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Learn to properly Sort, Sell, and Profit from your electronic scrap material.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:08 pm 
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Here's a tip for working systems; to know exactly what's in them from A-Z
A just-shy-of-pre-compiled program called specme live is available for downloading to burn a livecd or usb
Download info end of paragraph!
Download and
For ISO double click on it, regardless of os, and chose to burn it. If burning is not an option you've made changes and know enough to not need further from me here.
For usb just copy the 3 files (xxx.boot, xxx.bat, and xxx.bin) to the usb stick
It's a Linux from scratch build based on downgrading Linux to the smallest possible size, adding a massive library of drivers and a bare gui.
and booting the kernel, compiling the compressed code on the fly. Etc etc. All of this Linux stuff is done without any involvement from you. So if you don't know Linux there's nothing to learn. The layout looks familiar to anyone who's had to look at the uefi screen on a computer, which is most everyone these days since windows 8.1 .
Turn on computer, put cd or usb stick in. Turn off computer
Turn on computer
An option will show to choose to boot in one of many different ways, follow the computers prompt to boot from your disc or usb
You'll be prompted to run the specme software, press y.
This could take a few seconds specing, say, a wireless router, a few minutes for most computers, or even a few hours on super gaming computers or other devices ( washing machine or coffee maker etc) that isn't a standard computer.
If anything is found that doesn't have a driver (and/or a database entry) included with the software you'll be asked if you want to search online. This will only pop up if it found, and recognised, a wireless or wired network adaptor. Choose yes if you have Internet access or no if you do not Y/N
You may need to enter your internet/wifi password
Internet searching uses a shtml connection and where available a sftp connection to download.
This will allow for far more details.
Finally on the last screen choose which printing option you want to use
Print to screen (on the monitor)plain text ( to most printers using pml) or save to file (using a number of online options including Google and drop box... Chose your location, or usb if using a usb stick, your login credentials, and then save.

The software is completely unlicensed beyond the kernel and mint components. It violates all sorts of open/closed source and licensing arrangements so I'll refrain from posting a direct link. Two of the three named sources post extensive warnings, . It's not the software per say; but a disagreement between the creator and the community about the meaning of "free". There's nothing illegal, just a disagreement over terms.
Can be officially downloaded from the authors tor site, from distro watch, or from penguin farm.
Unofficially from tpb (other issues aside one of the largest Linux repositories), or hundreds of other locations.
This is a techs golden egg. Offline it can find most hardware, down to the revision and serial numbers, prints error states and other recorded bits, (printout and file only) and let it online it will go as far as finding manufacturing dates for some items, letting you know if it's an official part or a knockoff replacement etc

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:12 pm 
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When to disassemble a:
Well start with laptops since that was the question posted before me.

So-- when should you disassemble a laptop? Let's start with the basics. What is a "laptop" and why it's worth money.
Laptops are, or more correctly were, portable desktop computers with generally lower powered higher quality components packed into tiny spaces with massive airflow engineering.
Was the key word there, today portables come from low end single board uITX layouts to super high end uATX units with removable everything that really truly ARE portable gaming computers. Then again such super portables tend to weigh 10lbs+, come with a 5 lb external power supply box (not brick, but box), cost $10,000 or more... Etc etc etc.

So for a recycling look, you can already tell there's more than just looking at one and making a decision.

Children's laptops:
2 types, mini screen and full screen
mini screen: laptops are nothing more than a tiny mITX board, a few silver contact boards, and a single low quality led screen. If you're into repair diy stuff the screens can be retrofitted to various b/w and colour gaming units out there, and even some larger graphing calculators. Beyond that this truly is waste, for the junk yard. Boardsort doesn't want them.
What should you do
Put them in the heavy shred ewaste pile. Sell it locally. Or toss it in a big box shop ewaste bin For recycling . I've done 6 for the what's inside series and none have produced more then my efforts put in beyond the screen.
value:
working fully $1-$5 (some collectables reach $20 or more)
Damaged, if the screen works you can get around $5 for it on ebay etc
Scrap, not worth it. Total value is under $1 and takes half an hour or more to pull apart, custom screws, triforce bits etc. Lots of clips, glue. Nightmare. Let the industrial pros do it. A giant slicer literally cuts the plastic back off and then a super shredder turns it into a refinable powder.

