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Written by Stew
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Wednesday, 12 September 2007 |
 HP has announced that it intends to release a power-efficient desktop PC for the Chinese market, while ASI have developed the power-efficient Alaska Wolf PC for the Mexican market. Is this the beginning of a new era? The era of the eco-conscious PC? Is this a turning point?
Not so long ago a PC was judged according to its ummph. Fewer people had a PC at home and most people used them simply to do email, surf the web a little and perhaps a some word processing too.
I would argue that more of us are starting to see the home PC become more important to us than the TV set. We're doing more online than anyone possibly imagined ten years ago. The browser has become a place to watch video, share and view photos, as well as catch up on news, shop and email. Skype means we can ditch the telephone too, while live streaming technology is getting better, to the point where the TV broadcast will soon, I'm convinced, be relegated to the old folks home.
Ask your self. You're on a dessert island. PC or TV?
Well, obviously we all know the answer. Let's assume the PC comes with a decent DSL connection, and away you go. It's your TV, cinema, radio, Hi-Fi, postal service, telephone, newspaper, magazine and game console.
Also obvious is the idea that we are all going to need at least one PC in our lives, more likely one at work and one at home, but what about the kids? Do both mum and dad need one each too? It's getting that way for sure.
 So we can agree that the PC is going to big, big, big in the next decade or two? That most of us are going to need more than one, and families are going to need a few. The new HP Compaq dx2020 and ASI Alaska Wolf PCs will be retailed in China and Mexico respectively. One could conclude that they are suitable for the relative economic situations of those countries. I would argue that this is a way of testing the water. These PCs are equipped to handle Windows Vista, use the latest RAM, have decent sized hard drives, and use silicon that was designed to be way cooler than most. The VIA C-7 uses a maximum of only 20 watts - compared with an average max of at least twice that in most systems. Okay, okay I'm harping on about VIA again. Yes, it may not be the gamers CPU of choice. I have a PC at home that I use for gaming, and I'm sure all dads out there will have one too. Boys will always have their toys.
When every man and his dog has at least one PC in their lives - and by every man, I mean all people, everywhere - then we're going to need a hell of a lot of juice. Juice that is becoming more expensive each year. The move to the power-efficient PC is gaining momentum day by day. And it will continue to do so. Silicon companies now recognize the need for eco-responsible components more than faster clock speeds. We are entering a new era. The era of true ubiquity and greater environmental responsibility. The power efficient PC is going to find its way into more homes, be it a Zonbu or a HP. It is here and it needs to be here.
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