Ways to Restore Old Machines to their Former Glory

Just because your computer is playing up doesn't mean it's time to throw it away. Toby Green discovers five easy and inexpensive ways to restore old machines to their former glory

There are following steps:

Smarten up your security

If you feel your computer slowing down, this could be a sign that it has been breached by malevolent forces. "One of the symptoms of becoming infected is that your system starts to go down," says Con Mallon, a director at Symantec, producer of Norton security software. "It has a split personality where it's doing the things you want it to, but it's also doing what the hacker or the malware writer wants it to."

Running a virus scan regularly should pick up any nasties, but run the updates program so it has the best chance of detecting every virus.

"Anyone using a Windows PC online should have an anti-virus tool, firewall and anti-spyware utility," says Allen. "You can get all three for nothing." He recommends AVG Free (free.avg.com ) or Avast (www.avast.com ) for anti-virus; the ZoneAlarm Free Firewall (you'll need to disable the Windows version); and, for an anti-spyware program, Ad-Aware Free (www.lavasoft.com ).

Boost your memory

The amount of memory your computer has isn't only about the number of photos or songs you can store on your hard disk. Alongside that you also have RAM (random access memory), which is used by your computer temporarily while it is running programs.

The more RAM you have, the more programs your computer can cope with running. "Adding more memory is one of the best ways to boost a PC's performance," says Allen. "The more memory, the better, although the standard versions of Windows XP and Vista have an upper limit of 3GB. www.crucial .com/uk and www.kingston.com/tools can tell you how much memory your PC can handle and what type to get."

Prices vary, but you could pay as little as £15 for 1GB of RAM – in terms of a minimum to aim for, Microsoft say Windows Vista can run on as little as 512 MB, while GB would provide optimum performance.

As well as being good value, extra memory is also easy to install yourself, though any computer store can do it for you. As long as you have the right memory for your motherboard, it should be a case of popping the old memory out and slotting the new memory in www.computeractive.co.uk has tutorials for desktops and laptops.

Let a program do it for you

There are a huge number of commercial programs that claim to clean your machine at the touch of a button. One area where they can help is the registry – where settings for everything in your computer are kept. It is so important to the running of your computer that you should never attempt to edit it yourself unless you're 110 per cent sure of what you're doing.

But some of the tasks that these programs do you may find you don't need. "System clean-up utilities are ten a penny and we've found that many of them simply automate tasks home users can perform," says Allen. Not all of them have to be paid for – Allen recommends CCleaner (snipurl.com/ ba4ln ), which includes a registry cleaner.

Before you buy or use any program do your research – with so many available you need to be confident that what you use won't damage your PC, so go for a big brand or something recommended by a reviews site you trust. Make sure your registry is backed-up before editing it, even if you're confident about the program you're using – Microsoft's Help and Support website (support.microsoft.com ) gives a step-by-step guide.

Call in the experts

If you don't have the time or confidence to mess with the inner workings of your computer you may decide to call in the experts. There are independent computer shops and numerous high-street stores you can bring your PC in to, while many offer home-visits.

Tim Fairs of TechGuys, the technology experts who offer their services in branches of PC World, says that such a service can give you peace of mind. "You get the plumber to come round or hire someone to service your car. I think the same these days is true of technology in that a lot of customers would much rather have someone else do the work than take the risk."

Of course, this all costs money and Allen believes it's often unnecessary. "Everyone should at least give it a try themselves before paying for a homevisit or in-store service."

However, if you are unsure in any way about what you're doing, always consult an expert first.

Source: independent.co.uk
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Features of Energy Efficient PC

A typical desktop computer, together with a monitor and printer, can consume as much electricity as five or six powerful incandescent household light bulbs.

If left running for long periods of time - or even 24 hours a day - a computer can easily cost you more in electrical bills than its original purchase price.

While you can use the power-saving features built in to today's operating systems to put a computer into a sleep mode when it's not being used or simply turn it off, many people don't.

