Students who live in Forsyth County can get first crack at 1,000 used desktop computers the local school system is selling to make way for newer models.

Computers are going for $83.50 plus tax; 17-inch monitors are $30.

Students need not be enrolled in the Forsyth school district to be eligible for the discounted equipment. Home-school students and those in private schools can also buy one.

To purchase one of these computers, students or parents can contact Scott Robinson at Impulse Technologies to get on the waiting list.

The local vendor also worked with the district last year to format, test and configure software on used computers before they were sold to students.

"Last year's sale was a great success," said Mark Klingler, the district's technology services director. "I had many community members and parents tell me what a good program it was."

Klingler said the "Computers 4 Kids" sale is an opportunity "to allow the school system to offer a valuable education resource to our students at below market value."

"It is our hope that this will provide an opportunity to get computers in the hands of students who may not otherwise be able to afford one."

Superintendent Buster Evans agreed.

"For today's student a home computer can often mean the difference in struggling or succeeding academically," he said.

Getting the computers ready for students means the memory of each unit must be erased and the software checked to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Impulse Technologies buys the computers from the school system, then resells them to students. Leftover computers after the initial sale may be available for school staff as well.

Before the school started working with Impulse, Klingler said the technology department used to do all the work.

"We handled the drive erasing, testing, software reinstalls and distribution to parents internally," he said. "But it was very labor intensive and not something we have the capacity to do now."

According to Klingler, the bulk of the school system's computer inventory throughout the district is on a lease.

"This allows us to keep our inventory refreshed so they don't become outdated," he said.

The sale computers have a 40 GB hard drive, a 512mb RAM and include all necessary parts like mouse and keyboard. The company will arrange times for students to pick up computers.