BuyGreen: Laptop Computers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.20.07
The greenest notebook computer is the one you have and keep using, but that can be tough; people say that notebook computers are the greenest because they sip electricity; it's true that they use less power than a desktop but you still have to choose carefully; there are a lot of other factors to consider as well. Notebooks are harder to fix and really hard to upgrade; where a desktop can be taken apart for recycling easily, a notebook often just gets thrown away. Being portable, they get dropped, spilled on and banged about, so you not only have to think about what it is made of, but how solid is it and how good is its service.
As in desktops, processor speed fades into irrelevance with most current machines; almost any unit out there will run most tasks that people do on notebooks. The upgrade cycle on hardware now is also much longer than it used to be, because the new machines do not perform significantly better on most of the common tasks that people use their computers for. So which are the greenest notebooks out there? The best way to tell is by it's EPEAT score -- "a clear and consistent set of performance criteria for the design of products, and provides an opportunity for manufacturers to secure market recognition for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products." But that is new, and manufacturers are being quiet about it.
What: XO Laptop (the computer formerly known as the $100 Laptop)
Where: One Laptop Per Child
Why: It's not just a computer, it's a community; "a unique harmony of form and function; a flexible, ultra-low-cost, power-efficient, responsive, and durable machine with which nations of the emerging world can leapfrog decades of development."
How much: 2 for $ 400, one for you and one for a kid who needs it.
Nice touch: Too many for our servers to store. Pull a cord to charge it; create instant wifi networks with everyone around you; filled with open source software; cute as a button. It doesn't get any greener than this.
More: One Laptop Per Child and TreeHugger
What: Toshiba Portégé R500
Where: Toshiba Direct
Why: Under two pounds with a solid state hard drive so that there are no moving parts.
How much: $ 2,000
Nice touch: It should last a long time but it is also EPEAT Gold, so it will recycle nicely.
Not Nice: No Wifi built in. Evidently they were trying to be so green that they thought they would minimize exposure to radiation, which limits its utility.
More: Toshiba and Treehugger
What: Asus eee
Where: Asus, eBay
Why: It's tiny, it's cheap, it's all solid state, it's loaded. What more do you need?
How much: $399
Nice touch: Under two pounds, the size of a paperback book, wifi built in, this may be the perfect mix of portability and price. Our bet is that this will be huge, with all kinds of aftermarket software being written for it. This could be the palm pilot of the decade.
More: Asus and Treehugger; the review at Laptop Solutions scores it well: "Pound for pound, the best value-priced notebook on the planet."
What: Dell D630
Where: Dell.com
Why: It is EPEAT Gold, 21 points but you would never know from Dell's website, they don't even acknowledge the fact.
How much: $ 2100, it is a business machine.
Nice touch: Can't see many other than it meets the gold standard for green electronics. As a Dell business-grade machine it will be solid and stolid.
More: Dell.com
What: Apple MacBook Pro
Where: Apple Store
Why: Because no detail is too minor, because they are beautiful, because whenever I go anywhere with a lot of young, creative people, they all use Apples. Because it is EPEAT silver.
How much: Starts at $1999
Nice touch: Don't know where to start. New fast video card is a boost if you do any CAD or animations; last one was too slow. Good recycling program.
More: ::Apple
Check out TreeHugger's How to Green Your Electronics guide for more tips on greening your gadgets, and stay tuned for guides to buying green furnishings, apparel, electronics and more.
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I think these are such a great idea....! so awesome and i REALLY love the darker one! good job to those who designed them :)
Jen Ramos
'Earth Friendly DESIGNER Cards'
www.madebygirl.com
I think these are such a great idea....! so awesome and i REALLY love the darker one! good job to those who designed them :)
Jen Ramos
'Earth Friendly DESIGNER Cards'
www.madebygirl.com
I find it hard to stick Dell and Apple in the green category due to their problems with recycling lithium ion batteries. Apple is not a green company, sorry.
What happened to all the bashing of Apple for no recycling and toxic materials in their products? Did they suddenly shape up or is this laptop just an exception?
I have a two-year-old Dell Latitude X1, and it's a total lemon.