Computers in Internet-connected households or in the workplace are frequently left running non-stop so that they're always available for research or play.

That's why it pays to look closely at how much electricity a computer is likely to use when you're on the hunt for a new machine or upgrading components within your existing one. Computers today run the gamut from power-sipping misers to unabashed energy hogs.

And it's not always clear from the packaging which one you're signing up for.

Notebooks

Notebook computers are built from the ground up to consume as little energy as possible - and therefore to save you money over desktop machines. Not all notebooks, though, are built with power- saving in mind. Models that are touted as 'desktop replacements' typically are built around the same components that appear in full- sized PCs, and they therefore consume as much electricity - and cost almost as much to operate.

Under the hood

Whether you're evaluating a notebook or a desktop computer, the components in it determine how miserly it is, so it pays to know something about the power needs of the parts that make up any computer you're evaluating.

Central processing units (CPUs) - the main chips around which PCs are built - often use more energy than other components. While most processors today go into a low-power mode when they're not being taxed heavily by the demands of software, the maximum power usage is telling.

Intel's flagship Core i7 processor, for example, requires 130W of power, and AMD's Phenom X4 Quad-Core uses 140W. Intel's Core 2 Quad chips use 95W, while most of the Core 2 Duo chips consume significantly less, at 65W. What this illustrates is clear: today's powerful processors are also power-hungry, and the more powerful chips consume significantly more electricity and will therefore be costlier to operate.

Processors designed specifically for notebook computers fare much better. Intel's high-end Core 2 Duo chips designed for notebooks, which generally run at 2.1 GHz or better, consume either 25W or 35W, depending upon model. The Core 2 Duo U7700, which runs slower at 1.33 GHz, needs only 10W of power, while AMD's Sempron for notebooks runs at 1 GHz and requires just 8W of power.

Video cards

Today's fastest processors are typically paired with today's beefiest graphics cards, which use so much electricity and throw offso much heat that dedicated fans are required to keep them cool.

The graphics cards from Nvidia and ATI, built for running today's games and 3D applications, can consume anywhere from 117W when idle to well over 300W under load. 'Under load' refers to the power draw of the cards when rendering complex objects or powering through a game, while 'idle' refers to the power required just to have the video card turned on.

Hard drives

Hard drives are on or at the ready almost always when a computer is powered up. So they're always drawing energy. As with other components in a computer, higher performing hard drives - those with rotational speeds of 10,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) or higher - consume the most electricity. To save money, look for hard drives - either desktop or notebook - that spin at 5400 or 7200 rpm. Western Digital's 'green' drives, for instance, spin at a variable rate to conserve energy, and they consume about 40 per cent less power than comparable non-green drives.

Solid State Disks (SSDs) are increasingly popular as replacements for hard drives, both in desktop and laptop computers. While many assume that SSDs consume less power than traditional spinning- platter models, recent tests have shown that their power usage is about the same.

Monitors

If you're still using an old cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, ditch it. Its power requirements are probably twice that of a similar-sized LCD panel. Most LCDs use fluorescent back lights, which are energy efficient. What's more, when in sleep mode, many LCDs consume just 2W or less. Better yet, monitors are easy to turn off completely. Do that if you won't be using it for a while.

Final decisions

The bottom line is that the energy efficiency of any computer - and by extension the cost of running it - boils down to how much power the individual components consume. In today's world of mix- and- match PC purchasing or building, you have a great deal of control over how energy-efficient your computer will be when armed with the knowledge of how power-hungry its parts are.

Source: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/tech/features/article_1465958.php/Buying_an_energy-efficient_PC__Feature__
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How to make your PC Efficient?

It costs hundreds of pounds, but your PC may have a surprisingly short life. Fresh out of the box, it runs like a dream, but after only months of use, it can become frustratingly slow. It takes ages to start up, browsing online becomes tortuous and running multiple programs at once is impossible. Plus, it could begin crashing with alarming regularity.

