GreenComputers.info

Paul E Steinberg asked:


You can help the environment by making one simple decision. By going green with your computers. This is done by choosing notebooks computers that are environmentally friendly and long on charge. New “green laptops” take the idea of an environmentally friendly notebook computer even further. They are smaller than other notebooks, last longer on a charge, and comply with most environmental regulations. These ultraportble, small footprint, lighter weight notebooks are inherently “greener” than heavier, larger footprint products for a few reasons: They are designed to deliver the desired performance while consuming fewer materials for manufacturing and less energy for shipment and distribution. Packaging requirements are also reduced, saving materials and energy. Laptops don’t use as much power as a desktop, mostly because the processor is only drawing about 35W or less, compared to about 65W or more for a desktop CPU. The added benefit is that your electrical bill won’t be as high either.

Less Hazardous Components

Although notebooks are typically much more energy efficient than desktops. They are, however, no greener than desktops in other regards. They typically contain the same hazardous components, and they are not easily recycled. However, a few “greener” notebook computers are now on the market.

Lenovo’s Thinkpad X300 is the company’s first EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Gold certified notebook. Only 15 notebooks have achieved this rating to date. The X300 uses mercury free LEDs to illuminate its display. This saves energy, and allows for a thinner display. It uses a solid state drive, which is much lighter, more reliable and faster than a conventional hard drive. It also contains a low voltage processor and has improved “battery stretch” software for energy savings. It meets the Energy Star 4.0 criteria and is 25% more efficient than Lenovo’s previous generation notebooks. The packaging materials for the X300 are 90% recyclable, and the use of toxic materials such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic have been reduced.

The MacBook Air is one of Apple’s greenest computers. The Air’s display was the first from Apple to be mercury and arsenic free. The all aluminum case was also a good choice as aluminum is easily recyclable and highly desirable by recyclers. The Air qualified for a Silver EPEAT rating (all the circuit boards are bromide and PVC free). It’s also Energy Star 4.0 certified. On PC Magazine’s energy consumption tests, the 14 Watts it produced while idle is consistent with Energy Star’s 14 Watt (and under) requirement. The reading was taken while the system was running Leopard after 15 minutes of idle time. You can get the Macbook Air fitted with a 64GB solid state drive, which will further reduces its power requirements. Apple paid attention to the retail packaging of this machine, and reduced it by 50%.

Green Computing Is Here To Stay

Any way you slice it, green computing is here to stay. Laptops will get more efficient, smaller, and safer for the planet. EPA estimates that in the next five years purchases of EPEAT registered computers could reduce hazardous waste by 4 million pounds and save enough energy to power two million homes.

Pattrick Savarna asked:


Ever heard of a personal computer which can be directly plugged into your wall power socket and you will see no need of your computer furniture anymore?

Or, ever heard of a computer which costs you $50 only when you buy in dozens or its price doubles up if bought in singles or something which uses power as low as 5 watts only?

Did you say it is a crazy question? If you think that anybody body who talks about such a computer might have gone mad, then better you go for a detailed research, or at least surf the official site of Marvell semiconductor, before going that much judgmental.

Do the investigation and you will find that Marvell, a famous manufacture of semiconductors, just, sincerely a fortnight ago, has launched a computer that looks like a plug and can be plugged into the wall too.

Moreover, it has all those computer accessories and features which make a full-fledged computer once they combine together. After all how can you call something a computer unless it has a 1.2GHz Marvell Kirkwood processor, a spacious storage device, a powerful memory drive and so and so. More clearly, it has a 512MB DRAM and 512 megabytes of flash memory storage. However it runs with Linux only. Mind it!

So it has got all what a modern computer should have. Thus this innovative computer is set to give you all the services which are a trademark job of a networked computer. Amazingly, the name sounds a bit of Indian. SheevaPlug! What do you say?

As per its usage, according to the manufacturer, Marvell semiconductor in this case, you can use this plug computer as a home server computer. Definitely, to do so, you have to plug your router and USB flash drive or external hard drive into your SheevaPlug simply. This plug computer comes with a USB 2.0 port.

Regarding size, it is as small as you can think of in terms of a computer. After all, you can’t hang a desktop on a wall, isn’t it? However, its small size is never a constraint in its performance. Marvell calls it as a computer with “a high-end performance.”

One thing more! Won’t you call it an eco-friendly computer? Why…..? Your “why” should know that this plug computer uses only 5 watts, gives efficient service and possesses a very small built so extremely less hardware garbage once becomes unusable.

Of course, it has got all the features of a befitting green computer. However, ironically it may sound, it is completely white regarding its exteriors. Moreover, once you plan to get connected to a network , you can easily do it via Gigabit Ethernet.

Nikhilalex asked:


You can’t pick up the newspaper, turn on the television, or surf the Internet, without being bombarded by hot topics such as global warming, rising greenhouse gas emissions and the world’s energy crisis. You’re doing your part to help out by recycling and carpooling, but did you know that one of the most effective ways to improve energy management, increase energy efficiency and reduce waste starts with your computer?

According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), computers account for a relatively large portion of our electrical consumption—about 2% nationwide. The growing use of computers has caused a dramatic increase in energy consumption, which puts negative pressure on the environment. Each year consumers (and businesses) purchase more computers and put to them to use, but it’s not just the sheer number of computers that is driving energy consumption upward. The way that we use computers also adds to the increasing energy burden.

By adopting conservation practices and changing the way you use your computer, you can help make a difference in the environment – and your own wallet. If you’re ready to take the “green computing” initiative, here are a few simple tips to get you started:

Buy “Energy Star” compliant peripherals

Before you buy, check with the manufacturer or on the Energy Star web site.

