Stan Beer
Sunday, 08 June 2008 08:31
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
At the desktop, however, the issue becomes somewhat
murkier. Once again, Intel correctly maintains that there are practical
ways all of us desktop users can reduce our power consumption.
For instance, we can all turn our computers off
at the end of the day when we're not using them instead of just leaving
the screen saver running. We can also utilise the power saving features
of our computers that we all have but many of us never use.
According to Intel, the average desktop PC wastes nearly half the power
it pulls from the wall as heat. Once again, Intel seems to have an
answer for this.
There is a discernable move to replace bulky power hungry desktops with
their multiple fans and monstrous hard drives to much leaner and power
efficient notebooks. Some of these even have solid state drives and no
moving parts.
According to Intel, the move toward multi-core processors, which
enables greater processing throughput without having to crank up clock
speeds and power consumption is part of the solution.
In the past, the so-called Wintel alliance specialised in forcing
consumers to buy new computers every two or three years. Microsoft and
other software vendors would release new software that needed more
powerful processors, more memory and bigger hard disks.
Intel and other hardware vendors of course gladly obliged by bringing
new more power hungry products to market. Then in an unending vicious
cycle the software vendors led by Microsoft embarked on the next grand
project to make our existing hardware worthless.
So should Intel and Microsoft be hung, drawn and quartered for their strategy? Please read on to page 3