In more financially stable times, we might have simply bought a new computer, but this has become less attractive as household budgets tighten. There is an alternative though; perform some simple tasks and install a few upgrades and you could get your PC firing on all cylinders again.

There are two Windows utilities that Allen recommends. The first is the Disk Cleanup program, which prompts you through a series of steps to get rid of computer clutter, such as desktop icons for programs that you don't use. The next is the Disk Defragmenter – this organizes the data on your hard-drive so the computer doesn't have to work hard to access it.

Another easy task is to fully delete any installed programs that you don't need. "These eat up hard disk space and slow down the speed at which Windows starts," says Allen. "Check the list of installed programs in Windows XP by clicking the 'Start' button, opening the Control Panel and selecting 'Add or Remove Programs'." In Vista, open the Start menu and type "programs" into the search bar, then select "Programs and Features". Go through the list and select the programs you no longer need for removal."

Just don't be too gung-ho. "If you don't recognise a program, leave it be," warns Allen. "Windows and security applications store updates here and these shouldn't be removed."

Smarten up your security

If you feel your computer slowing down, this could be a sign that it has been breached by malevolent forces. "One of the symptoms of becoming infected is that your system starts to go down," says Con Mallon, a director at Symantec, producer of Norton security software. "It has a split personality where it's doing the things you want it to, but it's also doing what the hacker or the malware writer wants it to."

Running a virus scan regularly should pick up any nasties, but run the updates program so it has the best chance of detecting every virus.

"Anyone using a Windows PC online should have an anti-virus tool, firewall and anti-spyware utility," says Allen. "You can get all three for nothing." He recommends AVG Free (free.avg.com ) or Avast (www.avast.com ) for anti-virus; the ZoneAlarm Free Firewall; and, for an anti-spyware program, Ad-Aware Free (www.lavasoft.com ).

Boost your memory

The amount of memory your computer has isn't only about the number of photos or songs you can store on your hard disk. Alongside that you also have RAM (random access memory), which is used by your computer temporarily while it is running programs.

The more RAM you have, the more programs your computer can cope with running. "Adding more memory is one of the best ways to boost a PC's performance," says Allen. "The more memory, the better, although the standard versions of Windows XP and Vista have an upper limit of 3GB. www.crucial .com/uk and www.kingston.com/tools can tell you how much memory your PC can handle and what type to get."

Prices vary, but you could pay as little as £15 for 1GB of RAM – in terms of a minimum to aim for, Microsoft say Windows Vista can run on as little as 512 MB, while GB would provide optimum performance.

As well as being good value, extra memory is also easy to install yourself, though any computer store can do it for you. As long as you have the right memory for your motherboard, it should be a case of popping the old memory out and slotting the new memory in www.computeractive.co.uk has tutorials for desktops and laptops.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/how-to-make-your-pc-last-longer-1641868.html
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150 ENERGY EFFICIENT PC's TO BE WON PLUS ENERGY SAVING MONITORS FOR YOUR HOME

Following on from our fantastic green giveaway where we gave away 2 FREE energy efficient light bulbs to every Daily Mirror & Sunday Mirror reader...

Every day for the next 5 days E.ON, one the UK's leading energy companies, and the Daily Mirror are helping you to save money on your energy costs.

We're now giving away ONE HUNDRED AND FIFITY energy saving PC's with PC Powerdown and home energy saving monitors in our fabulous competition STARTING TODAY.

HUNDRED AND FIFTY readers will win one of these fantastic prizes, comprising

- Advent Eco PC. A unique PC designed to consume much less energy than a convential PC while still offering incredible performance it comes with an Intel® Core 2 Due processor, 160GB hard drive, 19" monitor and pre-loaded with Norton 360 all-in-one security
- PC Powerdown. A clever computer multi-plug that automatically switches off any equipment linked to your PC, such as a printer or scanner, when you shut down
- E.ON Home Energy Saving Monitor. This handy device will help you see the immediate effect of switching to your new low-energy bulbs and make other small changes which could save you money.

