Survey: Can a Shiny New Mac be Green?

The biggest green item here is the design; this will be the last computer you buy. It is stylish and supremely functional. It will have a high resale value.

Like all of Apple's products, the choice to be green is yours - if you're not thinking of keeping of one these for 10-15 years, don't buy one.

' the last computer you buy'???

I highly doubt it. There is no such animal, and no computer will be valid for 10-15 years. Technology is progressing too rapidly for that.

Mark, i can't tell if you are being extremely sarcastic, or extremely naive. the only 'truth' in your comment is that the design is stylish... after that...

10-15 years??? are you joking, you must know that a non-upgradeable computer such as this will be obsolete within at the very most five. if it follows the path of the ipod with a non-replaceable battery, then it might be a paper weight before that. resale value, come on.

Apple has removed many toxins from it's production and we should hail that as a good trend, however a truly green computer is one that both reduces it's power comsumption and that can be upgraded (CPU, RAM, HDD etc). If you can't do any of that, then it's just another product with planned obsolescence.

since when is treehugger a mac fanboy blog?

did you all wait in line for your iphones too?

consumerism != green

I like how Jobs talks about being all green while he takes swigs from his bottled water periodically through the whole keynote.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/02/01/suzuki-water.html

the ironing is delicious.

' the last computer you buy'???

10-15 years??? are you joking, you must know that a non-upgradeable computer such as this will be obsolete within at the very most five.

>>>These are typical initial reactions. Try and get past the planned obsolescence thing. Apple's products are decent enough to end the upgrade cycle; you are the weak link.

Can we stop the sale of laptop computers? No.

Is this better than the alternatives? Yes, by quite a bit.

There's a bit more green cred here that people are too busy complaining about to realize: The battery is replaceable by Apple. That means every single battery that goes dead gets taken back, which means they're going to work toward solid processes for getting as much value out of those batteries as possible - anything less would lose them money.

Look, if I can buy a machine that's got only three pounds of material, an LED backlight instead of a cold cathode, and no mercury or lead? Yeah, that's going to be my next computer. It's the same price as the competition - machines that small come at a premium, whether you're getting them from Lenovo, Sony or Apple.

And of course there's exploitative labor going on here. But there's less - and less chemical exposure for those laborers - than the equivalent alternative products.

I believe that no computer will last more than 5 years or so. I think that the LED backlit and mercury-free, lead-free, and PVC free nature of the computer is a step in the right direction.

Although Ipods were not designed for a consumer to replace the battery, there are places where you can get the battery replaced by a technician. The same will probably be the case with this computer where a trained technician will replace parts for people. And there will be do-it-yourself guides on the internet as well.

Explore your options before making generalizations. You have access to the internet at your fingertips so Search It!

"the last computer you buy." priceless!

I think Mark meant to say "The last computer you buy this year." When Steve Jobs announces the MacBook Air Nano at next year's convention, these will be obsolete. Hmm, my MacBookPro is suddenly looking very big and clunky. Must. Upgrade. Now.

This may not be the last laptop that you buy, but you may not need another one for several years (provided that its fragile form factor can handle years of use). People are running some of the newer releases of OS X on Macs that they purchased a decade ago, so who knows what is possible in regard to future upgrades. It is unlikely that your average Winbox (eMachine, Dell, etc) will be able to run the next version of Windows at all, so if you're not Open Source friendly, you will be upgrading or purchasing new computers every few years for the foreseeable future.

This is a step in the right direction above all else. When high-end PC manufacturers (Apple, Lenovo, Toshiba, HP/Compaq) start making strides to more environmentally sound PC design, the others will eventually follow in suit. Let's not forget that SSD and some other components that will make these sub-notebooks and UMPCs real power sippers are limited in size and extremely expensive. By making these features available in the Air, Apple can do its part in popularizing them which will lead to increased demand and lower cost.

I find it difficult to read through so much cynicism and so many haters that are missing the point. This will make people and PC manufactures change how they think about mobile computing and open up the market for sub-notebooks and other machines that buck the traditional laptop design.

