The other day I went into the local Goodwill store, where quite often I find some good deals. There is a section where they keep computer stuff and Stereo type stuff in one isle, so I usually check that. There is another section where they keep TV’s and I sometimes check there also.
In the electronics section there were a bunch of cables, but none I needed. Over in the TV section I noticed a 15″ color lcd TV with a composite input. They only wanted $24.99 for it.
Today I stopped in after work. On good days I ride my bike to work, as I did today. They still had it and since my Apple //c monitor is so dim at this point you can’t see it unless you turn off the lights, I bought it. Until I got to the register, I was thinking I’d just put it into my backpack. Poor/no planning here, just seeing a deal.
I looked at it again. 15″, not going to fit. I’ll just carry it under my arm like a big book. I got on my bike and headed home, less than a mile away. The first corner I kind of overshot it and hit the curb. The bike went down and I came off over the handle bars running.
If I spent the next five years trying to do that again, I couldn’t. I picked up my bike and continued on home. Once it was hooked up it worked pretty well. An extra 6″ and color over my old 9″ monochrome monitor is pretty nice too.
I could have used either the monitor from my desktop computer or my TV, but the desktop is the machine I run ADTPro on and the 32″ TV would have been overkill for most stuff.
I’ve got a rear rack and a cargo net on my bike for unexpected thrift store/garage sale/curbside finds. I’ve carried stereo equipment, flatscreen monitors, old computers, all sorts of things. And you’ll get way less back sweat than a backpack, too.
I once saw a bicycle rider carrying one of the original candy-colored iMacs by the handle on his way out of a thrift store. He made his way across a busy four-lane street and off into the neighborhood. It was impressive.