Thankfully, I bought the extended warranty (sounds like I'm a fool, huh?). In the last 28 months, I've mailed it back to Dell to replace two motherboards, one screen, one keyboard (ever tried working with no functional space key?), and they've mailed me two new power cords.
In addition, it's desperately slow (and I don't do anything unusual on it) - it takes nearly 3 minutes to resume from hibernation, and more like 6 to start.
I can't say I'll ever buy one again, nor would I recommend it to someone else.
The Apple bashing was just a hatchet job. Computers are just NOT green. But some are greener than others.
Greenpeace recently ranked computer and mobile phone manufacturers for their "greenness". While not perfect, Dell ranked highest on their list with Nokia. Apple was near bottom.
While I am unsure if general reparability was included in Greenpeace's criteria, it must be said that Apple products are horrid from an appropriate technology standpoint despite their beauty. When an Apple product breaks (or bricks), they tend to be very hard to repair oneself.
I have had my apple for 7 years. The one advantage is that as apple design the software and the hardware, they do not go out of date as quickly as other computers.
I recommend that you do NOT buy an Apple until 2009. All in all, they are good machines, but: Apple is one of the few companies that is not RoHS compliant! That is part of why Greenpeace bashes them. At least a year ago, Apple shared their plans for substances. They reduced contents when they went Intel, but they still use them, on new machines, and even their COMPLETELY new devices, that were even designed after the RoHS program started. Namely, the new touch phone and PMP (which, IMO, are both crap).
However, they have stated that in 2009, THEN, they guarantee the company will comply to RoHS.
Also, their recycling program is sub-par: it only works if you buy a new Apple product: send in one machine when you buy a new machine. But what if someone bought two or three generations of computers from them before they started take-back? You are still stuck with an old machine.
About batteries: Sony is the industry leader regarding batteries. Sony makes the batteries for such companies as Apple and Dell. Since my first computer (1996), they sponsored RBRC, and promoted it on the packaging of all products using batteries. They were even one of the very first PC makers to meet Energy Star requirements (back at like spec 1, which today is even worse than the average cheap machine).
IBM and Sony both make efficient machines. Sony Vaio laptops have some of the best battery life in the industry: a low-end notebook from 1999 got FOUR hours of mobile life! And, it had an optional second battery that boosted it to seven! Heck, today, the average notebook gets only two hours (though for more money, longer (and heavier) batteries are usually an option).
I usually advise against Dell, for cheap and low end equipment, but I do applaud their recycling efforts.
The ability to be upgraded has also to do with the operating system. Machines that utilize a Microsoft operating system are not really green. Maxhines have to constantly be upgraded in order to support all the changes to their operating system. This is often not possible for laptops and they are just thrown away. Machines running Linix can utilize the same machine for many years without finding themselves in a non-compatible situation.
We use all Dell laptops at our workplace (D620, D630, D820, D830, depending on where you are in the replacement chain and the model you are allowed to get).
As a rule of thumb, we have had about 1/3 the incidents of broken hardware over the other manufacturers we have used in the past.
I have a Dell D800, close to 4 years old now, and it runs great. Dell makes very rugged laptops.
The XO laptop people discontinued their "Give One Get One" campaign Dec 31,2007. You can't buy one for yourself but you can definately give one! It looks like a wonderful organization.
Hey guys,
We (Dell) sell green desktops too. Check it out:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/energystar?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn
Thanks,
Todd
I'm gonna have to give Dell a big fat zero. I tried every month for at least a year to get them to stop sending me their unsolicited montly, 4-color, glossy product catalog. Every time, some manager (with whom I would insist on speaking) would promise to do so, and yet it would continue.
What are your thoughts on Hewlett Packard? Their website is promoting their new energy efficient line of computers and recycling program. I'm in the market for another laptop.
What about Hewlett Packard? Their website promotes their energy efficient computer line and recycling program.
Thanks.
Umm...Why aren't the Everex NC1500 series or Zonbu ever mentioned in conversations about green computers?
They meet RoHS. Some of the laptops consume 12W max (2 normally), 1.5 GHz , 512MB, Windows (or open source), etc.
