| There's nothing sadder than a computer sitting in a closet, doing good for nobody, simply because a newer, faster model has come along. After all, once it was state of the art, powerful enough to run a business or create a website or entertain us for hours. Does it stop being useful simply because something better comes along?
At Gold Coast Mac, the answer is no! While older Wintel boxes tend to get obsolete within a year or two, older Macintosh computers often can run the latest version of the Mac OS, current software packages, and do much of the work a brand new computer can do. That's the basis of our "Mac a Difference" program to recycle old computers.
It started when we upgraded our presentation computer used at meetings from a Quadra 700 to a new G3. The Quadra no longer met our needs, but it was still a powerful computer, and we wanted someone to benefit from it. With the help of CBS4's Neighbors 4 Neighbors program, we found a number of civic organizations which were looking for help in obtaining a computer. After discussion, we settled on the Florida City Optimist Club.
Esver Camacho makes a quick fix
to the donated laser printer
included as part of the package!
This Optimist group, like all Optimist clubs, focuses on kids and athletic programs. However, unlike most, this was in an exceptionally poor area of South Miami-Dade. The club operates out of space borrowed from a church, and did not have the money to buy a computer on which to keep team records and give kids computer training.
The Optimists were pleased and surprised to hear of our donation. Teaming the Quadra with a donated monitor, modem, and laser printer, we installed childrens software and a donated version of AppleWorks, and on a Sunday afternoon in February 1999, we carted the whole package to the Optimists borrowed office space.
Within minutes, members set the system up, showed staff members how to run it, and even made some last minute repairs to the laser printer. When we departed, leaving behind a complimentary membership for the club, the staff was still smiling at it's good fortune.
With a little work, a few donations, and community motivation, were were able to "Mac a Difference" for the Optimists, and we were so happy with the results, we've made the donation program a regular part of Gold Coast Mac.
If you'd like to donate equipment for this program, please contact us!
February 1999
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