I LOVE MY JOB: Computer refurbisher Richard Reyes: Computer CPR one machine at a time
By Cristina DC Pastor
About 20 years ago, Richard Reyes would scour recycling centers for discarded computers he could bring back to life. The reason for his rescue mission? To save computers from going to landfills or to send them to the Philippines to be used by rural schoolchildren.
As recycling centers have been more restrictive in the ability to pick up computers for refurbishing and recycling, Reyes now sources computers from different places like government auction sites which allow universities, city, state, and federal agencies to dispose of old computers. Reyes said, “I typically resell them for between $60 to under $150. These are usually computers that run slow, don’t support the latest Apple and Microsoft Windows operating systems and many people don’t know what to do with them.”
It isn’t about the money. Reyes wanted to revive the computers to give them a second life and to provide an alternative to big box stores or online with an option for a lower cost computers for individuals and families. The work involved is typically fixing hardware or software. Reyes may use current or older versions of Apple Macintosh OS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. For machines that can no longer run Mac and Windows, Linux, he said, is a great alternative that is not as hard to use as it seems.
“Things have changed in recycling and refurbishing,” said Richard, who works as a regulatory and compliance professional at Morgan Stanley in Baltimore. “In the beginning, I had set up an LLC and was an authorized Microsoft Refurbisher. These were during the days when it was easier to source machines to refurbish.”
Sourcing computers for refurbishing is not the same as before. Today, it is not as easy to scour the recycling centers in townships. Government auction sites and Facebook Marketplace provide sources for used and/or disposed computers. More importantly, today’s computer hardware and parts are now made differently compared to old parts now considered outdated.
“Also 20 years ago, not too many people owned computers,” he said.
The people who could afford a home computer (desktop or laptop) owned computers installed with Apple (Mac) or Microsoft (Windows) operating systems. The entry of the Linux operating system, according to Reyes, is a game changer. The option to refurbish has increased because Linux, which emerged since the 1990s, is known to be a stable computer system, and in most cases works out of the box. While systems installed with Linux may be less susceptible against malware, viruses, computer crashes and other issues; it is important to install antivirus, anti-malware, and enable the software firewall.
So, what kinds of people would buy refurbished computers?
It all depends on the application, he said. Some old computers are still good for word processing or playing games. They have no webcams or Internet capability so they’re safer for children to use. They can be used by older people trying to get familiar with technology or by children as their first computer. There are also retrogamers who like to play old, ‘nostalgia’ games like Atari or Pac-Man on discontinued computers using refurbished hardware, he added.
“One group I know is looking for an old Windows XP for retro-games which will not run on new hardware,” he said. “I’m not a gamer so I am still learning to understand what retro-gamers want…I have old all-in-one iMacs with 128 or 256 megabytes of video RAM just right for their needs.” This is small compared to today’s computers which may have 1 gigabyte or more of video RAM.
He said, “Sometimes you may not need a Ferrari with all the bells and whistles, you just need a jalopy that runs and gets you from point A to point B.”
Reyes’s main computer is an Apple Mac from 2010 which he bought from Facebook Marketplace for $95. “I refurbished it. I put the software that runs on that machine,” he said.
His attitude toward computers is not to dispose of anything even if they’re old. There might be some use for it for others in the future.
‘I Love My job’ is a new segment of The FilAm featuring Filipinos who have rare and unique occupations. If you know someone, please pitch us a story at thefilamny@gmail.com.
