try to run it.. later gang. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gifDrVette

[codybear]

anyone else want DOS 6.22 with COA and unopened??

shipping and its yours...it came from a dive also but the Doc has me beat http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[Richard_Cranium72]

Latest Haul netted

1. 2 Working CD-ROM's, a 24x and a unknown speed
2. 3 HD's , 2-450mb one unk, condition ?
3. ATX power supply
4. 5-1/4" floppy drive
5. 2-3.5" floppy drives
6. A Video cable that I need
7. Diamond Stealth 64 Video Card w/S3 chip

No cutting edge stuff here, just some items to get current projects finished and fix a couple of customer's older machines that I was just waiting to see what came up http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[randy48]

LOL reminising Doc? I love junk! I'll tell everyone the best spots to find good, useful treasures...Military bases! Find out what day is bulk trash day (usually the post paper has this info), and take a ride through the housing area(s) the night before! Great stuff! I find furniture, antique furniture, stereos, TVs, computers,...all kinds of stuff (when I remember to go look...you know how forgetful OGOs (old gray ones) can be http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[voogru]

About 3 (1998) years ago My brother found an UNOPEND voodoo2 12MB at that time I belive it was worth a good chunk of money.

this was found in a dumpster outside "bestBuy" because the box was messed up big time and nobody wanted to buy it cuz they didnt think it was "The Best Buy"

that card worked perfectly till he was overclocking it and he was putting on a new heatsink.

he spilled Cola all over it

-voogru

[KMBALO]

Last year I found an ATI 3D RageII DVD 15 mgbyte video card in the dumpster w/ a bunch of discarded networking hardware that hooked together computers in the Casinos and cards that enabled touchscreen for playing KENO. I also got brand new Hdrive ribbons, PRINTER CABLES,new power cords, monitor cords & MSDos books with the floppys still in the plastic bag .When I build a computer for someone I give them a book. The Ati card is in my sons computer. I don't make a habit of dumpster diving, but if there's an obvious find I'll go for it. The networking cards came in handy for when the jumper goblin comes in runs off with the jumpers I sat 'right there' just a second ago. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[King_Kooba_Fantastique]

I once found a scsi drive 750mb..didnt work though so i took it apart..guess i was bored http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

KKF.

[Mykex]

Gotta love free finds! I stop and look at every PC case I see on the roadside. You never know what you may find in there.

On basic trash finds twice a year some of the citys nearby have a heavy trash day(the swap meet)where they will haul off anything short of a small car. Its is so funny to watch others as well as others watching you dig through and cruise the piles.

Most amusing was I tossed out four tires (cheap white spoked mags too aired up and balanced) since they were stock sized and my truck with the lift looked silly with them. Within 2 minutes of putting them out they were gone,I didnt even get a soda open after finishing the deed.

I get up the next morning to go to work and sure enough there goes my old tires under a van. Within 14hrs this guy had them on and driving. Kudos to him on a good find and Im glad I could help him out with what to me was an eyesore in the back yard. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[GroundZero3]

hey Richard_Cranium72 i work for a school and they throw all sorts of old **** out. i just wait till after work when everyone leave. i got me a couple of micron cases in nice conditions. some power supplies, network cards, hd ribbons and floppy drives. it was really good timing becasue i was building a system for my brother. thats about $80 less i have to spend http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Jason

[fyxxer32]

One place I find good "junk" is garage sales . I love em, I think you guys are great..probably because youre just like me!!!!

[prexaspes]

I did a haul today, and just happened to stumble into this area for the first time after I was done.

My haul:

64 MB 72 pin EDO SIMMS (4x16mb)
Soundblaster Live!
Voodoo 2 12mb w/SLI cable
SiS something AGP 8mb video card
Creative 32x Cd-Rom
200 MMX processor
Epson Stylus Color 600
Quantum? Bigfoot 2.5gb 5 1/2" Hard Disk
Some strange Seagate 5 1/2" Hard Disk
It had a card slot thingy on the back??

and the crown jewel:
1 Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro Joystick

I'm not planning to part with much of this stuff, as my system is old, my printer black and white, and I really want to run that funny looking bigfoot for a while. Don't know what I'll do with that AGP card yet, my system doesn't have a slot.

[Richard_Cranium72]

Lots of good finds here but prexaspes gets the prize egg for the largest nugget http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

I call all my used finds as "dumpster" trash if the giver had intended to throw them out.

I feel this is very environmentally friendly as I don't have to work overtime to pay for repairs to systems as much<S>

[bdunn]

I found a bunch of 8 inch floppies and a drive that they fit but I havent figured out the crazy interface this drive has.

[spuck]

how come im never luckey enough to find stuff at my dump?
i do need the first dos6.22 disk and windows 3.1 disks.
ps.they discourage dump picking in maine.(some health **** thing).