Credit: bennecontentos

According to the April 2008 edition of PC Magazine flaws in Windows XP's sleep mode may have added up to $5 billion a year to power bills worldwide. Unless you purchased a special energy efficient model, have used third party applications to manage your power management setting or have manually adjusted your power management settings then your current computer is most likely not as energy efficient as it could be.

What can I do to improve my existing computers energy efficiency?

Unless you are a computer expert, managing your system configuration for optimal energy efficiency may be a bit daunting. For the sake of simplicity to optimize the power management settings in Windows machines I recommend free software such as the CO2 Saver from Snap.com.

The CO2 Saver

This lightweight computer program manages your computer's power setting when it is idle. By managing your idle power setting the CO2 Saver can save you energy and in turn reduce harmful CO2 emissions and more. As an added benefit of the CO2 Saver clearly shows you what your personal CO2 reduction has been as well as total CO2 reduced by everyone using the program.

How effective is it?

To date Snap's CO2 Saver has prevented 607,206 lbs or 303.6 tons of CO2 emissions. To put that into perspective the total savings provided by this software is equivalent to:

• Not driving a vehicle for 552,005 miles. Why? The average car with a single driver emits 1.10 lbs of CO2 per mile.
• Planting 60,720 trees. Why? On average a tree absorbs 10 lbs of pollutants from the air each year.

Downloading Snap's CO2 Saver

You can download Snap's CO2 Saver free of charge at:

• Download Snap's CO2 Saver
  

Even though this application is currently only available for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista based computers it has already shown significant environmental benefits. It's easy to install, is free of any malware or spyware and gives you a constant reminder on your desktop of your personal environmental responsibility.

Labels: article, co2, computer, computers, desktop, earth, energy, energy efficiency, environment, green, laptop, technology

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Credit: airgap

Computers have become seemingly ubiquitous in today's society. We use them for both business and for entertainment purposes. When one takes the global usage of computers today into consideration, its easy to understand why Energy Star revised their specifications for computers in July 2007.

What did they change?

In order to qualify for the new Energy Star rating products must first meet more stringent energy use guidelines in three unique operating modes:

• Standby
• Sleep Mode
• In Use/Active

According to Energy Star products must also include a "more efficient internal power supply." They claim by "requiring efficiency savings across operating modes, the new computer specification is expected to save consumers and businesses more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the next 5 years and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual emissions of 2.7 million vehicles."

Are computer manufacturers willing to meet these new standards?

As with any updated specification it will take time for computer manufacturers to revisit their product offerings. This means that it's more important than ever before to look for the Energy Star label when purchasing a new computer. If the machine isn't Energy Star rated then at least check the power supply rating. Some of the new "gaming" computers, like the HP Blackbird 002 with its 1.1 KiloWatt power supply should be pulled from the market.

How do I find Energy Star rated Computers?

Energy Star maintains an up to date list of computers that meet the latest specifications. When purchasing your next machine it is always a good printable reference:

• Energy Star Computer Products List (xls)
  

If you'd prefer more of an interactive tool they also offer a web based version of the same information to help you find Energy Star qualified computers:

• Energy Star Computer Product Tool
  

Currently Available Energy Star Desktops

A number of manufacturers have already moved forward and accepted their responsibilities by offering desktop PCs that are compliant with the latest Energy Star standards. Here is a short list of major manufacturers that you may wish to consider:

• Acer
• Apple
• Dell
• Gateway

Some of the new machines that are already on the market today boast standby power usage as low as 1 Watt, sleep usage as low as 1.95 Watts and 27.63 Watts while In Use/Active.

Always remember saving energy helps prevent climate change. Furthermore, computers are environmentally expensive items, it requires 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 58 lbs of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water to make a single desktop PC and monitor. By making sure your next computer purchase is green one you are doing your part to fight global warming.

Labels: article, computer, computers, electricity, energy, energy efficiency, green, green computer, green pc

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Credit: eurleif

Computer technology advances at a very fast rate. Chances are you've upgraded or replaced your computer equipment in the last few years. Why am I so confident? The average desktop has a functional lifespan of between two to five years depending on your computing requirements. Similarly, a laptop or notebook have a functional lifespan of between two to five years as well. Most manufacturers usually offer a three year warranty which indicates what they perceive is a reasonable lifespan. Understanding the rate the computer technology improves - while you may have a functional lifespan of up to five years - you will most likely be owning outdated hardware in as little as six months.

Why Should I Recycle my Hardware?

It's important to try to re-use and recycle everything we can but computers, laptops and their peripherals require special attention. Why? Consider the following facts:

• In 2001 "e-waste" was responsible for 70% of the heavy metals and 40% of the lead in all US landfills
• It requires 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 58 lbs of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water to make a single desktop PC and monitor
• Contained in the 300 million already discarded computers is enough mercury to poison the Great Lakes over eight times
• About 400 million pieces of consumer electronics are thrown away each in year in the US

Instead of throwing away your outdated hardware and creating more waste or storing it indefinitely - why not recycle it? If your computer is still functional you can always consider donating it locally to a family member or charity. If you have some technical skills and a DIY attitude you may want to revive an older Windows machine by installing a free Linux based operating system.

If you feel more comfortable donating your machine, then your first step will be finding a suitable new home for your older hardware.

Finding a Charity

Donating to a charity instead of individual will provide you with a receipt that you can use for tax purposes. The following services can assist you with finding a charity in your local area.

• Share the Technology (USA)
• DonateAPC (UK)
• World Computer Exchange (Canada)

Finding a Non-Profit Organization

• Recycles (USA)

Make sure you check each organizations requirements for accepting donations. Some organizations have specific requirements such as restricting computer donations by age.

More Recycling Options

If you can't find a local charity which is a good match for your hardware you can always consider:

• Freecycle
• Craigslist

Another option to consider is contacting your local city hall about its recycling policies. Many have designated days for collection computers and other electronics.

Before Donation

Before you donate your hardware you should back up your files just in case you might need them at a later date. To simplify this process you may want to consider an external hard drive or some useful free utilities such as FolderShare.

After backing up all of your data it's always a good idea to wipe your hard drive clean. While some charities guarantee they will wipe your data, not all do. This includes removing your operating system. You can do this using free utilities such as Active KillDisk or Eraser.

At this point your machine should now be ready for donation.

Revive an older PC/Laptop using Linux

For those with more some technical skill and a DIY mentality then you may be pleased to learn that installing a linux distribution on an aging windows machine will breath new life into it.

Will switching your OS turn your old machine into a state of the art powerhouse? No, but it will provide basic functionality such as web surfing, word processing and email.

If you are interested in installing a Linux based operating system, then I recommend reviewing your options at DistroWatch. If that seems overwhelming due to the volume of choices then consider gOS and Freespire as free options or Linspire as an inexpensive one.

Remember, older PCs and laptops can be useful for charities, schools, family members in need and with a little TLC maybe even yourself.

Labels: article, computer, computers, desktop, diy, landfill, laptop, linux, pc, recycle, reduce, reuse, waste

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