Laptop Advise

[Rod Speed]

(e-mail address removed) wrote


Not if there isnt any mains power available.



You need to get out more, most obviously
with ex lease laptops and those sold on ebay.



There's plenty of those for lower than that with the best prices
available.

It isnt for the bulk of most modern first world countrys.

Thats fine for what plenty do on their laptops.

Which is why most dont just replace the battery.

And you obviously dont see the laptops that
are discarded when they are replaced either.

 

[paulmd]

And you obviously dont see the laptops that
are discarded when they are replaced either.

Now those I DO see. I work at a nonprofit computer recycling center. I
see those every day. Living and dead, and every stage inbetween. Day
in, day out. Some of our favorite people scavenge the dumpsters, by the
university, when the college kids leave for the summer, and many other
dumpsters beside. I KNOW what people discard in the way of equipment.

A typical donation comes in 3 main flavors.

(1) Obsolete or Arcane. This isnt a major problem, there's always ebay,
and materials recovery. There's a market for it.

(2) 5 years old or so. These are meat and drink, they mostly still
work. These are a typically re-gifted, after being wiped, upgarded, and
a new copy of Windows 2000 installed. A lot of these are resold, too.

(3) New and dead. Half can be revived, the rest is parts for the other
half. The survivors are mostly resold at our thrift store (like
goodwill, for electronics) to keep the lights on, and the rent paid. We
are located in a low-income part of town, our customers would otherwise
never be able to afford a computer.

We survive entirely on donations. We can't buy product from people or
we would get higher end stuff, but we can't. It goes against the grain
of being a community supported orginization.


It's a very typical subset of what I see. Few people toss a perfectly
good P4.

 

[Rod Speed]

(e-mail address removed) wrote


Which is why they got discarded. The ones that got discarded
and are still viable mains powered you clearly wouldnt see.

Now those I DO see.

No you dont, you only ever see a tiny subset of them.

I work at a nonprofit computer recycling center. I see those every
day. Living and dead, and every stage inbetween. Day in, day out.

And you never ever see FAR more of the discarded.

Some of our favorite people scavenge the dumpsters, by the university,
when the college kids leave for the summer, and many other dumpsters
beside. I KNOW what people discard in the way of equipment.

No you dont, you only ever see a tiny subset of those that get discarded.

A typical donation comes in 3 main flavors.

(1) Obsolete or Arcane. This isnt a major problem, there's
always ebay, and materials recovery. There's a market for it.

(2) 5 years old or so. These are meat and drink, they mostly still work.
These are a typically re-gifted, after being wiped, upgarded, and a new
copy of Windows 2000 installed. A lot of these are resold, too.

(3) New and dead. Half can be revived, the rest is parts for the
other half. The survivors are mostly resold at our thrift store (like
goodwill, for electronics) to keep the lights on, and the rent paid.
We are located in a low-income part of town, our customers
would otherwise never be able to afford a computer.

Irrelevant to what was being discussed, how many
get discarded instead of having the battery replaced.

We survive entirely on donations. We can't buy product from
people or we would get higher end stuff, but we can't. It goes
against the grain of being a community supported orginization.

Irrelevant to what was being discussed, how many
get discarded instead of having the battery replaced.

It's a very typical subset of what I see.

What you see is a tiny subset of what is out there.

Few people toss a perfectly good P4.

Duh. Irrelevant to what was being discussed, how many
replace a laptop instead of replacing just the battery.

 

[paulmd]

(e-mail address removed) wrote



Which is why they got discarded. The ones that got discarded
and are still viable mains powered you clearly wouldnt see.

A large percentage of the laptops I see *do* have working batteries.

No you dont, you only ever see a tiny subset of them.


And you never ever see FAR more of the discarded.


No you dont, you only ever see a tiny subset of those that get discarded.

IT's a representave sample.

Irrelevant to what was being discussed, how many
get discarded instead of having the battery replaced.

