LINDA Than, 54, helps her son run a PC retail shop at Funan DigitaLife Mall. PCpro Computer Services sells new PCs and also deals in second-hand ones - a business her son, Kelvin Koh, 33, has been doing for 10 years.
Its monthly collection of what is deemed as 'electronic junk' from offices islandwide easily tops 3,000 units, rising over the years.
'More and more companies are upgrading and getting rid of their old computers,' said Linda.
Alvin Tan, who runs hardware waste disposal firm Scrap Tech Trading, handles 30 per cent more unwanted PCs today than he did two years ago. He blamed technology's fast pace of becoming obsolete.
The fiercest disposers are large firms, usually multinationals and systems integrators, as well as government agencies and schools.
Data collected by research firm GfK Asia show that corporate and home users here bought more than 200,000 new PCs between January and June this year. This compares with 145,000 new PCs bought in the same period last year.
In the coming months, some 60,000 computers of civil servants here will also be dumped. The upgrade is part of Singapore's $1.3 billion outsourcing deal to provide standard systems to government agencies.
The thousands of old computers that PCpro collects are refurbished and exported to PC dealers in places such as Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India and Africa.
Sales to charities and low-income families here are low because of lack of bulk orders, required to offset the thin margins. 'It's easier to sell in bulk to overseas dealers,' said Ana Tan, the boss of E-Pex PC.
It used to import old computers from the United States but with the abundant supply in Singapore in recent years, it no longer has to do so.
That said, rivalry for used products has stiffened over the years too.
Corporations and government agencies usually invite bids from dealers for their unwanted equipment. The highest bidder gets the deal.
Second-hand traders have more control over prices with consumers who can trade in their old PCs at some Funan DigitaLife Mall and Sim Lim Square shops.
Old desktops or laptops go for between $50 and $800. Technicians at some dealers will also fix non-working parts. These 'junk' can be resold overseas for $120 or more a piece.
itham@sph.com.sg
This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on 20 August 2008.
