Planet Saving Computers?
The weekly technology column from those good people at Plymouth’s Orange Crate
Although it’ll probably be a while before they are accepted as friends of Greenpeace, it seems that a number of technology companies are gingerly moving towards producing greener alternatives and solutions for every day gadgets. With many individuals and companies starting to base their technology acquisitions at least partially on eco-friendliness, it is about time some big steps were taken.
Anyone familiar with the IT world will know that amongst others, the major processor manufacturers have been battling it out for years to produce ‘greener’ technologies. However, the fruits of their labours are often not advertised or at all obvious to the end user. So maybe now is the time to show everyone that IT doesn’t have to be as planet destroying as we may have thought…
Last week, at the Fortune Green Conference in California, the CEO of computer manufacturer Dell announced the imminent release of a bamboo encased pc dubbed the ‘ecoputer’ – 81% smaller than a regular desktop computer, it claims to use 70% less power and be filled with recycled materials such as detergent cases, milk jugs, and bottles. With an expected price tag of £250 – £350, it’s even affordable. But will it be any good? No specifications have been released yet, although it is due to be released later this year. If it has a decent sized hard drive, DVD writer, and a few other quality features, we can see it becoming a home media centre option. If not, it could be a well meaning flop.
Asus, another big name in the IT sector, has announced the release of the planet-friendly EcoBook. Again utilising bamboo in it’s design, it looks to us like a laptop with a varnished wooden finish. Featuring a couple of attractive features such as a performance adjusting button that glows different colours depending on how much power the laptop is using, and a tracker pad that you can actually write on, it could be a hit. But at £900 and with no solid specifications released, we’re going to wait before splashing out on this one.
You might be thinking by now that this all sounds like a cheap gimmick to raise the profiles of the manufacturers and paint them as ‘in touch’ with their customers. But it appears to be more than just bamboo and old bottles. A number of sustainable woods are being used for the casings of monitors, keyboards, and mice, degradable and recyclable plastics are becoming more prevalent, and actual designs are being modified to limit the need for power-hungry ventilation fans.
So how long will it be before we get to actively choose a planet friendly pc? Well the signs are good, and with a little luck it could be a lot sooner than you think.
If you liked this story, you could buy us a coffee --------------------------------------------------------------------May 2nd, 2008