If the battery is dead, it typically died long ago. A few are discarded
just beacuse of dead battery, but not a huge percentage.

Irrelevant to what was being discussed, how many
get discarded instead of having the battery replaced.

ibid.



What you see is a tiny subset of what is out there.
ibid.

Duh. Irrelevant to what was being discussed, how many
replace a laptop instead of replacing just the battery.

ibid.

 

[Rod Speed]

(e-mail address removed) wrote

Rod Speed wrote

A large percentage of the laptops I see *do* have working batteries.

Working and a decent time on the battery are two entirely different matters.

And like I said, what you see is a very atypical subset of the laptops out there.

IT's a representave sample.

You dont know that. And its unlikely give what you say at the top.

If the battery is dead, it typically died long ago.

You dont know that either, and what matters with
most laptops isnt whether the battery is dead or not,
its whether its still got a decent time on the battery.

A few are discarded just beacuse of
dead battery, but not a huge percentage.

See above.

And you likely dont see most of the ones that do get discarded
because of a useless battery, because most are likely still usable
on the mains even if that isnt adequate for the original owner who
chooses to give it to someone who can use it on the mains.

ibid.

Just chanting ibid cuts no mustard.

And have fun explaining why the sales of laptops is MUCH higher
than the sales of replacement batterys. There cant be that many
using a laptop for the first time now, and those who do use laptops
have usually gone thru quite a few more than they have with desktops,
essentially because laptops arent as economically repairable as desktops.

 

[kony]

And have fun explaining why the sales of laptops is MUCH higher
than the sales of replacement batterys.

Is it? Maybe but this has yet to be established.

There cant be that many
using a laptop for the first time now,

That seems as likely as any other factor, I know quite a few
people with only a desktop, or that waited till the recent
plunge in laptop prices (or rather, that you can now get a
laptop for cheap that has enough muscle to do all the
typical things without longer wait time on WinXP) made them
more desirable.

and those who do use laptops
have usually gone thru quite a few more than they have with desktops,
essentially because laptops arent as economically repairable as desktops.

There are companies that primarily sell laptop batteries,
and are able to do so because they cost less than the OEM
replacement battery. Perhaps _you_ would only consider
either the OEM battery or a brand new laptop, but many
others obviously choose the aftermarket battery... and I
would too, there's no point in throwing away a perfectly
working P3 or newer class laptop simply because the
replacement battery would cost $80... I'd sell it first then
the buyer would buy the replacement battery (since few
people buy a laptop to have it only usable tethered to the
wall).

 

[Rod Speed]

Is it?

Corse it is.

Maybe but this has yet to be established.
Nope.

That seems as likely as any other factor,

Thats completely silly.

I know quite a few people with only a desktop, or that waited till
the recent plunge in laptop prices (or rather, that you can now get
a laptop for cheap that has enough muscle to do all the typical
things without longer wait time on WinXP) made them more desirable.

Sure, but its still quite a bit less than those
who are replacing a laptop with another.

There are companies that primarily sell laptop batteries, and are able
to do so because they cost less than the OEM replacement battery.
Duh.

Perhaps _you_ would only consider either
the OEM battery or a brand new laptop,

Wrong, as always. And I am completely irrelevant to what happens.

but many others obviously choose the aftermarket battery...

Bet its a small subset of those who replace the laptop.

and I would too, there's no point in throwing away
a perfectly working P3 or newer class laptop simply
because the replacement battery would cost $80...

Plenty clearly do that sort of thing with all types of PCs.

Basically using that as a good excuse to buy something better.

Particularly with laptops which still tend to be noticeably worse
performers than desktops, if only on the hard drive speed.

I'd sell it first then the buyer would buy the replacement battery

**** all bother to sell the previous system that has died.

(since few people buy a laptop to have
it only usable tethered to the wall).

I doubt its all that low. Plenty need the
portability but dont need to run on battery.