For $150, Third-World Laptop Stirs a Big Debate

[Evan Leibovitch]

Rick Tomaschuk wrote:
>> When shipped in *that* form, they require no "tender loving care;"
>> they need only throw them at a bin, because nobody cares if the
>> computers survive the trip intact.
>>     
>
> I don't agree. I've been in and around shipping for decades. You don't
> know what you're talking about.
>   
I've also been involved with some of the operations that ship stuff for
disposal -- the best one being FreeGeek in Portland -- and I agree with
Christopher. You simply don't need to pack things the same way when you
don't care if they stuff is operational at the destination. While
monitors need more care because of the glass, in the case of PCs,
keyboards and other stuff (ie, switches, modems, etc) the only thing
that matters is how much you can stuff into a single container.
Certainly there's less or no padding to protect against shock (ie,
dropping) if you know the stuff will never be turned on again. Working
hard drives are wrapped in static-protection bags and packed in foam or
airbags before shipping. Non-working hard drives get jammed into boxes,
as many as will fit.

In any case, this thread is no longer about OLPC, it's about Rick
picking arguments with everyone (which is apparent even from the snippet
above). I'm out.

- Evan

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