Hand-Me-Down Technology
Just before Christmas as part of my ongoing mobile phone contract, I upgraded my handset to a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. This left me with a Samsung Galaxy S8, that I no longer needed. Usually, I sell old handsets online as they tend to hold their value. But as this one had a few knocks and scrapes (due to one single unfortunate drop), I couldn’t really get a good price for it. However, quite to my surprise, Mrs P expressed an interest in it. This was unusual as she is somewhere between a technology Muggle and a militant Luddite. But she does appreciate the practical necessity of having a smartphone these days and her existing Motorola Moto G was no longer fit for purpose. So I bought her a case for the S8, which covered the minor damage to the handset, unlocked it so she could use it with her network and transferred all her personal data. She seems content with its capabilities and so this handset continues to be of practical use. This naturally got me thinking about the nature of hand-me-down technology.
Over the last three decades there has been a proliferation of consumer technology. This cultural shift has seen gadgets and devices become readily available to all and evolve beyond mere functionality into fashion accessories. But as technology has become cheaper and more disposable, we are left with an ever growing supply of obsolete, redundant or simply older products. Often these can still be of use but may simply not have the latest specifications. At present I have a 4 year old Android Tablet, 2 older PCs with Intel Core i5 and i3 processors and several phone handsets sitting in a bedroom cupboard. I also have numerous old PC peripherals and items of obsolete technology like portable MP3 players or PDAs. There are also bags full of cables, docking stations, HDD caddies, old modems and routers, as well as a plethora of AC power adaptors for devices I can no longer identify. Rather than just take all this to the local borough recycling facility, I’ve decided to see if I can find homes for some of these items.
Passing on an old PC is not too difficult to do. Reformatting the hard disk and removing all personal data is essential but hardly a chore. If you search online, it’s not too difficult to find cheap OEM Windows 10 keys. Hence a clean and legitimate installation of the operating system can be done for a few pounds. The tricky part is finding the right person to give the “refurbished” PC to. Donating or selling an old PC to someone does not come with an obligation to provide technical support but sadly the opposite is often assumed. Make sure that whoever ends up with your old PC fully understands they are taking it “as is”. If they buy it from you, have something worded to that effect on a receipt and get them to sign it. Mercifully, you don’t get such problems with tablets and old phones. My old tablet can still be used quite well for reading ebooks and listening to podcasts. As long as whoever inherits it knows its technical limitations, this can be passed on and be of service for a few more years. As for older phone handsets, I was surprised to learn that they find favour in certain quarters specifically due to the limited functionality. I read that small charities like them for their staff as they provide a low cost means of communications without any obvious scope for personal misuse.
Hence, I already have a few ideas as to how I may be able to dispose of my current cupboard full of old technology. I think some of the peripherals and cables will have to be recycled but the hardware should prove useful to others. It is worth remembering that although phones, tablets and PCs have indeed fallen in price in recent years, their respective cost is still relative. There are still families on low incomes where even buying a budget PC is a major financial outlay. Therefore, if selling isn’t an option, then giving away to a worthy cause or individual is a good alternative. It is something I’ve done in the past. Plus, not everyone needs or wants to be at the cutting edge of technology. In fact, there are times when older technology has distinct advantages. Older PCs can have a Linux installation and serve as a media server within the home. Left to this single task, they’ll be stable and reliable. And you’ll certainly get much longer battery life out of pre-smartphone handsets. So hopefully, I’ll have disposed of all my old tech by the end of the month in an ethical and environmentally friendly fashion.
