# Anyone used a Symple PC?



## drov (Mar 2, 2015)

I found this today www.symplepc.com Has anyone used one of these?


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## drmike (Mar 2, 2015)

I haven't.   Project seems brand new though.

A recycling project of sorts for old components repackaged in a new case, so it seems...




Symple Introduces the $89 Planet Friendly Ubuntu Linux Web Workstation






February 17, 2015


Meet the $89 Remanufactured Ubuntu Linux web workstation. Encased in 12.5x12.5x6.25 of 1/8th inch black recycled ABS plastic and shipped in 100% non-virgin fiber packaging, this little marvel is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and focus. Averaging only 50% of the shipping weight of a standard desktop tower, and offering at least 2GB of RAM, 2.8Ghz of desktop-class processing power and at least a 80GB SATA hard drive, the Symple PC gives classroom labs, non-profits and call centers a planet-friendly, privacy-conscious choice for computing at an outstanding value. Complete with an available 1 Year Advanced Replacement Warranty, provided you ship the unit back to be planet-conscious, Symple PCs arrive at your organization with Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS pre-installed. They handle local document processing, web work, and are completely private and stand-alone, not requiring any 3rd party accounts to login and be productive.



"We are at a crossroads in our technological evolution. Our e-waste problem is massive, and many good computers are being piled up or melted down requiring more natural resources every day. Data control by large corporations and government agencies is a tangible concern. Our Symple PC represents another, environmentally intelligent and privacy-aware path. It is one of the most planet-friendly PCs in the world. The case is made from recycled ABS plastic, the parts are recycled, the box has no new fiber content. Even our paper packing tape has bio degradable adhesive. Plus, the Symple PC runs the open source Ubuntu Linux operating system and doesn't require you to give your data to a company you may or may not trust. With one product, we hit two core issues confronting any responsible business or school faced with today's technological choices, and we make it elegant, easy and affordable to make the right choice," Jason Spisak, Founder, Symple.

Symple has streamlined the entire lifecycle of the pre-installed remanufactured Linux PC as well by making warranty service and recycling at end-of-life a point and click process. After the 1 Year Advanced Replacement Warranty, Symple also offers a $10 Environmental Credit for any Symple PC that is returned toward the purchase of a new unit.

Symple takes a different approach to system specifications with the Symple PC. A single Symple PC encompasses parts from a variety of pre-existing computers and has a Minimum Specification giving you the baseline hardware you will receive. Some units ship with more than the baseline, but Symple streamlines the remanufacturing process by targeting this baseline to keep manufacturing costs down and pass that savings on to customers. As retired PCs increase in specification, so too will the Symple PC over time. On initial launch the Symple PC Minimum Specification is:


Lovingly made in the USA from recycled & re-manufactured materials.
At least 2GB of RAM (DDR2 or Better)
At least 2.8GHz single core or better (Intel or AMD processor)
At least 80GB SATA HD
At least 10/100 Ethernet or better
At least VGA port (Integrated)
At least 2 USB Ports or more
At least 1 audio out port
1 Year Advanced Replacement Warranty (provided you ship us the old unit to be recycled after you receive your replacement to be planet conscious 
Packaged in 100% post-consumer / post-industrial recycled packaging (even our tape uses bio degradable adhesive)
Symple donates $2 for every Symple PC sold, dispersed to the various open source organizations that make the Symple PC possible such as Debian, Ubuntu and The Document Foundation, the curators of LibreOffice via Software in the Public Interest. Symple is now selling its remanufactured pre-installed Ubuntu Linux PCs direct to schools, non-profits and web-enabled businesses through their website at symplepc.com. For further press related information contact[email protected]


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## William (Mar 2, 2015)

P4 - High power usage.

No HDMI/DVI - Useless with modern screens.

DDR/DDR2 RAM - Impossible to replace, high power usage.


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## tonyg (Mar 2, 2015)

William said:


> DDR/DDR2 RAM - Impossible to replace, high power usage.


Not true.

Plenty of DDR/DDR2 around...and cheap.


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## KuJoe (Mar 2, 2015)

I'd rather buy 2 ODroid C1's.


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## HalfEatenPie (Mar 2, 2015)

I see no actual benefit from this.  

They state utilizing Older outdated hardware longer would remove e-waste from the landfills and cut back on pollution (due to manufacturing costs).  However, I wonder if they've ever considered the pollution involved in obtaining these old outdated hardware (Supply Chain problem) and additional pollution from the higher electricity usage.  In addition, what actual practical use can we find for this?  All I can think of is a high energy consuming thin client that can already be easily replaced (and cheaper) with an ODroid or a small ARM device as @KuJoe said.  

Note, there will always be a high pollution/investment required during initial manufacturing, however long term energy "pollution" should also be considered.

