cotswoldjam.org - Lockdown Laptops

I Have a Laptop or Computer Parts to Give Away

First off: thank-you.

• Any laptop that used to have Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 will almost certainly be useful. If you're not sure, please send photos anyway! Thanks again.

  We can also make use of Linux x86/64 laptops, but not Mac laptops nor Android/iPad tablets. At the moment we are not taking desktop PCs.

• Please take photos of the labels on your laptop and either email andrew@aoakley.com or message Andrew on Facebook. This is so we can establish the technical specifications of your laptop, to make sure we don't waste your time. Please include your approximate location (e.g. "Tewkesbury Newtown", "Wheatpieces", "Mitton", "Tirley", "Priors Park").

  Here's some examples:
  

• We'll then reply. We're IT professionals working our normal jobs from home, on stuff including vaccine trial databases, NHS computer systems and other key work, so the reply might take a little while. If you get no response after 24 hours, send again.
• If we can make use of your laptop, we'll arrange collection or, if you're able to drop it off, we'll provide an address which will probably be Wheatpieces in Tewkesbury. We'll arrange a time to suit you, we'll wear masks and socially distance, and we can message each other in advance.
• We will delete everything from laptop, install completely new software and give it away to a parent of a child in need. This is a permanent gift, it is not a loan; you will not get your computer back. If you're worried about us stealing your data, then don't donate. Ask on Facebook Tewkesbury Noticeboard whether people think we're trustworthy.
• We'll give you as much information as we can about what happens to your laptop. A lot of this will depend on the parent of the child that receives it. So far we've had a video from a parent with their child saying thank-you, but some parents are understandably more wary.

Tech Specs and Computer Parts

• Minimum laptop spec is dual core, 1.6GHz CPU or faster, 2GB RAM and 30GB storage (although we may be able to upgrade RAM and storage).
• Ideal spec is dual core, 2GHz CPU or faster, 4GB RAM, 60GB SSD storage
• We are also interested in DDR2 SODIMM RAM 1GB or 2GB, plus DDR3 SODIMM RAM 4GB or 8GB, and 2.5" SATA SSDs (especially 60GB or 120GB) and Dell Inspiron mains chargers (19.5v, >3amps, jack diameter 7.5mm outer, 5.0mm inner)
• If you can donate RAM, SSDs or Dell chargers, please email andrew@aoakley.com or message Andrew on Facebook. We can collect within a few miles of Tewkesbury, or you could drop them round to Wheatpieces. Please include your approximate location (e.g. "Tewkesbury Newtown", "Mitton", "Tirley", "Priors Park").
• The goal is Debian with Raspberry Pi OS for PC. Basically the goal is to get the child onto Google Classroom and Showbie which is what Tewkesbury Secondary School uses.
• Read more technical details
• We also have an Amazon wishlist of cheap upgrades

Data destruction

We delete all hard drive partitions, reformat as a single DOS partiton (FreeDOS) then remove the hard drive. This makes data recovery almost impossible. Then, weeks later when we have a big enough batch, we destroy the disk platter(s) with an angle grinder or mallet. This makes data recovery completely impossible. What is left of the drive, goes to recycling.

We replace the hard drive with one of our brand new small SSDs that has been donated from our Amazon Wishlist (typically 60GB, enough for Linux).

If you are concerned about data security, please remove the storage drive before donation.

We cannot provide certificates of wiping or destroying hard drives. This is an amateur volunteer enthusiast effort. If you need a certificate of data destruction, consider donating your equipment to IT Schools Africa who are based locally in Cheltenham.

Comments, errors and corrections to: admin@cotswoldjam.org
Public Domain - Andrew Oakley - 2021-01-16

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