What to do with old MacBook Pros?

[kat.hayes]

I have a couple of old MacBook Pros lying around; I think they are a 2004 and 2005 model, though I am not even sure where the power supplies are right now to boot them. I should have gotten rid of them years ago, though I never did.

Is there any reason to keep these? Should I save them in hopes that one day they will be worth money as some type of antique? I'm trying to think of what I could do with them, a quick eBay search showed people selling similar units for $30-50...

Thanks

 

[317342]

Find AC cords, maybe purchase a cheap aftermarket replacement.
Wipe/zero-out the drive(s).
Donate to a local school, charity, or shelter.
Feel good.

 

[chrfr]

Find AC cords, maybe purchase a cheap aftermarket replacement.
Wipe/zero-out the drive(s).
Donate to a local school, charity, or shelter.
Feel good.

Computers of this age are generally not useful for schools.

 

[317342]

Computers of this age are generally not useful for schools.

Perhaps but it’s best to let the school/teachers decide the utility.

 

[kat.hayes]

Any idea how difficult it might be to just take the drives out and donate them rather than buying power adapters.

 

[DeltaMac]

You can look at repair steps on the iFixit site.
If your years are correct (2004 or 2005 (?) ), the laptops would be PowerBook G4 (or maybe iBook G4), and iFixit has repair steps for most any Apple laptop.

 

[317342]

Any idea how difficult it might be to just take the drives out and donate them rather than buying power adapters.

Most schools will refuse anything that doesn't power-on unless they're using it for a CDE class (e.g., computer diagnostics/repair, technical education, etc.)

If they all use the same/smilar power cord, you're better off buying one (1) aftermarket online (or used off of eBay for cheap), then at least you're donating 2+ computers with one power cord. The school, especially if they're on Macs, may have extras.

Lack of accessories is fine (i.e., mouse, keyboard, CDs) but if it doesn't power on, they'll likely refuse it.

You can securely erase the drive(s): https://www.backblaze.com/blog/how-to-wipe-a-mac-hard-drive/

 

[kat.hayes]

I guess I have my years wrong....they are definitely not G4...Intel Core Duo comes to mind for at least one of them, though I could be completely wrong on that. Neither of them can be older than 2007 though...

 

[DeltaMac]

You can make sure about that by looking up the serial number.
Serial number should be inside the battery compartment, or, if the battery does not have its own compartment, the serial number should be etched on the bottom cover, near the hinge.
You can find out which model you have at a variety of different sites, such as https://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php
Enter your serial number in the box, and press enter to search...

 

[317342]

I guess I have my years wrong....they are definitely not G4...Intel Core Duo comes to mind for at least one of them, though I could be completely wrong on that. Neither of them can be older than 2007 though...

They can likely still use it if it’s functional. Believe it or not, there are still schools that have almost no technology for students whatsoever so the opportunities for getting a few more years of use out of them is definitely there. More than likely, a middle school or elementary school will find the most use for them, especially in an economically-depressed area.

If/when you are ready to donate, call the school, and ask to be put in touch with who handles donations for their campus. They may refer you to the district office if it’s anything over a specific dollar amount.

 

[dukebound85]

I have a couple of old MacBook Pros lying around; I think they are a 2004 and 2005 model, though I am not even sure where the power supplies are right now to boot them. I should have gotten rid of them years ago, though I never did.

Is there any reason to keep these? Should I save them in hopes that one day they will be worth money as some type of antique? I'm trying to think of what I could do with them, a quick eBay search showed people selling similar units for $30-50...

Thanks

These would be PowerBooks or iBooks. They wouldn’t be useful really

 

[317342]

They wouldn’t be useful really

Sometimes, schools will use them as direct loaners for kids who lack a computer at home but need it for specialized coursework, accommodations, etc.

Other times, they’re used to address specific needs/functions in schools/classrooms that don’t require modern hardware or software.

 

[jerryk]

I have a couple of old MacBook Pros lying around; I think they are a 2004 and 2005 model, though I am not even sure where the power supplies are right now to boot them. I should have gotten rid of them years ago, though I never did.

Is there any reason to keep these? Should I save them in hopes that one day they will be worth money as some type of antique? I'm trying to think of what I could do with them, a quick eBay search showed people selling similar units for $30-50...

Thanks

In my office I have a bookcase where I display some of the old computers I have. Back to silicon dies I made through Newtons and Sharp Wizard. Plam pilots, and old Macbooks.

 

[D3ggy]

In my office I have a bookcase where I display some of the old computers I have. Back to silicon dies I made through Newtons and Sharp Wizard. Plam pilots, and old Macbooks.

Wish I had kept my Newton 2100, it was brilliant.

 

[jerryk]

Wish I had kept my Newton 2100, it was brilliant.

I think they were OK. But the palm pilot was a better device, and faster and less crash prone.

 

[ux4all]

For my older macbooks, I have pulled the battery and hard drives. Recycle the batteries and machines and store the HDs (most were spinner drives so short of doing one of those annoying reformats, I just stash them)