Large screen:
These are worth disassembling about half the time, much like netbooks (see below).
If you're a gambler take them all apart. If not, never try. They will be either
A higher grade board in the telco range and very rarely may cross into the cell class range. Especially the edu-mate units.
Or a tiny peripheral board that will likely go as green fibre with metal, being very similar to the super CPU boards from Apple servers.
The lcd, if working, can be swapped into any netbook, digital photos unit, or small Other small unit utilising digitiser on separate board display; of matching size.
Value:
Working fully $25 up to the low 100s depending on software
Damaged, working screen will get you $2-$10 depending on size and manufacturer
Scrap total value from under $2 or over $5 depending on the board

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:12 pm 
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Netbook
If you're a gambler take them apart. If not, time to fold. The boards will be one of two types,
a low grade peripheral board with multifunction IC chips and no real separated CPU or bridge chips, for peripheral class. Or A high grade telco (possibly cell class) board

A netbook is designed to be a bare access point to the cloud. So Most netbooks have few or no external ports, few or no internal ports, basically they have nothing to make the laptop grading curve for large socket.
That said here's a short list to maybe get the fencers into the gambling group. I have found the following things of good value inside for resale:
SD, MSD cards from 16-256 gig (dual 128s)
Compact flash cards
Smart chips (aka SIM cards but a different use)
SSD drives, 16gig-512gig
mPCIe cards, commonly wifi, cellular, and video
Socketed arm, risc, and power CPUs. Inverted chip carrier style
Memory, both standard and laptop style.
MPCIe ram cards, up to 16gig (major money)
Value:
Working; you could get as little as a few dollars up into the hundred dollar class depending on what it is and what's inside.
Broken, under $2 or over $5


Notebook
Notebook computers are the little brother of the laptops. They forgo some ports and expansion (missing drives etc) for compactness but are otherwise like big sis. See the next class for what you may want to do as far as taking them apart
Working $25+
Partially working $1-100
As scrap $1-10±

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:13 pm 
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Laptop
The full sized portable unit.
This is where this post started. Laptops and notebooks range doa scrap from around $1-$1.50 up to $20+
So let's figure out what to take apart. My history with them that is.
Anything pentium or earlier. Why: a 50-50 chance for gold cap CPUs. Especially pentium, 286, 386, and 8088/8080.
Anything that says AMD. The vast majority of AMD laptops use Pga processors just like their desktop counterparts.
Anything from IBM or DEC. Any pre P2 Compaq. Used off the shelf parts. Many high grade boards are possible here. As are memory and expansions. Internal wifi cards often get aircard rate.
Any dell. The largest and smallest especially. Working dell components sell for $$ on ebay. Because they're interchangeable. Giant radiator units of nickel and copper, worth a fair chunk of the whole laptop price alone. Removable pga CPUs. Etc.
Core2 dual/quad processor is heavy enough to take the unit apart when the rest is added up
Anything that says Sun or PowerPC
Apple
Anything newer than 2 years and somewhat working. Parts are worth $$

What not to take apart.
Any laptop smaller than a desktop replacement that is newer than the Pentium era, not mentioned above. Especially any modern Intel laptop. The newer it gets the lower the internal value.

Laptops are one of the few categories where 'If it works sell it whole' doesn't apply. Parts are almost always worth more in total than a full laptop on the secondary market.
Take a $50 IBM thinkpad X70. ebay range $50-100. Avgs
The cd drive runs $10. Ram cards $5-$25 each. Video card $20-25. Congrats we just hit the low end of the scale. Let's add the hdd $20-$40, the CPU $10-$25, the PCMCIA unit, $25-$30. The peripheral and I/O board from the back $10-25, the motherboard $10-$25, the monitor $10-$15, the digitiser $30-$50, the multi-card flash reader $30-$50 and so on.
Hell the power brick will fetch $10-$20!