GET ENTERING NOW for your chance to win one of today's 30 ENERGY SAVING PC packages & Home Energy Saving Monitors.

PLUS there's another 30 packages to be won each day this week until FRIDAY.

E.ON If you are elderly, disabled or living on benefits you can call the Home Heat Helpline to access free home insulation, cheaper energy tariffs and practical advice on reducing your bills. Call 0800 33 66 99 or visit www.homeheathelpline.org.uk."

THE HOME HEAT HELPLINEE.ON is one of the UK's leading energy companies with over five million electricity and gas customers. They're working with us to help more people take control of their energy usage and save money on their bills.
For more information about E.ON, please visit eonenergy.com/giveaway

HOW TO ENTER

Correctly answer this question BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT for a chance to win :

Electric current is measured in _______
a) centimetres
b) metres
c) amperes

Competition

To enter online, you will need to open an account and register with click&buy to pay for online entry to the competition. You simply register once and then you can use your unique username and password to pay for all future Mirror competition entries. Your click&buy account can be settled later using direct debit, debit cards, credit cards or your BT phone bill. Please read the click&buy terms and conditions before opening an account.

For More info: http://www.mirror.co.uk/fun-games/competitions/2009/01/26/day-1-150-energy-efficient-pc-s-to-be-won-115875-21072754/
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How to Buy a Green Business Desktop

While energy efficiency PC is important to home users, it's vital to the owners of small or medium-sized businesses. Electricity is a major expense these days, and with rising oil prices, the cost of electricity is sure to rise in the future. Buying an energy-efficient desktop is the first step for the owner of a new or expanding business. If your current PCs are too slow to support your business, the latest crop of energy-efficient desktops should be on your shopping list.

Look for buzzwords like EPEAT and Energy Star 4.0. Both are standards that point you to systems that have been certified as environmentally friendly and energy efficient. PCs like the power-sipping Apple Mac mini use very little juice compared with the behemoths that people bought only a few years ago. In fact, these systems use less power when idle than the incandescent work lights on many desks.

We looked at a couple of configurations for this story: the small-form-factor PC (the HP Compaq dc7800 Ultra-Slim Desktop and Lenovo ThinkCentre a61e) and the tower PC (the Dell OptiPlex 755). All three of these business-oriented Windows systems are available in multiple chassis configurations, but use the same internals (CPUs, motherboards, on-board graphics). This enables you to use the same software on the towers as you do on the small desktops. This makes sense for medium-size businesses. Most clerical workers can use small-form-factor PCs while specialized workers like the art department or desktop-publishing specialists may need towers that support discrete graphics cards or other PCIe expansion cards.

Don't leave out the Mac. On a functionality-per-cubic-foot basis, the Mac mini is one of the most efficient systems we've ever reviewed. It uses only as much power as a toy lamp, is both Mac OS and Windows XP/Vista compatible, and takes up very little space on a desk.

Whether your company is growing or just starting, equipping it with energy-efficient PCs makes great business sense. Today's power-saving desktops not only can do wonders for your electric bill, but they have the oomph to get the job done right.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2286036,00.asp
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Dell Offers Energy-Efficient Monitors At CES

Dell had gone with the green approach with its new series of LED widescreen flat panel monitors released at CES today.

Both the G2210 22-inch and G2410 24-inch models are EPEAT Gold and ENERGY STAR compliant and are distinguished by a design approach that combines energy efficiency, LED technology, recycled materials and other environmentally preferable components.

