“Wow,” said Jessica. “Cooool,” said Matthew. My eyes bulged, and my jaw dropped. When the curtain was raised on Apple’s iMac, the company’s financial fortunes brightened. At the same moment, the value of my existing Macintosh hardware fell to the floor.
The iMac represents the first stage of Apple’s transition to a new paradigm. It’s advertised at the bargain price of $1,299.00 (rumor has it the iMac will sell for $999.00 by Christmas). A new desktop G3/233 is being offered by some vendors for only $1,499.00. At these prices, owners of “legacy” equipment have a dilemma: What do we do with our older Macs when we need to increase performance? Chances are you’ll recoup only a small fraction of your original investment selling your used Mac to another person.
The good news is (depending on the model of Mac you own), you may be able to increase the performance of your existing hardware to G3 levels by adding a G3 processor upgrade card. The fine people at Newer Technology <http://www.newertech.com> can help you find a solution that meets your performance needs and your budget. For Mac owners like me who have 4x CD-ROM drives and hard drive capacities measured in megabytes, it may be time to stop by CompUSA or visit the Apple Store <http://store.apple.com> and select a new computer.
I’d like an iMac for my kids and a new G3 PowerBook for me. While there may be room on one of my credit cards for a new computer, there’s no room in my humble abode for both new and old equipment. At today’s prices, I’d prefer to donate the equipment than try to find a buyer for it.
So, dear readers, I’m asking for your assistance. I’d like to create a list of schools and charitable organizations that will take donations of Mac equipment. Donating your older computer to a school or charity may give it new life while opening the wonderful world of Macintosh computing to new users. If you know of a school or charity that will take donations of Macintosh equipment, please e-mail me at <rleitao@atpm.com>. Specifically, I’d like the following information:
Organization Name
Organization Address
Contact Name
Contact Phone Number
Contact E-mail Address
Type of Organization (i.e. school, private charity, etc.)
Kind of Mac Equipment Needed or Accepted
This information will be compiled and made available by request. Requests for the names of schools and charities in your local area willing to accept donated equipment should be sent to the same e-mail address.
It’s said that charity begins at home, but there’s nothing wrong with businesses helping in the effort. If you have a small business that has Mac equipment available for donation, please e-mail me with what you have to offer. I’ll do my best to find a school or charity that can use what you have to offer. This is a great way to help others while we help ourselves to the increased performance of G3 computers.
Please feel free to post this information request anywhere in the World Wide Web that’s appropriate. Together, I think we can do a lot of good!