Everex seems to have a legitimate claim on having the world's most energy efficient laptop, yet it hardly ever gets mentioned.
I have had an HP laptop for almost 2 years, and it still works great. Even thought I accidentally dropped it from about 1meter. Of course I've reinstalled the Windows about every five months in order to keep up, and make it work like an all new PC. (To be honest I use linux most of the time (it's a dual boot), its faster, safer, free, uses less energy (does not require so much RAM or repeatedly access to the hard disk, and shut downs faster), and does not require new hardware to work)
HP is good. the service is excellent, and you can upgrade HP laptops more easily. (For example if you buy a pc with 256mb in RAM they will give you that in one module of 256 instead of two 128mb modules as Dell do, so if you want, later can buy more memory and plug it in the remaining slot, with a Dell you would have to throw away one of your 128mb modules).
But to be honest, HP has one big problem, their batteries just don't last as long as Sony's or Apple's. But if you are not planning to do all your office work in the subway or in the middle of central park, then is fine.
Regarding Apple's green-ness, a co-worker just sent me this link that you may want to check out.
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/
Just from a brief research, what I did get a chance to research is true. Also, Greenpeace retracted quite a few of their statements about the companies they went after.
I am using a very old laptop atm, but I think I'll consider buying a Asus eee.... seems to be on my taste.
Nice blog btw, keep up the good work :D
I like the look of the XO Laptop. Really funky design and very green. Also getting two for $400! Bargain
While on my travels for a green store i found the following site which revolves around carbon offest.
Smartly Green
This post is quite limited in breadth for something called a "guide"
Ok, so I just happened onto this site because of some hi intensity light bulbs; requiring less energy. I've been a computer tech for over seventeen years and I'd just like to make a few statements.
1) I use only IBM laptops, I've owned five and currently own two.
2) Only one of my laptops ever was purchased new. All the others have been referbs. Which not only saves me 45-65% on the price but also keeps me from buying the newest and latest technology.
3) I've never thrown away a laptop, I've resold everyone; ususally to a friend, usually loosing little or no money and saving friends money at the same time.
4) IBM's are the most rugged laptops you can buy. And I use to repair laptops for about 20 hours a week. I've seen it all.
5)I bought my fist thinkpad after a Proph handed me his old one and told me to order the latest, fastest IBM. I went to quote him a price and he didn't care, now he had my attention. He proceded to inform me that he rode a bike to work daily and his thinkpad had hit the ground 10 - 20 times and still worked.
6) A good friend bought a new Dell, he dropped it and broke the back light bulb. I called Dell about fixing it; they wanted $369 and the laptop sent in to tell me if they COULD fix it and the price. When I told them it was just the bulb, I was told no deal; send the laptop and $369. We'll tell you how much to fix it.
7)Sony makes the only other laptop I would even think of buying with my own money, if you buy a new Viao it should last you 4-5 years, before it becomes a little slow @ which point all I do is install Open BSD and it willl still blow away most MS machines.
8) If you gave me a brand new HP or Compaq, I give away within two weeks. I've seen so many hardware problems with these laptops, I won't even take the time to move my apps or data onto one.
P.S. I'm sorry for the lenghth or if I offended anyone. But I've spent half my life in the field. I hope someone finds parts of this post useful.
Until laptop manufactures sort their act out, why not look at rental instead of buying.
For short term term needs eg training, seminars, conferences, projects etc this could fit the bill.
My company www.rentalaptop.co.uk does exactly this.
Alwood, you have my interest in refurbed IBM notebooks. I am replacing a Dell and have looked at buying a new Dell, I have had excellent luck with Dell so far but my luck may run out. If you have some links to folks you trust purchasing refurbed notebooks from, I'd be glad to look them over.
Green or not, it's true that Apple computers "do not go out of date as quickly as other computers". I had mine 5 years and always worked fine, then gave it away to a friend and bought the new MacBook.
At work I use an iMac which is 4 years old and still feels like new.
I have an X-O. It's a lovely little thing but heart breakingly slow. You also just really can't do any real work on it to speak of. You could, of course, do work on it via Google Docs, but that's only if you have net access.