Dell also claims the G2210 and G2410 units consume less than half the power of comparable monitors and come with a typical dynamic contrast ratio of up to 1,000,000:1

Specifications include:

* Viewable image size: 22-inch diagonal (G2210) / 24-inch diagonal (G2410).
* Typical contrast ratio: 1,000:1 (standard) 1,000,000:1 (dynamic).
* Maximum resolution: 1680 x 1050 (G2210) / 1920 x 1080 full HD (G2410).
* Typical power consumption: 18W (G2210) / 20W (G2410).
* Brightness: 250 cd/m2.
* Response time: 5ms black-to-white.
* Available connectors: VGA (analog), DVI-D (digital) with HDCP.

Energy efficiency monitor specifications include:

* Typical average power consumption is less than half that of comparable flat panel monitors.
* Less than 0.15W of power consumption when in sleep mode – no power is drawn from the host computer.
* Built-in ambient light sensor responds to surrounding brightness, automatically adjusting levels when enabled.
* Dynamic dimming automatically decreases the onscreen brightness when the image consists primarily of white and/or bright areas when enabled.
* "PowerNap" screensaver application dims the monitor to minimum brightness or "sleep" mode, based on user preference.

Source: http://www.smarthouse.com.au/CES_2009/W9L4V7A8
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Dublin First with Eco-Computer

World’s First Eco-Computer Produced in Dublin.

The world’s first biodegradable computer has been produced in Dublin. The iameco computer is built from bio-degradable wood panels manufactured from waste products from the lumber and pulp industry.

Inventors of iameco, MicroPro Computers Ltd explained to the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Jimmy Devins T.D, how they can implant the seeds of native-tree species into these wood panels when he visited the company today to announce details of a new Enterprise Ireland Green Technology Support for businesses.

“Our business is built around green technologies and using them to produce healthier, more energy-efficient and cheaper computers that have less impact on the environment”, said Paul Maher, MD of MicroPro. One advantageof iameco is that when the components are buried in landfill the wood gets wet, breaks down and new plants begin to grow from old computers”.

In addition to the iameco computer, which uses one third less energy than regular computers, the biodegradable wood can also be used to manufacture the computer monitor casing, keyboard and mouse.

Minister Devins was on a visit to MicroPro Computers Ltd in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin to learn how the Irish owned company has used Enterprise Ireland supports to produce the world’s first eco-computer.

Commenting on the success of iameco, Minister Devins said: “The iameco computer story is a true example of innovation at work. Not only have MicroPro Computers developed a new, profitable product range but consumers now have the option of buying an environmentally friendly computer or TV’

‘Green technologies offer many opportunities to companies to innovate and save money. Enterprise Ireland’s GreenTech Support can help companies find ways to reduce air pollution and effluents, conserve water and save energy in the workplace as well as come up with new environmentally friendly products” he concluded.

Green PC, Green Computer, Green Technology

Source: irishdev.com/Home/News/167-Dublin-First-with-EcoComputer.html
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Fast-Moving Eco-Friendly Consumer Goods Appeal to Many

Certain fast-moving, environmentally-friendly consumable products are being used by a significant portion of the U.S. general population, according to the Natural Marketing Institute. More than one-third of consumers are purchasing natural/organic personal care products, natural foods and beverages, and CFLs.

LOHAS consumers, the portion of the population that is most interested in sustainability and the earliest adopters of sustainable products, reports higher usage of all listed products. They are twice as likely to use emerging eco-friendly products like organic flowers, organic lawn care and natural household cleaning products.

Consumers state higher consumption of “natural” versus “organic” foods and beverages. This is driven by a wide range of factors including levels of understanding, availability, price, perceived benefits, among others.

Source:environmentalleader.com
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Green PC Buying Guide

It's not easy being green -- especially when it comes to computers.

While for years the computer industry has been touting green components and working to reduce the power used by individual components, a typical PC with monitor still uses about as much electricity as three or four 100 watt light bulbs.

Consider that many personal computers are left on all the time, and you're looking at some serious power consumption -- and some hefty electricity bills.

What you can do to reduce the power consumption of your current computer may be limited.

