EEVblog 1748 - Dumpster iMac BONANZA!

The speaker found numerous electronic items in a dumpster, initially discovering two thin, modern-looking all-in-one PCs, identified as Apple Macs. Additionally, a Nikon D60 camera with an ED 55-200mm lens was found, marking the first time a camera was discovered in the dumpster. The Macs had a Post-it note indicating "Dev $1,358" and still had plastic film on the bottom, suggesting they were relatively new. Returning to the lab, the speaker attempted to power on the first Mac. It booted successfully, displaying no screen issues, though the screen didn't extend to the edges, indicating it wasn't the newest model. It belonged to "Developer" and was password-protected. The speaker expressed high confidence that the second Mac would also work. Upon a second trip to the dumpster, the speaker found two more Macs, bringing the total to four. The Nikon camera's manual was also found. Research revealed these Macs were 2019 models, with 4K Retina displays and Thunderbolt ports, valued at around $500 refurbished on eBay, totaling approximately $2,000 worth of iMacs. One of the newly found Macs had been "nuked," meaning its data was erased, allowing the speaker to set it up. This Mac was identified as a 2017 model with a 21-inch 4K Retina display, a 3GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, and a Radeon Pro 555 GPU, along with a 1TB hard drive. The speaker noted that one of the Macs lacked Thunderbolt ports, suggesting it was an older model (A1418), while the A216 model was the newer 2019 version with the 4K Retina display. The IT department of a company moving out likely discarded these items. The Nikon D60 camera had a battery and a memory card containing years of family and product photography photos. The camera was an ancient 10-megapixel entry-level model, and the lens was also entry-level. The speaker estimated its eBay value at around $50. Attempts to bypass the password on one of the Macs revealed it had an i3-8100 CPU and 8GB RAM. The camera battery could not be charged internally via USB, suggesting it was dead. The speaker successfully reinstalled macOS Sequoia on one of the Macs. The speaker plans to potentially upgrade the Macs with SSDs and install Linux, possibly giving one to a friend. The dumpster, located in a commercial office building with many companies, frequently yields valuable discards as companies write off old equipment rather than selling it.