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Apple Recycling Old Macs for Free
charleste writes "CNN is reporting that Apple is going to recycle Macs for free. I wonder if this means they will actually recycle them in Cupertino, or sent overseas to be dumped as many 'recycled' computers do, or if they will actually mine them. And does this make the MacQuarium obsolete?"
what all is involved in recycling a computer? I know there is quite a bit of lead on the circuit boards that needs to be handled properly, but what exactly do they do with it?
This isn't about being green, it is about removing older macs from the 2nd hand market. The exact same reason that HP offers a similar program.
OK. As long as it achieves the same effect, whether by some altruistic concern for the environment or through sheer greed, it's all good. Besides, it helps the individual Mac resllers who will be able to maintain a greater profit margin on used equipment due to less product glut on the open market.
Chuck
Not just Macs. Steve Jobs' quote at the shareholders meeting was something like: "We like switchers too."
I don't know sure, the old computer is less efficient than a new one, but once you take into account the energy used to *make* the new computer, I doubt that you saved energy, more likely you wasted energy.
I still have an E450 running at home, 4x 480mhz cpus and 4gig ram... It's far cheaper than a modern system capable of handling the same kind of load. It may not be the best system for brute force processing, but it's very stable and will handle a high load easily.
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I don't think this has to do with Mac Clones. I think this is just one way that Apple can continue to be progressive in their marketing.
Maybe I have a skewed view of the typical Mac user - but I consider them more progressive, open to new technologies and, well - maybe even more likely to be a vegetarian or drive an economical but classy car then a PC user.
You must remember that Microsoft won't be able to compete on this level - they don't make the hardware and likely won't recycle it for free. The average computer users sees Apple or Microsoft as the two choices. Maybe something like this will appeal to some undecided buyers.
In California, and many other places, it's now illegal to just throw old electronics in the trash. So Apple is actually supplying a valuable service.
If this is done properly (Which is much more likely if the actual recycling is done in the U.S. as Apple claims) this is a lot better than just dumping your old gear in the trash. A fair amount of the heavy metals can be expected to be stripped out for reuse, those parts which are not economically recyclable will be divided into two parts: general waste which is disposed of at any old landfill, and toxic materials which are disposed of at designated facilities that monitor groundwater perfusion, etc. But if the old parts are shipped off to a third world nation, chances are the end result will be less environmentally friendly than just dumping the old gear in the trash for the garbage man to deal with.
I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman
Recycling the computers themselves is easy. It is the monitors which cost money to recycle. The monitor is also the bit with the most noxious chemicals in it & thus is in the greatest need to be properly disposed of.
I can recycle computers for nothing all day long. But deconstructing monitors takes special equipment & its not cheap.
Now one might explain why IBM suddenly is selling these systems with very similar specs to these. Yes, the 185 is a bit neutered (memory, undocumented AIX only 3d graphics, PCI-X versus PCI-E), but they'd make for a nice system to use recycled 970's.
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