Enable power management features

Thanks to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA), personal computer systems purchased today can be easy on energy. These “Energy Star” computers and monitors can be programmed to automatically “power-down” to a low power state when they are not being used. These efficiency gains can be achieved without any sacrifice in computing performance.

The EPA has estimated that providing computers with “sleep mode” reduces their energy use by 60 to 70 percent – and ultimately could save enough electricity each year to power Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, cut electric bills by $2 billion, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of 5 million cars.

Follow these simple steps to access computer and monitor power management features for Windows.

1. First check to see that your monitor is Energy Star compliant (see above)

2. Open ‘Display’ in the Control Panel, go to the ‘Settings’ tab, click on ‘Advanced Properties’ and choose the ‘Monitor’ tab

3. Check ‘Monitor is Energy Star compliant’ box click ‘OK’.

The recommended settings are 20 minutes for monitor sleep and 30 minutes for system sleep. Remember that to save energy with your monitor’s built-in power management system, your monitor must go to sleep (shut itself down).

Turn off the screen saver

If screen saver images appear on your monitor for more than 5 minutes, you are wasting energy! Screen saver programs may save the phosphors in your monitor screen, but this is not really a concern with newer monitors, especially LCD screens. And they certainly don’t save energy.

A screen saver that displays moving images causes your monitor to consume as much as electricity as it does when in active use. These screen saver programs also involve system interaction with your CPU that results in additional energy consumption. A blank screen saver is slightly better but even that only reduces monitor energy consumption by a few percent.

When not in use, turn off the juice

Research reveals that most personal desktop computers are not being used the majority of the time they are running and many personal computers nationwide are needlessly left on continuously. Every time we leave computers or lights on we waste electricity. Burning fossil fuels generates most of our electricity and it also emits pollutants, sulfur, and carbon dioxide into the air. These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog, acid rain and global climate change.

Consider doing the following:

o Turn off your computer and/or peripherals when they are not in use. Turning them on and off will not harm the equipment.

o Don’t run computers continuously unless they are in use continuously.

o Turn off computers and peripherals at night.

o Look for ways to reduce the amount of time your computer is on without adversely affecting your productivity.

o Unless you require immediate access to e-mail or other Internet services, break the habit of turning on all your computer equipment as soon as you enter the office each day.

o If practical, informally group your computer activities and try to do then during one or two parts of the day, leaving the computer off at other times.

o Avoid using the switch on a powerstrip to turn on all your equipment.

o If you use a laser printer, don’t turn your printer on until you are ready to print.

o Turn off your entire computer system (CPU, monitor and printer) or at least your monitor and printer when if you are going to be away from the computer for a little while.

Take proper care of your laptop batteries and dispose of them carefully

Follow the guidelines in your laptop manual, such as removing the AC adapter when fully charged, or totally discharging before recharging, to maximize the working life of a laptop battery. Many types of rechargeable batteries contain potentially toxic materials such as Cadmium, so dispose of them properly and carefully.

Don’t throw your old computer away

Globally over 35 million PC’s are thrown away ever year – yet there are many companies now recycling or reconditioning components or whole computers. Don’t throw it away. Your old computer might be worth something either to a dealer, a local school or a charity.

Carl Berkeley asked:


Apple is now advertising their Mac mini as one of the first truly green computers. But what does this really mean, and how green is Apple. . .really?

Don’t get Mac users started. There are a million reasons why a Mac is better than a PC, and if you’re a PC fan, you’re not going to win this debate. Much of the argument for Macs vs. PC centers on usability, reliability and sometimes, just subjective preference for a Mac. Die hard Mac users will never switch to a PC, but is there a new factor that just might convince PC user holdouts to make the switch?

Apple is now advertising their Mac mini as one of the first truly green computers. But what does this really mean? Is this just another way of advertising meant to tug on the consciences of those of us who have decided to green our lives? In this new wave of eco-technology, Apple is at the forefront (at least this is what they claim). How green is Apple?

The new Mac mini’s impact on the environment is touted to be as small as it is, and “the world’s most energy-efficient desktop computer.” It was designed with its entire lifecycle in mind in terms of energy efficiency, performance, material content, and recyclability.

Energy efficiency in a computer is easy to measure – there’s nothing subjective about that. We also know what materials can and can’t be recycled, so that’s clear as well. Same for materials used. Heavy metals: bad; safe materials: good. A computer that uses less energy is OF COURSE better for our planet, as are all the other energy efficient appliances we can now buy for household use.

One thing that CAN’T be measured as concretely is the impact of the manufacturing process used to produce these computers. Most computers are no longer manufactured in the United States, and Macs are no exception. Most are produced in China or other Asian countries, where production of most computer components is outsourced. Why? Simple: because it’s cheaper. And it’s cheaper in part because developing countries like China have less stringent environmental regulations and more lax labor standards – hence lower production costs.

The energy that goes into producing the energy efficient Mac mini could be produced with “dirty energy” from coal or other polluting electricity generating methods. Likewise, unless there’s careful oversight, components could be used that don’t meet all the green standards set by Apple production headquarters in the United States. Onsite monitoring is crucial. Finally, for a product to be truly green, the labor component of production must be considered. Are workers paid fair wages and do they work reasonable hours? What are their working conditions?

So the answer to the “Green Apple” question is not that simple. It’s yet to be seen how green the new minis really are, but one thing is clear. In the computer world, Apple is taking the lead and the greening of the new Mac mini is a good start.