The Cutting Edge: COMPUTING / TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION : Be Sure Old PC Can Be Put to Use Before Donating It

Whether it’s the holiday spirit or the desire to take advantage of a last-minute tax write-off, December is when people are most likely to donate money or property to charities, schools, places of worship and nonprofit organizations.

That computer you have sitting in your closet, that old printer, your now-obsolete 2400-bit-per-second modem or maybe those unused software programs or books on your shelf are all potential donations. And you might be able to write off the fair market value of the product.

I’m all for giving to charity, but before you turn over that old PC, make sure that you’re doing the organization a favor. What may seem like an act of kindness to you, could, in some cases, turn into a white elephant.

Lots of people, for example, have old PC XTs, 286s or out-of-date Macs which they’ve replaced with more modern equipment. Those old machines are probably worth something to someone, but not necessarily to every organization. This is even more likely the case with real antiques like the Apple II or Commodore 64. Before donating any equipment, make sure that what you’re giving is compatible with what the organization may already have and that it can be put to good use.

It’s natural, for example, to think about your local school as a potential recipient. But to take advantage of today’s multimedia software, most classrooms today need PCs and Macs with Intel 486 or Motorola 68040 or higher CPUs, CD-ROM drives, eight or more megabytes of memory and relatively large hard disks. In other words, they need the same type of machine that you would get if you were in the market for a PC today.

That isn’t to say that there might not be a need for an old machine or two in your school. Just about any machine can be used to teach the fundamentals of word processing, database or spreadsheets, and even junkers can be useful for teaching kids to repair machines. But the vast majority of students, according to many educators I’ve spoken with, need access to systems that can run CD-ROMs and connect to the Internet.

Kids, whether at home or at school, often need more powerful equipment than people who work in offices because educational software requires more horsepower than typical office applications. So, before you drop it off, check with the staff to make sure they can use it.

The Detwiler Foundation Computers for Schools Program ([619] 456-9045) accepts IBM-compatible computers 286 or faster and Macintoshes with hard drives, as well as modems, mouses, disks, working printers, and other peripherals from individuals and companies.

The program’s goal is to raise California schools “from 48th to first in students per computer,” but as important as it is to get more computers into the schools, the student-computer ratio doesn’t tell the whole story. I’ve spoken with a number of teachers who worry that some of the donated equipment is too old for today’s classroom needs. I’m not holding my breath, but I’d love to see the day when schools get state-of-the-art equipment and sell it to businesses when it’s time to upgrade.

Be especially careful before giving an old machine to an organization whose staff and volunteers are not particularly computer literate. Such a machine could turn out to be more hassle than it’s worth, especially if it diverts staff attention from their other duties. Instead of just dropping off a machine, donate a solution. Work with the staff to evaluate the group’s needs and be prepared to set up the system, train the staff and drop in occasionally to make sure all is going well. The group will get a lot more from your donation, and so will you.

Although you may have to pay to ship your equipment, there are a number of organizations that accept used equipment. All the ones listed here say that donations are tax-deductible.

The East West Development Foundation ([617] 542-1234) refurbishes old equipment which it sends to service organizations in the United States and overseas. Your old 286 or Mac Plus, even if it’s not in working order, could find its way to an inner-city project in the U.S. or a beleaguered newspaper in Sarajevo, Russia or Latin America. The foundation has a “triage” center that matches old parts. It accepts computers, monitors, modems, memory, cables, peripherals, components, parts and software.

Another organization, Project Infomed ([408] 243-4359 or dwald@igc.apc.org) is sending used IBM-compatible PCs and modems to Cuba to be used as terminals for the country’s medical information system.

Gifts in Kind America ([703] 836-2121) can help individuals and companies place equipment with nonprofit organizations in their area. The organization maintains a database of groups that need equipment and, if they can make a match, they’ll put you in touch with a local agency.

The National Cristina Foundation ([800] 274-7846), which provides support for organizations that train people with “disabilities, at-risk students and the disadvantaged” can use all types of computer equipment and software including boards, disk drives and other components. Like Gifts in Kind, they can search their database for groups in your area.

Some of the organizations listed here have home pages on the World Wide Web. These, along with other groups that accept computer gifts can be found on my Web site.

Lawrence J. Magid welcomes electronic mail at magid@latimes.com and invites you to visit his World Wide Web site at https://www.larrysworld.com.