Reg readers are generous PC-donating bunch

But others are even better

ComputerAid International wants to say a big thank-you to Register Readers, for their generosity in last year's PC donation campaign.

A press blitz last year gained the UK charity coverage in 29 UK media outlets and, more to the point, 5,000 end-of-life PCs for refurbishment and reuse in the Third World.

The vast bulk of donations came from just three sources, the readers and viewers of Computer Weekly, BBC Working Lunch and The Register. In that order. OK, so maybe you weren't so generous.

ComputerAid International is renewing its appeal for PC donations from UK businesses. Here is some spiel from the charity.

Says Tony Roberts, Director of Computer Aid International,: "It's clear that we need to reach the IT Directors and Managers to generate the maximum donations and that's where our focus will be. In spite of a lengthening PC upgrade cycle we are confident that there are thousands of old Pentium PCs sitting in storerooms and under desks that could be given a new life."

The price for one new PC is prohibitive for schools and groups in most of sub-Saharan Africa. For the cost of buying just one new PC, Computer Aid International can collect, fully test, refurbish and ship up to 20 quality Pentium machines.

Donors to Computer Aid International do not need to worry about the data on the machines they are donating. Any sensitive corporate data that may have been stored on donated PCs is permanently removed because the charity uses Sanitizer, the (US) Department of Defence approved software, to clean donated machines. This repeatedly overwrites every disk sector to ensure sensitive data is unrecoverable before the PC is reconfigured and bundled with a monitor, mouse and keyboard ready for shipment.

Computer Aid International has kept open the dedicated Hotline for donor enquiries - 020 7281 0091.

For further information about Computer Aid International, visit www.computer-aid.org or email [e-mail]