Please define quantities. Do you mean 50 computers, or 5,000?
Also, what generation of computers? (Speed. HD size, etc.)
And, what sort of usage? (Home; light office; graphic shop; servers?)
All the same model and make, or some variation allowed in the same generation?
Do you need them all at once, or a dozen a week?
Which peripherals?
Which country are you in?
http://www.mcbia.com/ is one suggestion, but without answers to these
questions, no idea if they are in your league or not. Midwest Computer
Brokers in Walford Iowa, you should be able to find address and
numbers in yellow pages, though it will probably be in their URL. I
visit them once a year or so when I am in Iowa. I sort of doubt they
could ship you 500 computers next week, thus need for more data.
***
I have absolutely no reason to wish to offend you, a completely unknown person.
However, the combination of a person seeking refurb computers, who is
unable to locate such companies without help brings up the issue of
your level of technical knowledge and experience. So, I think I will
run over some related issues, knowing it is possible you know them
better than I.
The older computers one would obtain as refurbs are often less
powerful than current bottom line computers. You can get bottom line
Dell's with XP Home installed, for around $400, and they will be equal
to top line new computers from several years ago.
Refurbed computers seldom have all moving parts replaced. I believe
they usually test such things as HD and CD Rom's etc, and you are
essentially getting used stuff, with all broken parts replaced with
used parts from other computers, perhaps by cannibalizing the entire
lot to make as many as possible work. For sure, if you start
installing all new devices, you quickly exceed new prices.
Any failures are going to cost a lot of money, in both labor and parts
and lost production.
I am not up on current licensing restrictions, but you cannot simply
take over all existing software in used computers and use it with
total freedom. I know the contract defense plant where I retired, a
few miles from MCB, wipes all it's HD before releasing the computers
for refurb.
So, you not only have to obtain software, with costs and conditions,
but someone has to install it and set it up.
Depending upon your needs, software can cost a fortune. Instead of MS
Office, one can obtain OpenOffice.org for Windows, free, and it will
open, and save in formats compatible with MS. I am not sure about all
other formats, such as Word Perfect. The cost risks here are training
users who have learned a certain "feel" of MS Office, and aren't
technically savvy enough to figure out things from the menus.
If you have technically savvy system folks, Linux is increasingly an
option. It has the same problem of training costs, not just for users
but also tech folks. For much older computers, with small memory
capacity, the most up to date Linux distros will not run, though
distros are available for even 486's but with less capacity.
Also, many computers are specifically designed for Windows software,
which means often they replace peripheral hardware with Windows
software, and if drivers are not available for Linux, they may be
difficult to work.
An example is at least one certain model of Netgear NIC, which runs
like molasses in Linux, as well as other versions of Windows except
the one it was designed for.
The issue of which distro of Linux is also an issue. Redhat (tm) is
considered by many geeks to be the most professional and tested of
distros. It is quite expensive now. It used to be free but they went
for the corporate market, and include professional support.
There is a distro which is available free. it is called CentOS,
www.centos.org. It is based on a well known professional distro, under
the open source licensing requirements, but the company which produces
it, while making it available as required by the GPL, takes legal
action against anyone who uses their company name in reference to
CentOS, so most folks refer to it as the scarlet sombrero distro. If
it will run your hardware it is really good, and will take most common
Linux apps.
Whether CentOS works n your specific refurbs, will depend upon what
hardware is included, which can really be a mess if you get a number
of different computers. But, that is true with Windows as well. With
Windows, unlicenses use can result in a fine of tens of thousands of
dollars, with no such restrictions for most Linux distros, such as
CentOS or Mandriva download version, Mepis; Kanotix, etc.
A problem with Linux will depend upon your needs. OpenOffice.org is
available for Linux. Gimp will do the basic graphics work, though it
may not do everything done by Photoshop(tm).
If you need AutoCad, that is a big problem. We keep hearing rumors
they will port it to Linux, but do check for yourself, since I have my
doubts. there are minimalist clones but for full power, there is no
substitute at this time.
In any case, I would be surprised if TCO (total cost of operation)
will be any lower for refurbed computers, with all their needs and
secondary costs, such as repairs, than for new, bottom line machines.
It's not my business, but that is my opinion.
***
There are several likely uses for refurbs. First, volunteer or similar
organizations, I suppose. Maybe a religious primary and secondary or
high schools, though there you need to solicit students for Linux
geeks, who are usually available and can make things work as a class
project.
Then, export to the Third World. My best friend nags me to take used
computers to Mexico, where I live half the years. Mexican customs has
complex rules, requiring for used computers detailed documentation for
each part of a system, with national source, etc. And, yet you can
buy new complete systems from private builders such as Duarte (sp?) in
Puebla for around $400, w/o software. So by the time you look at
refurb costs, shipping, software, and repair issues, it makes more
sense to take a $400 Dell and pay 17% duty on it, if you can use the
English based software. |
