This week, I did something I never thought I’d do: I bought a computer second-hand.
Now, I’ve owned a second-hand computer before (several, actually), but they were either family desktops used in middle school and high school for writing school papers or they were gifts. I’ve never gone to the trouble of actually researching a second-hand computer by myself after which I went out and purchased the darn thing.
You see, I’m pretty technologically challenged.
I’ve gotten better over the past decade I’ve spent professionally in the digital sphere, but using my hard-core right brain thinking to understand the stoic analytical processes of tech has never come naturally.
Needless to say, shopping for a second-hand computer was a daunting experience. Comparing specs, knowing the difference between ticket prices and the market value…it would be so much easier to go to an Apple store, ask them what computer was the cheapest version that could hold a word processor and Google Chrome, and buy whichever one they pointed to.
Easier still: I could have not bought a new computer.
Unfortunately, buying a brand new computer is one of the most wasteful things you can do. E-waste (electronic waste) has been a broadly recognized problem since 2016. It’s hard to find up-to-date statistics, but e-waste makes up tens of thousands of pounds of waste a year, and that number has grown exponentially. Here’s an amazing semi-famous video explaining the process:
Even before becoming zero waste, I was always weirdly insistent on not buying new electronics.
I’m certain I get this from my parents, who never replaced an appliance of electronic equipment until it was completely beyond repair. We were the kids with the color television with a broken tube, so it was black and white save for a few discolored patches at the corners.
For instance, I’ve only ever owned one smartphone. In fact, reading the Atlantic article about e-waste made me laugh. It was published in 2016 and mentions the iPhone 7 as an example of technology driving e-waste. “Who even remembers what they did with their first (or third, or fifth) iPhone” she asks. Well, I do. I have my first iPhone beside me as I write this blog. And it’s an iPhone 5.
In fact, I only got my smartphone because my old phone (the kind that had a 3 inch screen that slid up and down over the actual buttons) had become a career liability. My boss at the time told me it was unprofessional for someone working in the digital sphere to not own a smartphone. To this day, I still miss playing Tetris and Snake, free and pre-installed.
I got my old laptop around the same time as my smartphone, about 5 or 6 years ago. That computer was also refurbished, but as I said I had nothing to do with picking it out (it was a gift). The track pad stopped working in the first year, so I got a wireless mouse (which I still use). Then for the past two years the fan got very loud…although even that went back to normal during the last two months of my owning it. Other than that, I never had any problems with my laptop. My biggest complaint was that it was too big for my briefcase and I couldn’t find a second hand one large enough for its 16 inch screen plus the accessories.
And yet, here I am writing a blog about buying another computer. What happened?
Well, planned obsolescence is real.
My old laptop used Windows 7. About a month ago, I received a notice from Microsoft informing me that Windows 7 will no longer be supported as of January 2020.
Technically, you could make the argument that my laptop’s obsolescence was a decision I made. A few years ago, all Windows 7 users were given a period to update their computers to Windows 10 for free. I decided against it.
My reasoning? Every review of Windows 10 made it seem like a steaming pile of diarrhea and I had no idea how my computer (5 or 6 years old at the time because it was used) would take the upgrade. I’m still convinced that my laptop only lasted as long as it did–and possibly would have lasted longer had it not been for Microsoft–because I kept it running Windows 7. For all I know, I got another 2 solid years out of the thing.
While I could have opted for the $119 update today, I still worried my old laptop would breakdown because it couldn’t stomach the upgrade. Even without the upgrade, I was worried daily that it would brick from old age. I’m not exactly in the financial situation where I can flush that much money down the toilet without regret.
Therefore, I decided to buy a used computer.
To their credit, Microsoft had given me a good chunk of time to find a new computer before my old one became obsolete. I started with a basic Google search to find out which computers are the best to buy used. The consensus for the type of work I was looking for was a Lenovo laptop, or “The Work Horse of Computers.” I also watched YouTube videos like this one explaining what to look for in a refurbished or used computer:
To be fair, I didn’t end up following all of the advice in these videos because I quickly came across a reputable organization right in Seattle that refurbished and sold used computers.
Interconnection saved the day.
Let me pause here to stress that this is not an ad, and I’m not receiving any additional benefits from recommending Interconnection as a source of refurbished computers. This is pure word-of-mouth recommendation based on an amazing experience at a non-profit. They were just that awesome.
Interconnection is a local non-profit that believes in reuse first, recycle second to keep e-waste out of landfills. They also do amazing work donating their refurbished computers to low income families, schools and libraries, non-profit organizations, and more to help bridge the socio-economic, political, and geographical gap between those that have access to technology and those who usually don’t.
They have an online and brick-and-mortar store if you’re looking. In addition, they recycle your old computer AND give you 20% off your purchase. Since they were known for being a reputable recycler, I knew they would do their best to make sure none of it went to waste.
In the end, I saved over $845 buying a refurbished computer.
With Washington sales tax, I paid $334 for my Lenovo X1 Carbon. The starting price for a newer generation of the same model? $1,179. Before tax.
I realize that with the exception of the exorbitant sales tax, living in Seattle provides some perks in this specific situation that would otherwise not be available to me. This city is drowning in some of the largest and most successful tech companies like Amazon and the antagonist themselves, Microsoft. In fact, the reason why Interconnection has so many high quality laptops at affordable prices is because Microsoft upgrades their computers as soon as the warranty is about to end. By donating them to Interconnection, they get a tax ride off and people like me have access to high-quality second-hand computers.
I feel a little dirty benefiting from the very system that I condemn. But so long as businesses like Microsoft are abusing that system, it’s far more eco-conscious to pick up their would-be trash than to buy a brand new computer.
2 Days in, I’m still loving it.
Of course, there’s a chance that I’ve made a huge mistake. This computer could crap out on me tomorrow. Whenever I have these thoughts, I remind myself that the alternatives of buying a new computer or waiting to see what happened with my old laptop would make me just as crazy, and they’d also have more of an environmental or financial impact. Like all zero waste efforts, we must simply do what we can to make an impact on the world around us.