But when it's time to look for a new machine, it'll pay to keep an eye on how much power the machine will use. That's because there's never been a greater disparity between the power used by energy-sipping models and that used by the most powerful PCs.

Here's how you can distinguish the green PC from the rest.

Computer Case:

The size of a computer case doesn't have to mean anything about how power-efficient a computer is, but it's often a clue. Larger cases are typically used when heat dissipation is an issue, and heat dissipation is a concern when power-hungry components are at work.

Smaller cases are often used to house lower-power or energy-efficient components. So, while smaller doesn't always mean better, it's a safe bet to assume that it is.

Notebooks -- the smallest of all personal computers -- are typically the most power efficient as well. They are designed from the ground up to be able to perform standard computing tasks while drawing a minimum of power, and they go into power-saving mode more quickly than a standard desktop, since at times they have to run on a battery. So, notebook users today can almost always boast of having the greenest computers.

Processor:

You might think that the latest crop of powerful processors are also the most power-hungry. But you'd be wrong.

Advanced manufacturing techniques have not only allowed the big chip makers to cram two or even four processing cores on a chip that used to house only one, but the latest dual-core processors use about half as much energy as earlier models. Quad-core processors aren't quite so energy efficient, but they're still better than the older generation of chips.

So, if you're looking for a green desktop, look for mid-range chips from the latest lines from Intel and AMD.

Intel's new Core 2 Duo vPro line improves upon the already stellar power-saving features of the original Core 2 Duo line, and AMD's Phenom processor with its "cool and quiet" technology puts energy-savings in the forefront.

Power Supply:

Power supplies -- the piece of a computer that supplies power to the rest of the parts in a computer system are not a component that computer buyers generally pay much attention to. But for those buying green, that needs to change.

It's true that the amount of energy that a power supply draws depends greatly upon what exactly is installed in the computer. But, power supplies themselves have often been energy-wasters in the past.

If an earlier generation power supply had to provide 300 watts of power to the components in a PC, for example, it might actually use 500 watts in order to produce that power. The industry's answer has been the relatively new 80 Plus certification programme, which requires power supplies that wish to wear the 80 Plus logo to be "at least" 80 per cent efficient.

In other words, a power supply that needed to provide 300 watts of power to the components in a computer could draw a maximum of 375 watts in order to gain the 80 Plus seal of approval. So, when you're buying a green PC, look for computers that boast an 80 Plus logo.

Source:TOI
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Lenovo Joins Climate Group, Introduces Green Initiatives

Yesterday, PC maker Lenovo joined Climate Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing business and government leadership on climate change. In addition, the company announced the launch of a program to provide its customers with access to electronic waste services and renewable energy incentives, reports Greener Computing.

As part of the new action, Lenovo is partnering with the Together initiative to offer e-coupons. The company will make a donation to renewable energy products for every one of its notebooks sold using an e-coupon. Lenovo also has a partnership with ECO International so that select Lenovo and IBM products are eligible for recyling at no cost.

Internally, the company set a voluntary goal to reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent between 2007 and 2012. To do this, Lenovo is increasing its use of energy conservation measures and green materials and technology. Lenovo is also looking to develop energy-efficient products.

The company will release the Lenovo ThinkVision L2440x LED monitor later this week. The 24-inch monitor uses 60 percent less power than traditional LCD displays, reports PC Advisor. Lenovo claims the monitor is mercury-, arsenic- and PVC-free.
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Dell Awarded 80 Plus Gold Energy Effciency

Dell recently became the first in its industry to achieve 80 PLUS Gold-certification for a server power supply, the latest sign that the company is meeting its goal of becoming the "greenest" technology company on the planet and strengthening its position as an energy-efficiency leader.

"When it comes to energy efficiency, our focus is clear and simple," said Albert Esser, Dell’s Vice President of Power and Infrastructure Solutions. "We’re designing next-generation Energy Smart technology that reflects customers’ feedback, collectively avoids millions of tons of CO2 emissions and drives unprecedented cost savings."

