Location(s)

Gastown Tech Businesses Team Up for Free Geek Hardware Drive

The heroic Jordan writes:

"The Gastown tech community is organizing a 'Free Geek' Hardware Drive. On Friday, Dec 7th, participating Gastown tech business will donate their old, unneeded hardware to Free Geek, a non-profit that 'helps the needy get nerdy.'

"There's still time to be added to the list of participating businesses, and have your donations picked up next Friday. To participate, send an email to: Jordan[at]strutta.com and you will be added to the pick-up route. Then just bring your hardware for donation on Friday the 7th, and the truck will make its rounds, stopping eventually at Vancouver’s Free Geek headquarters at 117 E. 2nd Ave.

"Clear your life of your unused hardware, and help a very worthy non-profit in the process! All donated items are sorted for usefulness and if necessary, either refurbished or recycled in their volunteer program. Useful refurbished items are donated to deserving volunteers and non-profit organizations."

MORE INFO & UPDATES ON THE STRUTTA BLOG
MORE INFO ON WHAT HARDWARE FREE GEEK ACCEPTS

Thanks for thinking of us!!!

 

LIST OF CURRENT MAC ITEMS

Current working/non-working units in stock. Updated weekly

Blue and White G3 Qty:4

Beige PM G3 DT 2

Beige PM G3 MT 2

PM 7600/132 1

PM 7300/180 1

PM 7100/66 1

Umax C500 (Clone) 1

 

We also have keyboard, mice, scsi cables, external cd-rom, memory and hard drives. From time to time we get in Cache,Video, Sound and CPU upgrade cards. We also get Laptops.

Need something? Add it to the wishlist

Location(s)

Dan, from the Sunshine Coast, will be building as many robots out of old computer equipment as possible, in Free Geek's first Robothon. All are welcome to watch and learn about robotics as Dan works his magic! Watch CD-ROMs and old printers become robots!! For more about robitcs in Vancouver, click here.

Free Geek receives donated used computers and refurbishes them with care. They are then "adopted out" to volunteers in exchange for 24 hours of service in our recycling facility. We call this the Computer Adoption Program, and anyone willing to come down and work is eligible to join us and adopt a machine. The computer systems we create, called GeekBoxes, are loaded with the GNU/Linux operating system, called Ubuntu, and other Free Software.

Our use of GNU/Linux enables our computers to run at speeds comparable with newer machines. GeekBox computers come with a wide range of software installed but are primarily designed for word processing and internet use. The GeekBox also comes with a basic class on how to use it. This is a very popular program.

 For more information about joining the Adoption Program, VISIT THIS PAGE.

 

 

Free Geek receives more donated parts than it can refurbish into working computers. When we have excess parts, we will make them available for sale. P4 systems, laptops, printers network gear and laptop RAM, we have it all. We also re-purpose items. Old motherboard batteries(round disc ones) make fine batteries for bike lights! Looking for cables? No problem! We have many types including USB, Firewire, audio, video, serial and SCSI, . We cannot guarantee the availability of anything (except maybe floppy drives and keyboards!). All used computer parts are sold as is, with no warranty. ALL proceeds go toward Free Geek operational costs.

Check out our computers for sale.

Our thrift store is attached to the rest of our Vancouver facility at 1820 Pandora St. Here's some directions, just in case.

Check out the HOT ITEMS for sale page!

Check out our Legacy Hardware for sale page!

The Free Geek Thrift Store has gone virtual! Have a peek at our Ebay store!

MOVIE PROP/SET DECORATION RENTALS

We also rent older systems for props. If you are in the Film Industry and are looking for that 1985 XT system, we probably have something. Please visit our Computer Prop/Set Decoration Rentals page for more information.

ESOTERICA

Looking for a very unique, hard-to-find cable? Looking for a small plastic processor stabilizer that a single motherboard manufacturer included for only two years on a single model? All sorts of older equipment comes through our doors, so even though it's not in our thrift store, we may still have it. Since we're dedicated to reuse, and want to make our hobbyist customers happy, we created a Wishlist form. Fill out the form, and we'll let you know if we have the esoteric item you want.