And mine doesn't have the pull cord thing. I think they discontinued that idea. Anyway, it's cute... but I wish I'd bought an Asus. Especially since my good laptop's screen just broke and I could buy a new laptop for the price to fix it. God.
I have an Apple and it is not a Green computer. Being recyclable is one thing, but so is longevity.
Mac Laptops are flimsy, and replacement parts are so expensive it they are not worth fixing. For example, the power supply cord on my PowerBook is frayed and held together with tape. To replace it costs almost $US150. Power supplies for other laptops are available for $20. The battery needs to be replaced as well, but it will cost another couple of hundred dollars.
I also have an IBM Thinkpad that is much older, still entirely original, been treated much more harshly, and still 'just works'. When the Mac power cord finally goes, it will become waste. There is no recycling program here, even if I did trust they were more than corporate PR.
Repair, Reuse *then* recycle
I have an Apple and it is not a Green computer. Being recyclable is one thing, but so is longevity.
Mac Laptops are flimsy, and replacement parts are so expensive it they are not worth fixing. For example, the power supply cord on my PowerBook is frayed and held together with tape. To replace it costs almost $US150. Power supplies for other laptops are available for $20. The battery needs to be replaced as well, but it will cost another couple of hundred dollars.
I also have an IBM Thinkpad that is much older, still entirely original, been treated much more harshly, and still 'just works'. When the Mac power cord finally goes, it will become waste. There is no recycling program here, even if I did trust they were more than corporate PR.
Repair, Reuse *then* recycle
Weren't Apple getting some serious flak for all the PCB's, heavy metals, and unrecyclable electronics parts in their products? ITS NOT GREEN, ITS A METALLIC COLOR.
And as opposed to the Asus Eee PC which is still hard to come by, get an HP Mini-Note, it has more power and is still the same size as the Eee.
Another question for Alwood - any opinions on Toshibas? I've heard good reviews about quality and many of their Tecra models are Gold EPEAT standard. They're also doing not too badly overall according to Greenpeace's ratings.
Thank you for this article it does a great job of summing up the options and issues regrading an eco friendly approach to computing. I wanted to share the Eco Computer Store at I Buy It Green.com as most if not all of the models featured in this article are available there. They feature a wide selection of new, used and refurbished models. There is also a blog section of the site that contains several articles like this one offering additional points of view on eco friendly computing, epeat certification and computer recycling programs.
Future laptops should only have a browser and lower down the processor requirements. This would help
I am using a very old laptop atm, but I think I'll consider buying a Asus eee.... seems to be on my taste.
Toshiba makes the worst laptops, I have never seen a laptop brand with more problems. They are bulky, over-heat, have hardware failures, and bad support. Dell shouldn't be on this list, they're not green. Apple has not been green either, but luckily they are working to change that. I believe that HP is the worst environmental offender.
IBM Thinkpads are my personal favorite, although I'm not sure how green they are. I have 2 thinkpads that are 10 years old and still run great (Using Linux and Win2k). I got one on ebay and one that was given to me.
I'm glad the Asus eee made the list, I have an Asus G1S-X1 laptop that's about a year old that works wonderfully, even while running Vista! I have seen the Asus eee on sale for as low as $199, its very affordable. I think it is more important to have a laptop that you can get the most use out of, one that will last for years, because most laptops don't live up to the green standards at the moment.
We're stretching the definition of 'green' here aren't we? none of these manufacturers are trying to absorb the carbon emitted to produce these computers? Battery life and mobility are really pushing energy efficiency of these machines, not the desire to be green as such. Therefore while their efficiency is laudable, they can hardly be said to be 'green' as such. Just 'more efficient' than the last generation.
Most people know the average laptop burns out after around 5 years, if you're lucky - but usually die in 3.
I'd like to see a real study if it's better to run a desktop machine for a longer product life, than a laptop for a shorter amount of time (given the potential wear and tear on this sort of machine).
Very informative.
I have always been a supporter of the campaign for green computing. I think, it is high time to give Mother Nature what is due to her. And by purchasing this products , we are given the chance to experience a guilt free computing experience.