The 80 PLUS certification enables manufacturers and customers to compare and contrast power supplies based on established criteria from Energy Star and the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Dell’s new 80 PLUS Gold power supply meets July 2009 Climate Savers targets for servers more than a year ahead of schedule, which require 92 percent minimum efficiency for the power supply unit at 50 percent of rated output.

Earlier this month, Dell became the first major computer manufacturer to list an 80 PLUS Silver-certified power supply for its desktops. The 80 PLUS Silver certification is up to 8 percent more efficient than what is required to meet Energy Star 4.0, up to 3 percent more efficient than the Energy Star 5.0 draft and also meets the July 2009 PC requirements of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative.

"We want to recognise Dell for taking energy-efficiency to a whole new level," said Geoff Wickes, Director of Commercial & Industrial Programs at Ecos Consulting and the 80 PLUS program. "The value of 80 PLUS is made available by a partnership between manufacturers, utilities and consumers and is bringing forward new market innovations and efficiencies that are helping to enable greener IT solutions."

Dell has pledged to become the first in its industry to neutralize the carbon impact of worldwide operations by the end of 2008. The company is already saving more than $3 million annually and avoiding nearly 20,000 tons of CO2 through facilities improvements and a global power-management initiative.

Dell’s laptops and desktops, already among the industry’s most energy-efficient, are being designed to consume up to 25 percent less energy by 2010 relative to systems offered today. Dell recently introduced a Vostro Energy-Smart 410 desktop computer that can save customers up to 47 percent in annual energy costsii without sacrificing power and performance.

Based on worldwide unit sales beginning in 2005 with power-management features enabled, Dell estimates that OptiPlex desktop systems alone have helped customers save more than $2.5 billion and avoid approximately 25 million tons of CO2. Customers can access online calculators at http://www.dell.com/me/energy to measure and assess potential impact to their power bills and compare configurations side by side to determine annual cost savings and CO2 emissions avoided through the use of Energy Smart systems.

Defining What It Means to Be Green in Technology:-

Dell is committed to becoming the ‘greenest’ technology company on the planet. In April, Dell announced that its corporate headquarters campus in Austin, Texas is powered with 100 percent green energy. Increasing use of green power is locking in Dell’s energy prices as cost as traditional energy is expected to rise.

The company’s carbon intensity (CO2 emissions/revenue) is also among the lowest of the Fortune 50 and less than half that of its closest competitor. Last September, the company announced “Plant a Forest for Me,” a programme that enables organizations worldwide to share best practices and, as partners, facilitate the planting of trees in sustainably managed reforestation projects. Partners include AMD, ABN AMRO,CGI, Staples, Salesforce.com, Targus and WellPoint.

Source:pcmag-mideast.com
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Dell Gets Green Gold Star from 80 Plus

DELL was blowing its own green trumpet today, as the firm announced its server power supplies had met an industry target of 92 per cent efficiency at 50 percent load.

The company is apparently the first in the industry to get gold certification from 80 Plus, an outfit which promotes more electrical energy efficient computer power supply units.

80 Plus certification lets manufacturers and customers compare various power supplies using criteria laid down by international standards outfit, Energy Star and Climate Savers Computing Initiative.

According to Dell, not only do its power supplies get a ‘gold star’ from 80 Plus, they also met July 2009 Climate Savers targets for servers, over a year ahead of schedule. Earlier in June, Dell also became the first major computer manufacturer to receive an 80 plus silver certified power supply for the company’s desktops. This latest achievement, the company says, is another brick in the yellow brick road to ultimate green-ness amongst its tech rivals.

Dell has apparently taken on a quest to become the first firm in the tech industry to totally cancel out its global carbon impact by the end of this year. The company reckons it is already saving over $3 million a year and cutting down on almost 20,000 tons of CO2 through power-management programmes and greener facilities.

