Conference 7.286::digital

Last time I checked that type of equipment is considered a state of the art
upgrade to those of us in Storage Engineering... ;-)

-John

(who just upgraded his workstation to a VS3100-M38 last month)

    I've heard (maybe a rumor) that once we did give some obsolete
    equipments out.  However, when those equipments failed we got a law
    suit thus no more donation of obsolete equipments.  It's sad.
    
    

    RE: .0
    
    386's obsolete? 
    
    Aren't they one of those new fangled windows machines? -;)
    
    As I sit here with my trusty VT240.
    
    kjg

>    As I sit here with my trusty VT240.
    
    
    VT240? VT240!
    
    I've got this 1912 Victoria typewriter with a big copper cable
    hanging off the side...

>	Just curious how DEC disposes those obsolete equipment such as
>	MicroVaxes,  286 or 386 PC's. 

    
    	Re: last few
    
    
    	Glad to hear that we're not alone. Around here, the support people
    	are upgrading to the 'obsolete' 386's. (which are obtained mostly
    	by hook or crook)

    To answer the original question, the PDC (VTX PDC ... Property 
    Disposition Center) will help you, but last I heard (early March)
    donations of equipment were on hold.
    
    Sue

    From where I'm sitting, I'm looking at:
    
    4 dead vt1200 x-windows terminals
    2 dead monitors
    2 df126 modems
    15 keyboards, some with keys
    a flashing tape-drive (controller bad)
    an Ultrix box
    2 gutted 3100s
    1 filthy vt340
    3 working vt420s
    2 live 3500s
    2 live 3100s
    a small pile of scholar modems, some in pieces
    a small pile old printers (no ink, few covers)
    
    *THIS* is the equipment we're supposed to use to make money for
    Digital.  (Oh, our VaxMate broke last month).
    
    							Tex

    
    	Hi,
    		as always the problem with old(er) kit is that you can
    		pick it up for next to nothing,but if anything needs to
    		be added/enhanced (simms,HDD etc),then the cost of the
    		upgrade immediately outweighs the savings on the
    		initial acquisition.And if that dont get you then the
    		maintenace costs will ......
    
    				Sad.
    
    						Mick

  It is indeed unfortunate that we can't do SOMETHING with our old but still
functional surplus equipment other than send it to the PDC, which will recycle
all materials they can and send the rest to the dump. The problem, of course,
is that almost every group in Digital has a stockpile of such equipment and
very few are looking for used equipment.
  We have a large stockpile of used equipment, mostly in working order, that
will go to the PDC soon if we can't find takers for it.

    There is a Corporte policy called "CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS".
    
    Go into VTX POLICY under Corporate Policies and view the Corporate
    Contributions policy.  It explains how to get the process going.
    
    
    C.
    

    Does anyone now when the next pickup days for junk are in Dallas?

Tex:

> (Oh, our VaxMate broke last month).
    
  Well, it's not *ALL* bad news is it then, Tex?

                                   Atlant

    Re: the equipment reply:
    
    Oddly enough, our office has a cubicle like that too...  There are
    several terminals, some monitors (19" and smaller), tape drives, and
    other stuff - all with a Post-It (remember those) on them that says
    "SCRAP"...

>Tex:
>
>> (Oh, our VaxMate broke last month).
>    
>  Well, it's not *ALL* bad news is it then, Tex?
>
>                                   Atlant
    
    Well, it wouldn't be if we could figure out how to bury the corpse. 
    Unfortunately, the "Ghost of Digital Past" haunts our computer room. 
    Oh, and the TK50s we send media on to customers?  Labels like "RDB
    v1.0", "VMS 3.2", etc.  We assume "CRC-READERR" is an informational
    message all tape utilities generate to let you know they're working.
    
    ...and what's a "POST-IT"? :^]
    
    								Tex

    Wow... So does our office...
    
    Some of the more notable items are a Robin (VT180), a WPS system (with
    8" floppy drives) and an IBM (3270?) terminal...
    
    	Dave

I was reciently told by someone that tried to get in touch with the "right
people" to donate something that the policy that was in place to do this has
been put on hold and no futher donations will be processed.

I say "right people" because, like me, he has successfully donated equipment
over the past year.  

bjm

>  We have a large stockpile of used equipment, mostly in working order, that
>will go to the PDC soon if we can't find takers for it.

I assume that the usable equipment has been placed in DIAL...

    This is not just a corporate problem. As millions of machines go into
    home use, what can people do with their older systems? They may wait a
    lot longer than a corporation to stop using them, but eventually they
    may replace them. For instance, I have an Osborne 1, an 8086 laptop (no
    hard disk, monchrome CGA), and a 386 machine sitting around, with a
    shiny new 486 machine sitting in my study (I actually managed to sell
    the TI99/4A a long time ago; can you tell what my favorite toy is? And
    why we never have money to buy decent furniture?). My wife does take
    the laptop to work now for data capture and then dumps it into the new
    system, so we have resurrected that one a bit.
    
    Ok, so maybe I'm an extreme case, but when you can buy a complete
    486/25 with CDROM and monitor for under $1000 at Wal-Mart, a lot of
    people are going to think about shutting down their dusty old IBM PC
    XT's and AT's and getting up to date, especially if they have kids.
    Will America soon be awash in waves of discarded home computers?

    I spent a lot of time trying to donate a perfectly functional MIPS
    workstation.  Never did get approval.
    
    good luck.  It's very very difficult, even before things were put on
    hold (if they really are).  However, try your local site manager.
    He/she may just say "go ahead".
    
    ken b.
    

>>    ... trying to donate a perfectly functional MIPS workstation.  
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    
    
Methinks this is an oxymoron.

			ch

    re: .18
    
    The old home computers will go the same place all those millions of
    black-and-white TVs went.  Landfills, garage sales, etc.
    
    	Steve

    re: .18
    
    Nope, sorry.  I was interning at a client site when they got all of
    their old 286s and Tandy TRS 80s together in a big pile and were just
    calling maintenance when...yours truly walked by.
    
    I brought a truck and hauled 'em all home.  I then wiped everything off
    the hard disks (oooh, 10 & 20 meg!), made sure everything worked
    mechanically, packaged 'em with any software or documentation I found
    in the pile and started calling the local school systems.
    
    You wouldn't *believe* the response!  Happy, happy didn't begin to
    describe it!  I used a few non-functionals as paint benches, but the
    rest went to good homes.
    
    Next topic...thanks to Paul Harris & Amanda White here @ SCA our
    computer room is now devoid of the list I'd previously posted here
    (now, that *is* landfill stuff!).
    
    								Tex

    
    
    	Obsolete/excess computer components are generally sent to the
    	Property Disposal Center (Contook NH) where they are either 
    	scrapped or sold depending on their condition.  I do not know 'how'
    	they are sold.
    
    	It is possible to donate capital equipment by completing a Request
    	for Capital Write-Off form EN-02292-01 REV B (69U) and checking off
    	'Donate' under 'Disposition:'
    
    	It has to be approved by the CC Mgr, FA and Plant Manager.
    
    	And SBA must be generated to get it out of the building.
    
    	I am not sure how expensed equipment is donated.
    

    If you are donating capital equipment, you will still need the
    Corporate Contributions Committee's approval to do so.  The Financial
    Management Centers will ask you for your approval at the same time that
    you submit your Capital Write Off Form.  The Property Disposal Center
    (PDC) Customer Service, DTN 267-8312, should be able to point you to
    the right people within the Corportate Contributions Committee.
    
    Good Luck!f