E-waste interview with Christopher Avalos (relation: boyfriend)
I interviewed my 20 year old boyfriend who is studying Electrical Engineering on his usage of electronic devices. The questions focused on his updating and disposal habits, I was also intrigued about his knowledge about the consequences of ewaste. Due to the fact that we are quite accostomed to each others presence, the interview process was very relaxed with the set questions as well as follow up impromptu questions.
What forms of electrical technology do you currently use on a regular basis? Computer, mobile and phone…What like electrical shit?…power supplies, soldering iron, oscilloscope, amplifiers, multi-meter, playstation3, hard drives, ipod, psp, TV and stereo in my car.
Recycling & past technologies
- Are you aware of the repercussions ‘throwing out’ technological devices? The impact, it’s pretty bad, I don’t really know about the impact but it’s really bad aye? I just threw them out but I know that CRT monitors can’t be disposed in normal waste they have to be disposed properly like taken to some environmental place and shit.
- What kinds of old technology do you have at home & why? I have old computers that I’m installing new ram cards and softwear in that so they work again, my old room lights because I installed halogen lights… I’ve fixed a couple of lamps and toys that I have rewired that are accumulating in my garage to be sent to Peru for charity work.
Communication
- Do you have a landline, if so how many? Only one but there are 3 phones off the one line.
- What brand is your mobile phone? Samsung HD icon with 8mp camera (Smartphone) & an LG K something I’ll get back to you on that one.
– How do you normally buy your phones plan or outright? I bought all of them out right.
– How much doyou spend on credit per month? $50
–How often do you buy credit? every three weeks?
– How many mobile phones have you had? *laughs* do you really want to know?…are you writing that down?, I don’t even think I can count them all. I’ve had too many. Phones, phones? I’ve got have had like over 50 that I’ve used. They’ve been stolen, they’ve been dodgy. I’ve used Samsung’s, Nokia’s. Friken ones from Japan but my favorite phone from back in the day was a Nokia engage, do you know how good that was back in the day? I used it to play games and stuff in class, I had a new phone like every week, I was pretty cool and all my friends were like ‘Wow man!’.
What kind of computer do you normaly use? I’m using an Hp Pavilion which uses duo quad core processor but I’ve up graded it to 6 gig of ram and it has 500 internal hard drive and 120 pocket media drive. I’ve up graded from Vista to Windows 7. Power source for the computer is 240 from the wall and converts into 12V into the actual motherboard. Plus a bluetooth keyboard and mouse with a HD webcam.
- What was your last computer? Shitty Accer, Windows XP but it was running on low ram which is one of the reasons I upgraded and it couldn’t support games while running other apps at the same time
- How long have you owned your current computer for? *whistles* last year Christmas…no two years ago, yeah two years ago
- What happened to your old computer? I erased windows XP and put Ubuntu operating system, mainly ‘cause the fact I wanted another operating system that would run an antivirus system that would pick up the virus so I could transfer my files safely to windows 7
Entertainment
- What do you use to listen to music? I-pod touch but i lost that, so i use my psp when im on the train, use Cd’s in the car and PS3 /itunes when im at home.
- How long have you had it for? My first I pod like 6 yrs ago? I think I got it when they first came out. I bought my i-pod touch about two years ago.
- What did own before your ipod? I first had walkman than a CD player then I went to mini disc player
- Do you use CDs often if so do you own many? Yes, many, many, many CDs *laughs* I’ve got about maybe 3-400 CD’s
- How many TV’s are there in your household? 4
- Do you have anything other than free to air availble the TV’s? Yes, 3 foxtels, 1 has IQ so it has a hard drive to record shows, I also have DVD recorder.
- Are there any unused Tv’s in your house? Yes, 2?
- What have been your past consoles? Sega Saturn, Sega Megadrive, umm I had a hand held Sega that old school, I mean like that old school like sonic and shit. Nintendo 64, Play station, Playstation 1,Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo game cube, a PSP, PSP 3000. Not to mention I had a game boy *gets excited* a black and white one, Gameboy pocket I had two of them, limited edition colour Gameboy, Gameboy Advanced and that’s all I didn’t get the other ones. No DS. Oooh I also has the PS2 slim.
- Did you ‘throw out’ your old ones? Nope, Either sold them or gave them to family in Peru.
What did you do with the games that belonged to them? I have them away with the consoles to my cousins in Peru or sold them.
- How many digital cameras have you bought? Umm 2? I had a canon and replaced it because I wanted one with an LCD screen display and USB memory.
