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How to 'Download' Your Old Computer to the Highest Bidder
When you think trash, you surely don't think about your old, trusty personal computer.
But that's exactly what will become of it when you make the inevitable move toward your
next laptop or desktop. And, yes, buying a new computer is inevitable, considering the
pace at which computer technology zips along. Just think-about a handful of years ago,
a fast microprocessor for a laptop was at 233 MHz. Now you're looking at about at least
2 GHz! That's Giga, with a G.
So eventually, you will want a computer that can handle the latest software, the latest
games, and the latest interactive Web sites, and then you'll have to throw away your old
computer, right? Wrong. Try selling your used computer instead. Throwing out your
computer is one of the worst things you can do. For one, your computer may be useful
for someone out there, even if just for scraps.
Trashed computers and other digital equipment also make up one of the fastest
growing, and most dangerous, new trash "categories" out there in your neighborhood
landfill. On one hand, computers are generally bulky and made of plastic and other
materials that won't be breaking down in a landfill for the next few million years. What's
more, other materials in your old computer are highly toxic to the environment, like
mercury, lead and cadmium. They're so toxic that their actually name in the
waste-management field is "toxics."
You don't have to be a techie or a scientist to understand the danger in that-nor the
benefits of selling your computer. On the Internet, there are a vast number of auction
and classifieds sites, some better than others, where you can "download" you computer
to a worthy buyer.
Before you boot up your replacement laptop or high-performance PC, however, be sure
you read and compute the following tips. These tips will help you avoid the crashes and
shutdowns that befall the computer seller who doesn't do his homework first.
Hold onto all of the operating system and software manuals that came with your old
computer. This will add value to your sale, not to mention it will make you a trusted
seller for offering up these helpful books to the buyer.
Erase all personal information from the hard drive. And we're not just talking about
simply putting stuff in the "trash bin." It's extremely important to purge all data from your
computer's memory repository, even from invisible backup files on the hard drive. If
you're not sure how to do this, ask your IT expert at work or a techie friend for advice.
You don't want the next user to have access to your bank accounts, old e-mails, and
other private info, do you?
Uninstal any application from the hard drive that you'd like to use on your next
computer, keeping the installation disk and the software serial number for yourself.
When it comes to software, the manufacturers made sure that you never really own
software, you license it. So you don't get free reign to keep software on multiple
computers. You only get one license, so you need to bring your licensed version with
you to your new computer.
Do your homework on your computer's worth. Just like you would for a car, check
around at other classifieds and auction sites to see what other people are selling your
make and model for.
Be sure you want to truly get rid of old faithful. You may be able to repair your old
laptop rather than buy a new model. Or you may be able to add RAM memory and a
new hard drive to your four-year-old desktop rather than invest in a multimedia
masterpiece. In other words, do a thorough cost-analysis of what it would take to rebuild
your old computer, versus what it would cost to sell it and buy a new one. And check
your heart too. You might be surprised just how attached you are to your old faithful.
Once you go through these steps, you are prepared to make your move and sell, sell,
sell. And then, of course, you'll be ready to start on a whole new list of steps-for buying
a new computer. But that's a topic for another article!
When you think trash, you surely don't think about your old, trusty personal computer.
But that's exactly what will become of it when you make the inevitable move toward your
next laptop or desktop. And, yes, buying a new computer is inevitable, considering the
pace at which computer technology zips along. Just think-about a handful of years ago,
a fast microprocessor for a laptop was at 233 MHz. Now you're looking at about at least
2 GHz! That's Giga, with a G.
So eventually, you will want a computer that can handle the latest software, the latest
games, and the latest interactive Web sites, and then you'll have to throw away your old
computer, right? Wrong. Try selling your used computer instead. Throwing out your
computer is one of the worst things you can do. For one, your computer may be useful
for someone out there, even if just for scraps.
Trashed computers and other digital equipment also make up one of the fastest
growing, and most dangerous, new trash "categories" out there in your neighborhood
landfill. On one hand, computers are generally bulky and made of plastic and other
materials that won't be breaking down in a landfill for the next few million years. What's
more, other materials in your old computer are highly toxic to the environment, like
mercury, lead and cadmium. They're so toxic that their actually name in the
waste-management field is "toxics."
You don't have to be a techie or a scientist to understand the danger in that-nor the
benefits of selling your computer. On the Internet, there are a vast number of auction
and classifieds sites, some better than others, where you can "download" you computer
to a worthy buyer.
Before you boot up your replacement laptop or high-performance PC, however, be sure
you read and compute the following tips. These tips will help you avoid the crashes and
shutdowns that befall the computer seller who doesn't do his homework first.
Hold onto all of the operating system and software manuals that came with your old
computer. This will add value to your sale, not to mention it will make you a trusted
seller for offering up these helpful books to the buyer.
Erase all personal information from the hard drive. And we're not just talking about
simply putting stuff in the "trash bin." It's extremely important to purge all data from your
computer's memory repository, even from invisible backup files on the hard drive. If
you're not sure how to do this, ask your IT expert at work or a techie friend for advice.
You don't want the next user to have access to your bank accounts, old e-mails, and
other private info, do you?
Uninstal any application from the hard drive that you'd like to use on your next
computer, keeping the installation disk and the software serial number for yourself.
When it comes to software, the manufacturers made sure that you never really own
software, you license it. So you don't get free reign to keep software on multiple
computers. You only get one license, so you need to bring your licensed version with
you to your new computer.
Do your homework on your computer's worth. Just like you would for a car, check
around at other classifieds and auction sites to see what other people are selling your
make and model for.
Be sure you want to truly get rid of old faithful. You may be able to repair your old
laptop rather than buy a new model. Or you may be able to add RAM memory and a
new hard drive to your four-year-old desktop rather than invest in a multimedia
masterpiece. In other words, do a thorough cost-analysis of what it would take to rebuild
your old computer, versus what it would cost to sell it and buy a new one. And check
your heart too. You might be surprised just how attached you are to your old faithful.
Once you go through these steps, you are prepared to make your move and sell, sell,
sell. And then, of course, you'll be ready to start on a whole new list of steps-for buying
a new computer. But that's a topic for another article!
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