Computer Recycling

So where does old software go when it dies?

It probably goes to Vetusware. This site collects and catalogs old versions of updated or obsoleted software. So if, for example, you've got an old computer and Windows 3.1 is corrupted and you can't find the original install disks anywhere, you can download a fresh install version here. Or you remember an old DOS-based game you used to play but can't find it anywhere ... it's probably here, too, as are older versions of productivity software such as Microsoft Office, or WordPerfect, or Corel programs.

One caveat - the site is massive and I haven't time to explore it all, so click with caution.

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WAYS TO RECYCLE THAT OLD COMPUTER

A pair of keyboards, hinged together, would make a serious waffle iron.

The housing to a mid-1990s hard drive would make a great carrying case for your iPod, Blackberry, ear buds, and at least a couple of flash drives.

Convert it into an ant farm so you can finally use that "there's a few bugs in the system" line you've been saving since seventh grade.

Throw it in the La Brea Tar Pits to confuse the snot out of future archeologists.

Burn them to generate power for electric cars.

Give them to intellectually- and technologically-deprived populations ... like Congress.

[Chris White's Top Five on the Internet; mild editorial massaging by Mark Raymond]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "After growing wildly for years, the field of computing appears to be reaching its infancy." (John Pierce)

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