If this was in Denmark or one of those countries that have invested much more energy to green-solutions then I can see this being a pretty nifty thing.  

In my opinion, I think it's just all a marketing gimmick playing on being "environmentally conscience".


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## raindog308 (Mar 2, 2015)

This is not that different than what you'd get at FreeGeek.  FG started in PDX but I believe there are others now.

Long story short - people donate old PCs and such they no longer want, and FG refurbs them with a Linux desktop (Mint at the moment).  They donate them to the poor, or if you volunteer building some you can get one free.

A lot are old P4s, dual cores, etc.  They actually work very nicely.  My IBM Thinkpad T60 came from FreeGeek.  You can buy them but their real focus is on being a true charity, not a for-profit company.

Of course, FG also does classes, teaches people how to use their PCs, etc.  A lot of people built their PCs through FG which is a big boost to the ability to self-maintain.



William said:


> No HDMI/DVI - Useless with modern screens.
> 
> DDR/DDR2 RAM - Impossible to replace, high power usage.


The year-old screen I'm typing this on has HDMI but also VGA...most monitors I run into still have VGA.

Lots of DDR2 out there and it's still being manufactured.

But you're right about power...all of these older devices consume more power than a new PC.


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## HalfEatenPie (Mar 2, 2015)

Hm. Well then that makes sense.

I know the local salvage yard I used to go to sold Core2Duos for 35 dollars a pop. Came with 4 GB RAM and a hard drive. That computer later ended up running our entire fraternity network for a while. Not the smartest idea but hey, it worked when you were on a budget.


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## drmike (Mar 3, 2015)

I like the reuse model.

With ARM prices though, it's used in a new case competing with something new and lesser electric consumption. 

Now, all that said, the whole electric thing people make quite a bit of noise about.  Low power matters if you are trying to run off grid.   For everyone else, it's not really much difference, even with ballooning electric bills in places.


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## Hostwinds (Mar 12, 2015)

The concept seems really cool-it's just one of those things you have wait to see how things pan out. However, it's always nice to see a company trying to do good. I'm going to check out FreeGeek too. Thanks, guys, for bringing these companies to our attention!


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## devonblzx (Mar 12, 2015)

HalfEatenPie said:


> I see no actual benefit from this.
> 
> They state utilizing Older outdated hardware longer would remove e-waste from the landfills and cut back on pollution (due to manufacturing costs).  However, I wonder if they've ever considered the pollution involved in obtaining these old outdated hardware (Supply Chain problem) and additional pollution from the higher electricity usage.  In addition, what actual practical use can we find for this?  All I can think of is a high energy consuming thin client that can already be easily replaced (and cheaper) with an ODroid or a small ARM device as @KuJoe said.
> 
> ...


Right now there are two major issues I see with the environment.  Reducing (power usage) and re-using (older equipment).  As you stated, they are conflicting ideals in technology because most of the time, newer equipment requires less input (power) and generates more output.

I guess the question comes down to what is most important. While it is possible to achieve both, by purchasing low voltage and power efficient products to start with and using them for as long as possible, it is not always economically feasible to do so.

In my opinion, reusing is more important than reducing and this will become more and more prevalent as time goes on.

1.) We have limited raw materials, we may be able to mine for them during our lifetime but what about the future generations.

2.) There is limited space in landfills.  As time goes on, we will run out of space available for waste, unless we plan on destroying more ecosystems or living with waste in our backyard.

3.) There is enough renewable energy (without direct pollution) available between solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass to power everything 100x over.  The ability to tap into these energy sources is growing more and more each day.


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## HalfEatenPie (Mar 12, 2015)

devonblzx said:


> Right now there are two major issues I see with the environment.  Reducing (power usage) and re-using (older equipment).  As you stated, they are conflicting ideals in technology because most of the time, newer equipment requires less input (power) and generates more output.
> 
> I guess the question comes down to what is most important. While it is possible to achieve both, by purchasing low voltage and power efficient products to start with and using them for as long as possible, it is not always economically feasible to do so.
> 
> ...


All fair enough points, however my main concern is the long-term impact of using outdated inefficient hardware. Of course a total analysis of the expected life-span of the product should be performed. At some time you'll hit the break-even point where the longer-term use of newer hardware has a higher benefit than reusing older hardware.

I can't say for certain/in detail (since this isn't my main subject of research), but I'd prefer to utilize the equipment for the expected time duration and then rather upgrade it to get the maximum possible optimization of productivity and at the same time hardware/resource use.

I totally get though the want to utilize hardware for as long as possible since many people consider/assume the initial resource investment for the hardware to outweigh the long-term adverse effects of the operation/maintenance costs.


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