The solution for swamped Goodwill stores.

[eberts]

I thought of other uses for this technology,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0TpLBObBj4

works on cars and old refrigerators too.

[electroking]

This is no solution, this is a big environmental nightmare, and an insult to all
of us trying what we can to preserve historically significant technology.
This shredder should be shredded!

[ta131js]

I could only watch a few seconds.... seeing my favorite personal computer being destroyed..
It hurts

[thefragger]

Wow, that was impressive, but I have to agree with electroking-- that's an environmental nightmare and a huge slap in the face.

[Arkay]

I don't think it is an environmental nightmare. I think it is part of an environmental solution, if used properly. Some of that gear should be mechanically separated first, but once certain parts have been removed for separate processing, a lot of gear can be turned into more manageable material for recycling, and some things can be separated out in later stages using various magnets and filters, temperature, etc... in a flow process, which might be efficient and effective if set up right. For example, empty plastic cases can be shredded into a more workable size of particle before being further processed for re-use in some other format. Tires can be shredded with that machine for recombination and re-use as playground cushions or road surfaces, etc... The shredder has its use as part of an environmentally-friendly solution to the problem of excessive waste.

But NOT used as they are showing there.
That was interesting to watch, in the way an automobile accident can be interesting to watch... but equally unsettling, as well.

I also shudder to think about the fine, restorable vintage audio gear and televisions and other types of historical technology that might be destroyed by that thing, and the rate at which it can eat up such things is frightening to contemplate.

Judgement and wisdom should be applied to the CORRECT and suitable use of such "technology". Just as a knife that can be used to carve a work of art can also be mis-used to kill a child, this tool by itself is intrinsically neither good nor bad. It becomes good or bad, according to how it is used by the people controlling it.

[John James]

What he said.

[similost]

Yep.. what Arkay said.. Did anyone see this video of the machine being made, and what it is capable of? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aja7gcgRMJU&NR=1

WOW... Imagine eating up all those tires and reclaiming the rubber, or using them to generate electricity.. and not just sitting in land fills...

Seems a lot of people here complain about people throwing out old gear. It is a part of life, and the life cycle of material posessions. Man.. so many people flipping over that concept..

Some stuff breaks and is not fixable.. this is a much better solution than just heaping it on the pile...

[electroking]

Yes, as Arkay says, this kind of crusher can be useful, but feed the plastic, glass,
aluminum separately please!

[similost]

They have seperators that sort all of that out after it's crushed.. Not sure if you have ever seen a big recycling plant or system, but they have some pretty creative ways to sort everything... Then each type of waste will be shipped of to the correct reclaiming plant.

[electroking]

Yes, and the separators can read the plastic-type codes on the fine particles
of plastic? Don't believe any unreasonable claim just because it is being made
by someone claiming to be using advanced technology! There was a video on
youtube of a German plant recycling computer monitors in the correct way:
they were cutting the CRTs open with a laser to recover the metal from the
shadow masks. That's the way to go, I suppose.

[similost]

I can agree. The metals in the glass weren't being handled properly. However, as far as the plastic goes.. some floats, some sinks.. they drop it in water, and seperate it that way.. they can also use other ways to sepeate it even further by type... I'm sure the video we saw was more to show what hte machine can do, and not how they would usually handle that type of scrap..

[MRX37]

Heh... There are a few people who might have wanted those old MAC's, had they only known where to find them.

[similost]

I know where there are a couple of those old Mac's.. I was looking at them a couple weeks ago.. had never seen one in person before.. interesting to say the least..

[zenithfan1]

I think that was an early 80's Zenith System three that he threw in at the end. That sucked. I didn't mind watching the Apple II's get smashed, those are useless crap and were when new. We used them in school when I was growing up. This shredder isn't too bad unless someone throws a tube set in there, then I would like to toss in the "thrower"

[VinylHanger]

Ten people wanting something that is obsolete can't make the whole world change the way they get rid of stuff. Eventually the stuff finds it's way to the dump. Either before or after the collectors are done with it. Eventually all the Sing along with Mitch albums that people who "wanted" have to go somewhere.

To some people old Macs are just that "old". Like my wife tells me, "You can't keep everything." Despite my best efforts to the contrary.