Green Computers

[asonda]

Ok,

There isn't really anything Green about most computers today.

However, do you think I could stir some interest by introducing a line of 'Green' computers?

Using Energy Efficient Processors, Earthwatts 80% Efficiency Power Supplies etc?

and also producing an article to get home users at least and those that don't rely on 'spot on' colours to move away from CRT monitors, to the newer TFT ones?

Just a thought, would like to see the feedback!

Cheers

 

[Cornish Steve]

Given the huge green wave engulfing the country right now, it could certainly do no harm. You'd have to think it through carefully, though, and what would stop others from copying you?

- Energy-efficient everything, but don't compromise on performance. A little longer to start up would be fine, but a dim screen would be bad, for example.

- Could you pre-install 'green' software and links to environmental sites?

- What about offering to recycle the computer your customers are looking to replace?

Whatever you do, be sure to make plenty of 'green' yourself. Don't compromise on quality or on your margins.

 

[asonda]

Thanks Steve.

There are components being made by big manufacturers nowadays that incorporate lots of different factors, things like lead free soldering, or energy efficient 65w processors intead of 95w processors. Processors can now cut down their power consumption and clock speed (throttling) to use less power etc, then ramp up the speed when they need etc, but there are still many processors being supplied that just 'run' at their set clock speed, sucking juice all the time.

Just on the market is a brand new 80% efficient power supply, which is above and beyond what anybody else is doing.

I'll have to look into the green software side of things.

Recycling the old PCs is also a very good idea thanks!

Monitor wise, alot are being produced with the 'Energy Star' rating anyway and the TFT monitors are very frugal compared to the CRTs, let alone the horrible heat and radiation the CRTs give off.

 

[Dawg]

I think there is a danger of being seen to be green-wagonning. However you could get brownie/greenie points by having suggestions about usage on your website and blog site. There is a list at Lifehacker.

 

[AdamJ]

I would question that as 'green PCs' have been around for a while now but not really taken off, is there anything other than a niche market for them?

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

on the basis that a vast majority of computer users (in my opinion) in both work and business, do not utilise the full power of their PC, only using it for email, typing letters, spreadsheets and browsing, you do not need all singing, quad core, super duper machines and the day people/businesses wake up to this will be a revolution for the industry!

On this basis, you can use a low energy, even fanless, system, which can run at more than adequate speeds which are not overpriced and are reliable. These will run Windows, however, this is not necessary, as, for the standard usage, a Linux box with OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird will do the same job, at a much lower cost!

Everex, in the US, in Walmart, have sold basic computers for a UK equivalent (in tax etc) of about £130! Sure, it may not be exactly what business may use, but for £200, in volumes, you could get system that is 'Office' equlivalent, for almost all uses!

 

[AdamJ]

All true, but its clearly not what people want otherwise we'd all have those. I have Ubuntu but don't use it, this laptop has OOffice on but I still use M$ Office, Firefox 2 is installed but I tend to use ie7 most of the time, and Outlook sends mails, which is all I need a mail program to do so the Thunderbird installer sits in my Downloaded programs file uninstalled.

My point is, what people 'need' in life and what people 'want' is often entirely different and when they get a new one they want it to be faster than their old one, and want the software to look familiar. Just because you can get a slower, much cheaper PC which uses less power doesn't mean most people will, or should, buy one. As for business, sure I could save a lot of cash by using slower, less pricey machines and open source software, but I want my PC to be as fast and consequently unobtrusive as it can possibly be, (and yes, with speed, I see the contradition in what I say about speed and then I go and use Vista on my main laptop rather than Ubuntu or even old XP ). Just as at home, now my 80gb iPod is now full I want to buy a 160gb one - I don't listen to 3/4 or more and don't need a new one, but humans like change and we like progression, (most of us anyway - may father-in-law genuinely still rants about FM radio changing broadcasting for the worse!).

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

AdamJ,

you are soooo right.

I have to say, if I was kitting out an office of even a few people, I would take the Linux route. Yes, there will be moans and complaints, but that is a normal human reaction. I would also buy a Windows PC, as some specialist/specific software will only run on it.

Big corporations dont change for fear of change and a combination of good supplier sales techniques combined with internal IT complacency/fear and, possibly, laziness.

