Help me donate my computer to a worthwhile cause

March 5, 2010 4:57 PM

To whom in NYC should I donate my PowerPC G5?

I'd like to my old computer to a worthwhile cause in New York City. Somewhere where I can write it off as a donation would be nice. I work in film, so something film related would be ideal. The system is a Quad Core 2.5 Ghz PowerPC Mac with 4.5 GB of RAM. No monitor. This computer served me well for many years and is fast enough to edit SD video on. It would be great if whoever got it could pick it up from my apartment in Dumbo.

posted by nathancaswell to computers & internet (6 answers total)

I'm sure you could find someone who'd want it (and pick it up) on craigslist. At one point I had a bunch of iMacs which were snapped up by a science teacher in the Bronx - instant computer lab, for free. :)
posted by blaneyphoto at 5:01 PM on March 5, 2010

I'd take it if I were in NYC rather than traveling currently— but I can think of a few young designer types that would love that machine. MeMail me if you're so inclined.
posted by a halcyon day at 5:11 PM on March 5, 2010

Cuny Graduate School And University Center Post-Master's certificate Cinematography and Film + Video Production.

I don't know if they'd pick it up. But I'm sure they'd be happy to give you a receipt to use at tax time.
posted by cjets at 5:26 PM on March 5, 2010

New York City Stuff exchange is actually pretty helpful--you can search by category of stuff and borough to find places that will take donations.

Materials for the Arts is a great organization and they accept computers that are 4 yrs or less old.
posted by beckish at 5:30 PM on March 5, 2010

Materials for the Arts sounds good. The system is 5 years old though. Don't know if the 4 year age limit is a hard and fast rule.

I'd turn to craigslist or to an individual at a last resort (or if they gave me an awesome sob story) but I'd really prefer an organization. To a person I feel like it would rapidly become an aged machine with obsolete processor architecture that would be abandoned when they graduated to CS4 or FCP7, or wanted to cut HD. To an organization it could be one of those systems that gets used for 5 more years in an after school program teaching kids how to make DV movies on a educational license of FCP 6.

Keep 'em coming!
posted by nathancaswell at 5:46 PM on March 5, 2010

DCTV NY, though their website seems down right now. They deal with video.
posted by pyro979 at 5:33 AM on March 6, 2010