Good Bye My First PC!

I had my first ever personal computer in my life which I had been dreaming for long time after my form 5, in year 1996 or 1997. It was an AcerEntra series with Intel Pentium processor, 16MB of RAM and about 2.0GB of hard disk. The pc also came with a 14" AcerView color monitor. That was the latest technology at that time and that was the first time in my life I had a computer at home! You can imagine how excited I was at that moment.

[My first ever pc set in life]

[AcerEntra CPU with Intel Pentium inside]

The PC was a gift from my 4th aunt who was staying in Kuching. She was using her company's special loan payment scheme which allowed her to pay the pc by loan with very low interest rate. In view of pc usage getting common in daily life and company's given benefit, she bought us this pc as at that time buying pc was a burden to average families and she wished us have chance to expose to computer technology. Beside pc, she also bought us a NEC PinWriter P2000 dot matrix printer. This set of pc and printer costs her more than RM4k! You can imagine how expensive pc was at that time. Bare in mind we are talking about RM4k in 12 years back and not RM4k in 2008!

I really wanna thanks my aunt for her kindness to buy us this pc. Without it, I won't be knowing pc so well. Without it, I won't build my interest toward pc. Without it, I won't be an IT graduate by now! Thank you auntie! This pc is very meaningful to me and family.

[NEC Pinwriter P2000 dot matrix printer]

However, when the time passed by and the computer technologies keep expanding, the pc slowly became outdated. When I bought my 2nd pc when I was studying in university, the old pc had been put aside.

Until last two weeks, I saw in a newspaper that there would be PIKOM PC Fair in Sibu from 28th to 30th Nov and in conjunction with this, an e-waste recycling program would be held, I made up my mind to send my old pc there. Although the pc has some historical value in my life but I have no choice as there is no space to accommodate the pc anymore. Unless I can buy a space to be my personal museum to keep old things, otherwise I can't keep them forever, can I? Furthermore, it is better to dispose pc in this way rather than throw it into the rubbish bin as some computer components can release toxic which can pollute the environment.

So this morning, after breakfast I started to pack up pc components which wanted to be disposed including a AcerEntra CPU, a AcerView 14" monitor, 2 keyboards and a NEC Pinwriter P2000. After that, I brought them to the place where the e-waste recycling program is with my car.

[Computer hardware that were ready to be disposed and recycled]

When arrived at the place, which is at Sibu Exhibition Centre, with my heavy heart, I carried them out one by one and placed them with other computer hardware which had the same fate. Sorry pc, I hope you understand that I really have no choice but to leave you here.

[E-Waste Recycling site at Sibu Exhibition Centre car park]

[My poor pc and friends were placed at e-waste recycling site]

I asked the person-in-charge how are they going to manage such a huge amount of unwanted computer hardware, he told me that they will be sent to China for component extraction such as gold or silver then the remaining parts are unusable and will be disposed. So pc, you will be travel to China soon, so wish you have a save journey!

[Other computer hardware waiting to be disposed or recycled]

Good bye my first ever pc in life! I will be missing you and I hope you will enjoy your new life in China!

[Good Bye pc and friends!]

As a reward of taking part in this e-waste recycling campaign, old pc owners will be given a t-shirt sponsored by Computer Sales and Services Association of Sarawak. There were 2 colors to choose from, striking green or white. I chose striking green as it looks better than the white one.

[The reward t-shirt]