The firm has also pledged to make laptops and desktops up to 25 percent less power guzzling by 2010, compared to its current offerings.

Source:theinquirer.net
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Dell Launches Energy Efficient Green PC

Dell has come up with its latest Vostro green PC for small businesses called the Vostro Energy Smart 410 Desktop. The latest in a series of energy efficient computer products and initiatives designed to drive customer savings, the Vostro 410 saves customers up to 47 percent in annual energy costs, claimed the company.

The Vostro 410’s features Intel Core 2 Quad, 512MB Nvidia GeForce, 800MHz sys memory, space for four hard drives + 3TB of local storage/memory, six expansion slots, four bays, gigabit Ethernet, 30 day return policy, and no bloatware at all.

"Small businesses are increasingly concerned about rising energy costs," said Frank Muehleman, vice president and general manager, Dell Small and Medium Business. "With the Energy Smart Vostro desktop, we're able to save our customers money and collectively cut down on CO2 emissions, while delivering the features and functionality they require - especially high-performance processing power, graphics technology, fast networking and maximum expandability."

In addition, Vostro customers can also take advantage of Dell’s new services portfolio, ProSupport, which gives them the ability to customize and tailor services to fit their technical expertise and business needs. With growing demand for mobile technology among small businesses, Dell also recently announced its refreshed line of Vostro laptops.

The Vostro 410 carries a price tag of USD 599 and is available worldwide.

Source:sda-india.com/sda_india/psecom,id,22,site_layout,sdaindia,news,23547,p,0.html
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IBM Toes the Green Line With Energy-Efficient Modular Data Centers

Big Blue announced today that it was introducing a suite of new energy efficient technologies and services to help businesses struggling with surging costs and tougher sustainability requirements. The big push is for “modular”: IBM will sell miniature versions of its data centers that come pre-assembled and cut energy consumption in half.

Its offerings will include:

* An enterprise-class data center, standardized to between 5,000 square feet and 20,000 square feet to help managers bring new installations online faster

* A portable data center, which comes equipped with all the standard features and can be packaged inside a shipping container

* A “high density zone,” a system that can easily be swapped into an existing data center to supplement its cooling and power capabilities.

It’s all part of Project Big Green, a $1 billion plan the company launched last year to develop technologies that improve the energy efficiency of data centers. In an interview with VentureBeat writer Chris Morrison, Cisco’s VP of green engineering, Paul Marcoux, said data center managers were worried about rising costs, risks and their growing energy needs. The cost of electricity has increased 30 percent over the last five years, he said, and is expected to grow another 30 percent within the next 2 - 3 years. By 2020, it could be 2.5 - 5 times what it is now, placing the imperative on IT-heavy firms to look for new technologies.

Virtualization software is one of the most promising technologies for energy-conscious data centers, as it allows a small number of computers to handle multiple jobs or functions, significantly reducing energy use. To support such technology, IBM has also unveiled several new server optimization and integration services that can be used with VMware’s popular virtualization software to enable higher use rates, up to 60 percent, and reduce the number of servers needed.

With this announcement, IBM is joining a fast-growing sector — with startups like Altor Networks, ScaleMP and VirtualLogix and established players like Microsoft locked in fierce competition. In recent months, Microsoft has acquired Kidaro, a desktop virtualization firm, and Sun Microsystems has purchased VirtualBox, a German PC virtualization firm. Red Hat recently claimed that its Linux software reduced energy use by up to 12 percent over Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 software on identical hardware.

IBM also unveiled two other new offerings:

* Cool Chips, a system designed to boost computer chip performance and reduce chip energy use by cooling them with tiny rivers of water

* Green financing software for its Global Financing division to facilitate the management of businesses’ green data center projects.

With these products, IBM hopes to tap into the emerging energy efficiency sector, which has yet to see large gains despite its potential. A report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient America recently estimated that energy use could be cut another 25 - 30 percent over the next 20 - 25 years.

Source:venturebeat.com
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