Thank you Rajio for noticing the disposable plastic water bottle in Steve Job's hand during his presentation. That was bothering me too.

My Sony sub-notebook is 9 years old, and I still professionally design internet/print graphics, web pages and print catalogs for "Top-50" online retailers with it. So, yes a computer can last a long time. But my trusty sub-notebook has finally run out of room for more memory, and software is now either too large or processor intensive to continue using it. The computer is still perfect otherwise. The software is making my machine obsolete. I was hoping Apple would build a replacement for me, but this beautiful gizmo (the Air) can't be upgraded beyond the memory it has, and the processor is mid-level to begin with. So, I can't see it as a green computer on the longevity issue. Just a neat-o one. But the industry is getting better, and that pleases me. I'm giddy about the LED/LCD displays.

Also, the fact that my tiny iPod Shuffle flew from China, to Alaska, to the Mid-West, to the West coast - and finally arrived with more packaging than product - was a big disappointment too. If Apples are going to be expensive, at least make them worth it. I don't want to pay more for imported products to be flown half way around the planet (thrice - it was a refurb). I AM willing to pay more for products that offer more value. Albeit my sense of value may differ from the popular view. Local is valuable to me. Durability (longevity) is also valuable to me as I'm not a shopper or stuff collector.

mark and bill... yes it is planned obsolescence, or even perceived obsolescence on their part. granted there are third party methods to replace your dead ipod battery, but how many 2nd gen ipods do you see in use today. that product is only 5 years old!! apple is on to the 6th gen right now with each new model making the older one fit for a hand-me-down.

this new macbook air also introduces a completely new micro DVI adapter rendering all other previous accessories useless. who stands to gain? the planet? or the 3rd party retailers chomping at the bit for your cash.

i'm not bashing apple, i think they have by far the best industrial designers in the marketplace. but don't go spouting off silly remarks like 'this is the last computer you'll buy' or 'go search the internet'... you're just being ridiculous.

It takes a while to get used to the concept; obsolescence is a myth, the term itself being obsolete. We have the technology to build high quality long lasting electronic technology. What's so surprising about that?

Fact is, iPods MacBook Airs are going to be here in 20 years, and people are going to be using them. Just like the 80 year old desk I am using now, quality was a habit of hanging around - It's up to you whether you are going to buy value or quality.

wouldn't it be cool if the lid had solar panels to power it?

Oh, yeah! My comment's winning!

Just give old ones to poor people or something.

/sarcastic

I want the software programmers to let me get more performance out of my OLD hardware, not write bloatware that demands I buy NEW hardware!

In reference to the third option on this survey, please, its the 21st century, were trying to green the planet the best we could, nobody said anything about going back to the dinosaurs. We aren't cave men anymore!

As far as I know, this is Apple's FIRST RoHS compliant model. Big whoop. This thing sucks, anyway. I will not bash how lowsy and weak the specs are, but in short: Apple did not just make practical portable product. No, they just made a *thin* product. Anyone who needs a super mobile computer would look for something thicker with a smaller footprint. This thing, the 'MacBook Nano', is nothing but a design statement, and will only see a niche market. WHAT THEY NEED TO DO is improve the regular MacBooks and the Pros. Give everything LED screens, remove the chemicals from ALL products. The fanboys might adore this, but the fact is that Apple is being lazy and needs to take the chemicals out of everything.

And by the way, get a voting system that lets us see results before voting. Some people are interested in the stats but do not have a firm opinion.

Props to SolaSalsa! All this laptop is, is an inflated PDA. It's not upgradable. It can't possibly be the "last computer you buy." I completely agree with SolaSalsa on:
"Give everything LED screens, remove the chemicals from ALL products. The fanboys might adore this, but the fact is that Apple is being lazy and needs to take the chemicals out of everything."