 

[AdamJ]

AdamJ,

Big corporations dont change for fear of change and a combination of good supplier sales techniques combined with internal IT complacency/fear and, possibly, laziness.

And us small businesses are just as guilty. In my case, if I have someone out on the road doing hearing tests and he has a problem with his laptop I'm the one expected to sort it out. I know my way around XP, Vista and M$ Office pretty well and can usually point him in the right direction. We dabbled with OpenOffice and he had a problem with Writer while on site but not being familiar with it I was useless at trying to sort it out over the phone so it was back M$. Down to laziness on my part in not taking time to learn the new system.

 

[asonda]

I'd just like to add at this point, that I know it's possible to produce a Dual-Core, Vista Capable (by that I mean runs smoothly and not slowly and crappily) PC that would be able to run off a Solar Panel. Using a very special Power Supply.

The TFT monitors that have their own external 'power brick' just like you get with laptops, can also be done away with and have the TFT running off this special power supply, thus having EVERYTHING running off of the glorious suns rays!

This change any of your opinions?

 

[Cornish Steve]

thus having EVERYTHING running off of the glorious suns rays!

Just remember that, on average, only 2-3 days a month in Britain are sunny. Now, if you could find a power supply that runs on rain, you'd be a millionaire.

 

[asonda]

Just remember that, on average, only 2-3 days a month in Britain are sunny. Now, if you could find a power supply that runs on rain, you'd be a millionaire.

True You'd need a battery farm definately for those horrible days and nights where the solar panel can't get sunlight.

Down to the fact it IS possible to make a fully functioning PC run off of just 12Volts means there is some serious scope to produce pc's that on 'Full Load' draw only 115 Watts. Even if these run off of plug sockets, they'd still be a much greener prospect than standard power hungry PC's of today.

 

[Cornish Steve]

Have you thought about becoming a distributor of the new wind-up laptops being produced in the US? They are designed for use in Third World countries, but personally I think there's a market for them everywhere.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4445060.stm

 

[asonda]

"To take part in the initiative, governments have to commit to buying a million machines for around $100 each."

*Checks Business Funds*

Those laptops do seem to be a good idea and I wouldn't mind becoming a distributor, like they have said, the use of these in schools countrywide would be amazing!

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

That'sthe OLPC and it never made $100!
http://laptop.org/

 

[AdamJ]

Ditto - it never achieved its aims. You can still buy them but I don't think the wind-up aspect ever made it to the production models (could be wrong on that), and they didn't sell in enough numbers. Also Asus has a good competitor for it now and Intel and M$ have both pulled out of the project and Intel has announced its own version now.

So the usual cat-fighting among technology companies then

 

[Philip Hoyle]

Is it really "green" though to buy new monitors to replace the old CRT ones and to buy new computers to replace the old less-energy-efficient ones? Is it "green" to throw away the old monitors and computers that may well have a good few years of useful life? Far enough to buy "green" when the old less efficient ones need replacing (i.e. broken) but probably not when changing perfectly useable equipment just for the sake of appearing green? Or do "green" replacements use so little energy that it makes up for the environmental costs of disposing/recycling of the old stuff? I don't know but I'd be interested to know more.

 

[asonda]

The idea behind the green computer would be to buy one when your current system needs replacing, or if you want to expand your offices etc but would like to buy a computer that could both compliment your electricity bill and the environment.

A computer I have specc'd up and is commercially ready would/could run at 12V's and use just 115watts of power. Compared to 350, 400, 500 inefficient watts that power most normal PC's today. The saving and impact could be pretty big.

The computer is also capable of running a dual core processor, 2GB of ram and have as much room for storage as an ordinary 'gas guzzling' PC. The only difference is the way it's been designed with the selected parts that have been used.

 

[elainefu88]

Have you thought about becoming a distributor of the new wind-up laptops being produced in the US? They are designed for use in Third World countries, but personally I think there's a market for them everywhere.

wonderful.Could you have any detailed info...

 

[AdamJ]

wonderful.Could you have any detailed info...

The link to the manufacturer / seller is below. Again, the wind-up aspect didn't make it into production and after two years on the market they've not proved much of a hit.

