old computers, new computer

Had a bit of a clear-out yesterday. I dropped off

  • one Sempron-based PC
  • an ancient eMac
  • a built-like-a-tank Samsung laser printer
  • two monitors: one LCD, one flatscreen
  • two mini-itx boxen of undetermined operation
  • about six external USB drives
  • a DVD player with VGA output
  • a box of stuff, including various network thingies, an NSLU-2 and a KVM switch.

at Free Geek Toronto. I’d heard about them from Colin at Mappy Hour, the monthly(ish) OpenStreetMap event. They have a very neat warehouse, and are definitely doing the right thing in getting surplus electronics either to people who need them, or properly recycled. On the (lengthy – 2 hours from the Junction to home, grr) drive back, I even heard a tiny CBC radio spot about them. Shame that the announcer almost said “old electronics crap” instead of “old electronics gear”, though …

I just built a new linux box to replace a bunch of the stuff I just threw out. It’s a small and quiet MSI 6676-003BUS with a fanless Atom 510 processor. It plugs straight into the HDMI of the TV, and remote work is done with VLC or SSH. To cut down clutter, I’m using a cheapo Logitech® Cordless MediaBoard Pro for PLAYSTATION®3, which works just fine as a keyboard and mouse with a generic $10 bluetooth USB adaptor.