It's not actually functional for real computing. It doesn't even have a CD/DVD Drive. How are you supposed to install anything on it? With only one USB port how functional can it be. I mean maybe it could be if you carry around your USB connected HDD or large USB key, mouse, CD/DVD player, USB port expansion, etc. Which seems not portable at all. How do you make large file transfers when your laptop is only limited to wireless internet. Or when you need a faster streaming capability. Wired connection is much faster, which means your laptop needs to be turned on for less time when compared to wired.

I rather have a RoHS compliant PDA that uses even less materials, than a laptop that can't be used for computing.

Oh please Josh, don't use the caveman line!

I like my gadgets too, but I'm sure it was possible to have a fun & fulfilling life BEFORE we got electricity :)

Why is there so much anger from commenters on this site? The thing is small and has materials which are easily recyclable.

It might not be the dream that you have of a future where all computers are made of broccoli that you can eat when you're done using, but it's okay.

Be nice and calm down for once, it'll help your stress levels and you won't cost us to much on health care. :)

Is this advertising by Apple for it's latest notebook? It may seem eco-friendly, but about actually testing it before making hasty decisions?

And I'm not saying that pretty aesthetics are bad - but I can't help but think Treehugger flounces Apple to pull in the fanboys in support. I can't help but wonder if this poll was even rigged.

I use a Sony Vaio TZ, and to me, it's like the smallest 'real' computer that actually works.

This is the biggest bunch of BS spin that I can imagine.

It is a typical, built for obsolescence, consumer electronic device manufactured in the land of green tech - China, which then must be shipped THOUSANDS of miles.

Honestly, this is a joke - if Haliburton were pitching this, you guys would be ripping it. This is nothing but spin and since it is a "Mac" and Jobs calls it "green" you guys give it a free pass.

LA: Um, this is a survey, nobody is pitching anything.

This is only a small move in the scale of corporate responsibility for waste and toxic material production, but a significant one nonetheless. Apple is the industry innovator, now since Jobs has stepped forward, even if only slightly, the rest of the industry will outdo each other in order to outdo Apple.

Personally, I applaud this action, and pray that the entire line of Apple products follows suit within the year.

Less material used to build it... improvement. However, until Apple builds me a laptop that does not require external power to run, does not utilize ANY harmful known chemicals, and offers the consumer the option to upgrade virtually any component infinately, I will not label it as a "green" computer.

My thoughts are that "Green" is something that Apple should run with before Microsoft wakes up.

MacBook Air GREEN? Ridiculous!

While I applaud Apple's move to make some of their products somewhat less destructive to the environment during production, this product in particular is in many ways one of the LEAST GREEN devices you can buy.

A truly green product is durable and expandable, insuring that it will have a long lifespan before entering our landfills. The MacBook Air is neither of these things.

Instead, it appeals to the worst aspects of our consumerist tendencies. It has relatively outdated specifications, emphasizing style and form over practicality and actual need.

How many of us coveting it, I wonder, do so already reading from perfectly functional laptops that we might readily cast aside for this new shiny model just to say to others that we are somehow MORE STYLISH, MORE CLEVER, MORE RICH, or somehow MORE OF AN INDEPENDENT THINKER than everyone else around us?

It is exactly this kind of wasteful mentality that drives people to buy big new SUVs every few years that they never need to take off-road. Want to be green? Keep your existing laptop another five years and leave this one on the store shelves.

Any improvement toward making a product green should be applauded. But it is impossible to make this product 100% green; at least with current technology.

I agree with Ashes, the back of the screen should have a solar panel to recharge the battery. With all the new improvements I am certain we will see this one day.

Now, it is just a race to see which company will make this a reality. After all, how long have we had solar powered calculators?

My powerbook pismo is from 1999 ( pre-iPod era ) and runs OS 10.4.11 . It does almost eveything that the new MacBook does and even does some things that the MacBook can't do. I think that the consumer who must always have the latest and greatest is just as much to blame as planned obsolescence.

Im still using my old iBook from 2002 - since then only 1 battery replacement required! I will be getting a new one soon along with a few other people at my company.