 

USED MAC PARTS

We also carry used Mac parts in our thrift store. Keyboards to Systems we have a little bit of everything. Looking for that Asante MacCon RJ45 Ethernet Card for your SE/30? We might have one. Feel free to use our Wishlist form to have us keep an eye out for your sought after legacy Mac part!

This spring, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) knew where
to turn to get legacy hardware.

Pictured above is Griffen, a GVRD employee, showing off an oldschool
5.25 inch floppy disk, and Ryan, a Free Geek volunteer, holding the disk
drive Free Geek provided. Floppy disks hold between 180-1200 KB of data.

The GVRD has hundreds of archived floppy disks dating back to the 1960s,
containing data such as annual precipitation levels. Due to recent
concerns of flooding from the Fraser River, this data has developed new
importance. They wanted to retrieve this information and transfer it to
a different format. Unfortunately, just like most folks these days, they
lacked a computer with a 5.25 inch floppy drive.

While Free Geek does computer recycling, our top priority is computer
reuse. We had the necessary floppy drive on hand, and were tickled to be
able to help out.

 

 

 

Hardware can be dropped off during open hours at the back entrance of our depot. Free Geek is at 1820 PANDORA STREET, 3 blocks northeast of Commercial Drive and Hastings.

 

 

We take the following for FREE, working or not, in any condition. We welcome monetary donations to offset our costs and help our educational programs.

* Computers - working or non-working
* Laptops
* Printers
* Scanners
* Keyboards and Mice
* Fax Machines
* External Modems
* Motherboards and accessory cards
* Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)
* Computer cables
* Cell Phones
* Game Consoles, Cartridges and Accessories(Atari, Nintendo, Sega,  etc)

* CRT Monitors
* CPU/CRT combos (like iMacs)
* LCD Monitors

 

Please bring as little packaging and boxes as possible. Recycle boxes for your equipment through your curb-side recycling program. We do not accept Styrofoam.

* Photocopiers
* Telephones (We DO however accept IP phones)
* Flash Lights
* Electric Typewriters
* Stereo Equipment
* Styrofoam - (Can be taken to Masonville Plastics in Surrey)
* Televisions
* Microwave Ovens
* Copiers
* Smoke Detectors
* Appliances (including air conditioners)
* Cash Registers

We do not accept all software and manuals. Since we use Free and Open Source Software, we do not re-use proprietary software donated to us. Paper/cardboard packaging can be recycled in your mixed paper curb-side recycling bin. The portion that cannot be recycled through your curbside program can be brought to Free Geek, such as floppy diskettes, CDs and jewel cases. If you have manuals for specific pieces of equipment (i.e. motherboards) you are welcome to bring them with the equipment.

Recycling computers is labor intensive. Doing any of the following to prepare your Equipment for donation will help us speed the processing and recycling of your equipment!

1. Untangle all cords and cables. Coil them up with a rubber band or twist tie.
2. Attach power adapters (AC adaptors, transformers) to their associated equipment (such as powered speakers, printers or external modems) as best you can, we suggest wrapping with clear packing tape.

 

* Memory (DDR and RAMBUS)
* Pentium 3 and newer computers
* Laptops
* Hard drives (10 GB and larger)
* 100bT network hubs
* long runs of CAT5 network cable

* Cordless drill
* Phillips head screwdrivers
* Flat head screwdrivers
* Stardrivers (Torx)
* Nutdrivers
* Powerdrivers w/recharger
* Needlenose pliers
* Tin snips
* Boxcutters
* Quality dust masks

* Signal Generator
* Heat Sink Paste
* Variable Power Supply
* Permanent markers (thick and thin)
* Elastic bands
* First aid supplies (bandages)
* Toilet paper (recycled is best)
* Food (snacks, juice, fair trade coffee, chocolate yumyum, etc)
* Printer paper
* Dry-erase markers and ballpoint pens
* Tape - packing, scotch, duct, masking (1.5" or greater)
* Cleaning supplies (especially trash bags, sponges, ecofriendly cleaning product)

* Plastic Parts Bins