The yellow crank, while cute, in the end proved impractical; it migrated to the AC adapter

http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml

 

[simonr]

Just a thought related to waaaaay back up the thread - don't forget that solar panels also charge when it's raining... they don't need sunshine, just sunlight. Okay so they would charge faster on a sunny day perhaps, but that doesn't mean that they don't charge up on none-sunny days too.

Still not saying it's necessarily the answer to the problem though!

S

 

[mke]

What colour is a green computer?

Sorry if this sounds silly, folks, but just about to pour the last few drops from a boggle a vine and nice to see you again, Simon R.

Surely the greatest energy saving benefits of electronic communications have nothing to do with what colour your computer is, but in the energy saving in sending "paperwork" electronically? Information (web page, .pdf)? Invoices (.pdf)? Quotes (.pdf)? Drawings (.pdf)? Mail (email + attachment where necessary, including aforementioned .pdf)?

The average size of a web file is growing disproportionate to the growth in people's ability to download and read them, though, so perhaps there's something to be said for good, old fashioned "Yes, I can see and read that and it is pertinent" web standards to be revisited as well as respect for those with less than perfect vision and your own efforts to be recognised by human and search engine viewers?

Thought I'd throw that in, regardless of carbon footprint

 

[Babi Pur]

would these computers be manufatured in a greener way?

 

[asonda]

would these computers be manufatured in a greener way?

More and More Manufacturers are using better, more green ways of producing the internal components.

Lead Free Soldering and Reduced Halogen for example.

 

[Babi Pur]

wow, that was quick! to be honest I don't know much about how computers are made but I heard that some products use more energy being 'made' than they do being 'used' jo

 

[asonda]

Obviously alot of energy is used making the components but that's where people like me need to then begin picking and choosing what manufacturers meet things like Energy Star ratings.

Slowly but surely manufacturers are becoming consciously aware of their impact and how people want more energy efficient products AND to comply with green laws and the whole movement to manufacture these products using less environmentally damaging process's.

 

[Babi Pur]

I like your web site Asonda, looks really smart

 

[tim124]

you should look into mini-itx based pcs. they are small form factor motherboards with CPU's using under 20w, coupled with a laptop hard drive you have a very low power computer.

 

[asonda]

you should look into mini-itx based pcs. they are small form factor motherboards with CPU's using under 20w, coupled with a laptop hard drive you have a very low power computer.

Yep, I Know and Do but thanks for putting that forward.

 

[asonda]

I like your web site Asonda, looks really smart

Thank You That prompted me to take a look at your website and I have to honestly say I like yours too. I like the whole concept of Babi Pur too. Well Done!

 

[Peter1982]

Asonda,

Have you managed to source or build a PC that would in fact be a green PC. By this I mean the parts use less power and the manufacturer is considered to be leading the way with green initiatives compared to their rivals?

 

[asonda]

I am able to get all the parts necessary and will be building one as soon as I can get hold of a quality power meter, so that I can physically show my potential customers how much less power the 'green' computer would draw.

 

Have you thought about becoming a distributor of the new wind-up laptops being produced in the US? They are designed for use in Third World countries, but personally I think there's a market for them everywhere.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4445060.stm

Absolutely Steve Lap tops have a dissmal battery life.I binned mine because it lasted about an hour on the batteries.

I have a low 12 amp lower power desk light which probably saves more energy than the greenest of computers could,88 amps over my previous light.

P.S there is a rain driven power source.Its called a "waterwheel".

Earl

 

[Cornish Steve]

P.S there is a rain driven power source.Its called a "waterwheel".

I didn't think about this before, but do you believe the "mac" was designed for our wet climate?

 

I didn't think about this before, but do you believe the "mac" was designed for our wet climate?

Nah there all wearing Ipods this year.:|

Earl

 

[NewVix]

The last article I read about green PC was to children in Africa. Apple was to donate thousand of PC to the schools that were being built but after that one article I have not seen anything about it since.

 

[welovesleep]

A company based in beautiful sunny sheffield does a green PC. They seem to do very well off them and I am pretty certain they have won national awards and had national press coverage off it. They are called Very PC....

http://www.very-pc.co.uk/?section=greenpcs

 

[max737]

Hi everyone
I ma new here, still reading the stuff here to see how i can contribute!
max

 

[max737]

Does anybody know for sure if new TFT monitors are more eco friendly than old monitors?

max

 

[applepen]

what is "green" PC?