[geeks] Cleaning out advice needed...

[Mike Hebel]

I know everybody on the list has had to do this at one time or another 
and now it's my turn.

I need to actually discard old computer equipment.  (Not that I don't 
have more of it coming in. ;-)

The problem is that I need advice on what to get rid of.  Most of the 
stuff around here is crap but I don't know exactly what to do with it.
Basically I looked around tonight and said "What the hell am I going to 
do with all this stuff!"

For instance I have (without looking):

PC Stuff -
ISA IDE cards
ISA/PCI video cards
ISA SCSI cards
Several 60 - 200mhz Pentium I chips
3 Cyrix chips - MII 300GP, pr166, pr133.
Quite a few 1meg 30 pin SIMMs.
Quite a few 4meg 72 pin SIMMs.
386DX-40 board.
386DX-33 board with 387DX-25 Co-Processor.  (My first personal board.)
Misc 486 boards.
ISA Network cards, some of them 8bit coax.
A whole box of ARCnet stuff in storage.
A fair amount of 210 - 850meg IDE hard drives in various states.
An AT style Full-Tower case with lots of space in it.
Misc old floppies, cables, etc.
Misc 1.44M floppy drives in various mounts and conditions.
1 ALR QUAD CPU P-Pro Revolution server without sleds or CPUs.
1 all-in-one Compaq Presario 486 that works fine but the screen dims on it.
Several 200 - 800meg IDE notebook drives.
A couple 210meg SCSI drives.
A buttload of Toshiba 1950c notebook power supplies (15 - 18v depending 
on the models).


Mac Stuff -
4 working MacSE boxes - one with no video but boots ok external
(not SE/30s).
2 unused Quadra 605's that need batteries but are fine.
1 Performa 475 that has video problems
1 MacSE that has no POST of any kind except the power supply.
1 Quadra 605 converted to a 6100 that gives constant "Bus Error"s.


Non-Intel/Mac -
1 non-posting LX box.  I get supply but no output or sign of life.
1 IPX board that the Ethernet is bad on but otherwise ok.
1 IPC good and populated but currently not in use.
1 IPX good, not populated, not in use, may need NVRAM repair.
1 SGI Indy, good but needs to be reloaded.  Won't boot off of drive 
after power failure.
1 SGI Indigo 2 (with the large graphics card that is not Impact or 
Extreme that I can never remember the name of.)  It works but is boxed.
1 Alphastation 4/266 that I gets lights and power but no other sign of 
life.  I can't find a reference for those LEDs anywhere!
3 Apollo DN3000 boxes in storage complete with OS/Manuals/Tapes/Cables - 
they supposedly worked when I got them but I've never fired them up.
1 Apollo compatible COLOR raster hardware output device - that I keep 
tripping over and can't move easily.  With chemicals.  Looks like an old 
  copier with the lid glued down.
1 19" Sun monitor that needs professional focusing.  Works but fuzzy.
1 Mistubishi/Apollo monitor of unknown specs that needs a cable.
Several SCSI cartridge type CD-Rom drives.
1 DEC box labeled DELNI-BA on the bottom with AUI connectors.
1 DEC Microvax II in storage with the 320meg drive and loaded with 
NetBSD.  I have VMS tapes here too.
Several CIT and a couple DEC VT terminals in storage.
A KXP-4420 printer missing the trays and toner/drum in storage.
A DEC LN03 laser printer of unknown status in storage.
An HP Draftmaster pen plotter with pencils and extra pens - in storage.
3 Sun SparcPrinters - model QA6.  No cables or cards but otherwise intact.
A misc amount of old test equipment in the small attic.

As you can see the list is quite long - I think I'm overwhelmed.  I 
really don't want to just throw anything out - it's a real problem for 
me.  What I'm looking for is what _can/should_ be discarded in your 
opinions.  I know that varies from person to person but I still want the 
data.

Help is needed for this packrat to "unpackrat" some this stuff!

Mike "drowning in crap" Hebel