We have a large, mounting pile of IBM notebooks that simply don't last more than 3-4 years at best. There's also 2 sony vaio 17" machines that are 2 years old - weigh a ton and are becoming very worn after just 2 years (dvd players failing a lot, casing ragged, USB ports shutting down).

I agree this Airbook may not be a super green solution but many people don't realise that once a brand new mac moves in to it's second or 3rd year there's a ton of low end users like me who just need to run word and print and we're there to buy them up.

Yes it got EPEAT silver. but no that's not anything special; it shares that with 153 other laptops. in fact no laptops got bronze, so it would appear that no tested laptop did worse. All this is doing it getting people to throw out perfectly good laptops so they can go out and get them selves the new shiny laptop. and how can anything be good for the environment at $3,000. =O I just bought a pretty good refurbished laptop for $700. using the money i saved i could offset approximation 460 metric tons of carbon.

If a computer is made locally and with minimal materials or minimal recycled materials or made in a way which does not negatively impact our environment, it may be green. Just because the computer is small it is not necessarily green - for example, it could have been made so many miles away it takes tons of fuel to get it to my home... this has a NEGATIVE impact on our environment!

Hi folks,

Quite a bit after the fact, here is a great video to see what is really possible in green computing. There are so many factors to explore in "green" or sustainable computing beyond energy use, chemicals and recycling. Energystar, EPEAT and other rating systems are just the beginning.

Jepson and her team have incorporated social justice, grid development and energy politics, RE, manufacturing infrastructure, radical conceptual reworking and other factors into their design. It will be fascinating to watch how they develop this and whether they can create something for Western power-using tastes. She is really rethinking things in a way that Mac, embedded in the industry and marketplace, and other corporate giants can't and she explains why.

http://earthfirst.com/greener-gadgets-keynote-video-mary-lou-jepson-of-one-laptop-per-child/

Have been hunting online for green computers and am pretty frustrated with what's out there. I am so tired of Mac vs. PC and all the other consumer debates that make us sound like opinionated sheep. Yes one is better than another for this or that, but honestly, aren't we a bit more imaginative than that? Who will finally really commit and revolutionize the industry in a way that the big boys haven't for a long, long time. I dream of the day that both Mac and PC based systems become obsolete and someone has figured out how to harvest the materials for the new generation.

I need a 3D graphics capable computer for work. Macs have been out of my price range except used. I avoid laptops because of the upgrade issue. For many, upgrades and changes in online and client software is always forcing us to upgrade. So eventually my gear is forced into obsolescence.

I religiously turn off and unplug even with things set to max power efficiency. I feel like calling Jepson and asking her to invent a revolutionary design that allows me to use 2 Watts max for regular folks apps then eat a little bit more when I have heavy graphics stuff running. I bet she would have some interesting ideas.

Cheers everyone.

In a group where 40% of respondents imagine backyard nuclear reactors are 'green'(!), Apple's Air puts emeralds to shame. SJ rocks...! (Green rocks... .)

first off, laptops are more energy efficient than desktops, and this mac is at the top of the line. macs are also more sustainable than pc's, without having to buy your software and hardware from different manufacturers, it all comes from apple. what in the world has most of you people so bitter? get off your high horse and realize that the world is slowly adapting to become more and more environmentally responsible. we should encourage more growth, not throw criticism in every direction possible.

Hell, I gave my old iBook to a friend and as far as I know it is still working fine. I bought it almost TEN years ago.

Yes, Apple products are durable, deal with it.

(Before that I had a Acer... oh the laugh!! After 2 years of gentle gentle use it was literally falling apart.)

PS - But hey, it's so fashionable to talk bad about Apple...

re: "Steve Jobs ...... plastic water bottle" Did anyone catch the scene in "Slumdog Millionaire" where the main character is refilling disposable water bottles with Mumbai, India local water and then gluing the cap back on to be presented as "new, unopened". THAT was priceless!

Every iPod owner I know has had a need to replace their broken iPod, or get a new iPod as soon as it comes out. What do they do with the old iPods? Toss em? What a wonderful consumer culture we live in. Apple just symbolizes it perfectly.