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A laptop or desktop PC that is no longer being used has not necessarily reached the end of its useful life. After cleaning, testing and sometimes a small repair or upgrade, a system may still be perfectly usable. Monitors, keyboards, mice, adapters and other computer equipment can also be put back into use.
We therefore collect used computer hardware. We look at its technical condition, what can still be done with it and whether there is a worthwhile next use. Age alone does not determine whether something is still useful.
Examples include laptops, desktop PCs, monitors, keyboards, mice, docking stations, adapters, power supplies, cables, network equipment and individual computer components. Individual memory modules, SSDs, hard drives and other components can also be useful, but there is no need to dismantle an old laptop or computer yourself before offering it to us.
Systems that no longer work perfectly can also be useful. A fault does not necessarily mean that an entire computer has to be written off. Sometimes it can be repaired, or only one component is needed to make the system properly usable again.
We usually do not take ordinary printers. They often require relatively large amounts of space while offering us limited opportunities for worthwhile reuse.
Unusual or specialised equipment may be different. If you are unsure whether something could be useful, or if you have a larger quantity of equipment, please contact us first. We can then check whether bringing it in would be worthwhile.
Computers that come in are first examined and tested. Where appropriate, they are cleaned, repaired or upgraded. A technically sound system does not necessarily need replacing simply because its original software has become demanding or is no longer supported.
Linux can be installed on suitable laptops and desktop PCs. This can allow systems that may have become too limited for their original use to remain practically useful for a considerable time. The aim is not to keep the oldest possible hardware running at any cost, but to assess each system and decide whether continued use is still technically and practically sensible. Peripherals can likewise be reused when they are still working properly and can serve a useful purpose with another system.
Some computers are too old or too limited to remain pleasant everyday systems, even with a lightweight Linux installation. That does not automatically mean they need to disappear. Interesting older laptops and computers can become part of our collection. This preserves systems from different periods so that they can later be examined, demonstrated or used to show developments in computer hardware.
The usefulness of computer hardware cannot always be judged by its age, appearance or market value. An older business laptop may still be technically very useful, while a newer device with a particular fault may be much harder to put back into service. We therefore prefer to look at the equipment itself: what still works, what needs attention, what the system is capable of and whether there is a realistic next use. This allows hardware that still has practical value to remain in use instead of being written off automatically.
Before a hard drive or SSD is reused, we ask whether any files still need to be kept. Please tell us beforehand if the device contains data you want to retain. If you want files to be retained first, please bring a USB drive or external storage device onto which they can be copied.
If you tell us that nothing needs to be kept, we do not inspect the personal data on the system. All personal data is securely erased so that it cannot be recovered.
Computers, computer components and peripherals can be dropped off at Tugelastraat 55, 2021 TB Haarlem. We ask you to make an appointment beforehand. This allows us to plan for your visit, look at the equipment together and get an idea in advance of what you would like to bring.
Please contact us and briefly describe what you have available. A make and model or a general description is usually sufficient. If you already know that something is faulty, please let us know that as well.
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