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A laptop that is no longer being used, a desktop PC that has become too slow or a box of old computer parts can still be surprisingly useful. A complete system may only need cleaning, repair or an upgrade before it can be used again. A faulty device may instead contain exactly the component needed to get another computer working.
ASK-Solutions therefore collects used computer equipment for use within The Owl’s Nest. We do not look only at age or market value, but primarily at what can still be done with a device or component in practice.
This also means that equipment does not have to be new, complete or fully working. Sometimes an entire computer finds another user; in other cases, an adapter, fan, SSD, memory module, display or another component may be the most useful part of the system.
We are interested in equipment including laptops, desktop PCs, monitors, keyboards, mice, docking stations, adapters, power supplies, cables, network equipment and other computer components.
Individual parts such as memory, SSDs, hard drives, fans and power supplies can also be useful. Most people understandably have a complete computer or laptop available rather than a loose SSD or memory module, so there is no need to dismantle equipment yourself before offering it.
Faulty systems are not automatically unusable. Sometimes the fault can be repaired; in other cases, several components may still be useful for other machines.
Not everything electronic fits this collection. We usually do not take ordinary printers, for example. Their storage requirements, consumables and processing often outweigh what we can realistically do with them.
Unusual or specialised equipment can be different. If you have something less common, a larger quantity of hardware or are unsure whether something may be useful, please contact us first. We can then check whether there is a practical use for it before equipment is transported unnecessarily.
When equipment comes in, we first consider what a useful next step would be. A system that is still suitable for use can be tested, cleaned and repaired or upgraded where necessary. Linux can be installed on suitable computers, and systems may be used for practice, practical activities or by another user.
Some systems are actually given away to people for whom access to a usable computer is not straightforward. So far, this has happened mainly through the Linux Café Haarlem initiative. A broader approach for making computers available directly through The Owl’s Nest still needs to be developed.
A device that no longer makes sense as a complete system does not necessarily become worthless. Components from it may later fit another repair perfectly. A display, keyboard, adapter, fan, connector, memory module or case component can make the difference between a machine remaining unused and one returning to service.
Computer hardware is examined, repaired and prepared at both Spaarndamseweg and Tugelastraat. Which location makes most sense depends on the system, the work involved and the people working on it.
Spaarndamseweg is used, among other things, for practical computer work and Linux Café Haarlem. Computers and components can also be examined, repaired and prepared at Tugelastraat. Equipment collected for The Owl’s Nest is therefore not tied to one activity or one location.
Replacing a computer does not automatically mean that every component in it has reached the end of its useful life. By first examining what still works, complete systems can remain useful for longer and components from other devices can make further repairs possible.
There is a practical and social side to this as well. Knowledge is developed and shared while equipment is examined, cleaned, repaired and installed. A system that can subsequently be reused or given to someone else ultimately provides more than a successful technical repair alone.
Before a hard drive or SSD is reused, we ask whether any files still need to be kept. If you tell us that nothing needs to be retained, the storage device is erased without us first browsing through its contents.
We use a dedicated script that selects an appropriate secure erasure method for the type of storage device. After this procedure, the original data cannot be recovered.
If there are files you do want to keep, please tell us beforehand and bring your own USB drive or external storage device for them to be copied onto. The original storage device can then be securely erased before being reused.
Equipment offered for use within The Owl’s Nest can be dropped off at Tugelastraat 55. Drop-off is always by appointment.
Please contact us first and briefly describe what you have available. A make and model, a general description and, where known, what no longer works is usually enough for us to decide whether bringing the equipment in would be useful.
You are also welcome simply to ask whether something may be useful without arranging a drop-off immediately. We would rather check beforehand than see usable hardware discarded or have equipment brought in for which we have no realistic use.
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