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:13 pm 
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Desktop replacement
Always worth more as parts than whole if you're gentle and don't mind waiting for buyers.
The video cards alone can fetch a few hundred dollars.
If it's got issues I'd still sell it for "parts/repair"
If it's been run over by a lawnmower... Well they'll get you around $10 or so as scrap.

Portable
=$$$$$
These are giant towers that sit flat like a desktop. They have a built in crt monitor. They range from 8080 - 80486 CPUs. They weigh dozens to hundreds of lbs. selling them working is very difficult. Simply put most won't buy them for any real money because shipping can be $50-$100+ alone.
If it works DONATE it. Call a museum and get a tax form. Average tax credits range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
If it's broken; scrap it. Those components are FULL of gold.
Removable gold leg rom chips go as pentium ceramic each. The gold cap chips are over 90/lb to boardsort so $10-25 per CPU.
The last one I scraped was an IBM AT and got $100 something total from boardsort. And another $26 for the ram Simms from ebay.

Luggable
Junk for selling. >$10 +$50-100 shipping
Like portable computers they weigh a ton are difficult to ship working etc etc. Same rules as portable. If it works donate it. If not scrap it. Aside from edo ram (please sell all edo ram regardless of conditions, we as a whole need to keep edo sticks in circulation) there's no secondary value. Luggable computers range from pentium to core in general. They're basically a modern computer (then) with a handle on it. They generally look identical to the portable units except have no crt display.

Inside both portable and luggable systems is a full size computer so judge value by the equivalent without a handle.


Here's the sole exception to the above two classes. Modern units for gamers. Modern luggable computers are always worth the most working as parts. They're giant gaming rigs with handles on the tower. Called frag boxes, net boxes, war machines etc; they're custom built or boutique machines; usually have the best of everything at the time it was built; and can be worth thousands as parts. You won't see them often but estate sales, bankruptcy sales etc are a good place to find them.and eBay LIVE auctions; those that are invite only (look up live auctions and register for one), are very fast paced and require care to not get caught up in live bidding. Stuff tends to go one of two ways in these; way below value and way above.
Shipping and commission is between you and the auctioneer. Ebay has little involvement with the bidders beyond the forum to bid
That all said you'll find these can be parted out for thousands of dollars. You're going to find 2-4 video cards at a few hundred each. One or more SSD drives, 10k hard drives, 32-64meg of ram, cooling systems, high grade motherboards etc. Look for falcon or AVADirect as name brands along with ibuypower and cyberpower. And anything not name brand. Custom builds.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 7:40 am 

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I can't find the above mentioned Linux disro anywhere.... Any suggestions? I haven't tried tpb yet.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 1:42 pm 
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It was on kat but they're gone too now; you'll need to build it from a shunt. I'll
Link to the required packages and version of mint. Assuming you either understand Linux or can follow the rather dry prompts you can just download everything run the builder, and burn the iso to a cd. That or I can link an Iso image to my google drive for you.

As an alternative just search for live cd system spec for a few dozen options

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:28 am 

Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 6:30 am
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If you have an Iso that you are willing to share that would be great! I have been using ubuntu as my only operating system for the last ten years... I can't compile from source but I can add packages etc. I'm also good at following directions. I'm just not sure how to add packages and keep them on the system for the next boot or make a spec program auto-run. I'm sure I can figure it out if you point me in the right direction.

I am impressed and thankful for the work you put in on this board!

Let me know if you need my email to link your iso in google drive.

Thanks


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 8:50 pm 
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I'll need to rebuild a distro once I get a chance. And will post back with a note.
My bench copy is rather selective for what I do primary to fit it on a smaller disk (stringed floppys); but I believe I have my original downloads so I'll just rebuild it and make an Iso.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:06 am 

Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 7:04 pm
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I know its been a while, do you still have the files?


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