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According to UK's Green Party, "Future archaeologists will be able to identify a 'Vista Upgrade Layer' when they go through our landfill sites." In fact, computer landfills are already becoming a huge environmental hazard. Vista's hardcore approach to hardware requriements is just making things worse! With it's high cost and even higher system requirements, and it's phenomenally low support for older or common hardware, Vista is responsible for what has been amounting to a global surge to the electronics stores to buy new computers or upgrades. |
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Hundreds of thousands of tons of computer equipment are disposed of each year, and very little of that is recycled. Since each computer is comprised of over 1000 (yes, one THOUSAND) different chemicals, compounds and components, that represents a gigantic problem for future generations.
The Upgrade Effect
Windows Vista offers features appealing to many users, including several visual upgrades (Aero Glass, for instance), and proposed security tweaks. A beautiful sidebar adorns the Professional version, and even we have to admit, Vista is a handsome operating system - if you can run it.
That's a BIG "IF" for a lot of people. These features have come at a steep price, namely, hardware requirments.
To understand why this is the case, one needs to understand a bit about how Microsoft designs software. Microsoft software is written using "modules" of code. Modules are chunks of program pieces that are stored in a huge library. Microsoft's module library is absolutely vast, and has been building for many years now. Any portion of code ever written by Microsoft programmers is kept in this library.
In modular programming, if a certain function is needed by an application, a module containing the particular function in question is added to the program from this library. At the same time, many other functions, even if unnecessary, are also often added with the same module.
Modular programming allows programs to be built relatively quickly and easily, like Lego. It doesn't take as much know-how to program this way, and the main focus of modular programmig is speed. This is crucial to Microsoft's ability to release operating systems, updates, and other software in a way that enables them to meet release deadlines, and maximize sales.
Unfortunately, it also ltends to lead to wasted system resources, mainly memory (RAM). Additionally, not all modules work together harmoniously, which introduces bugs that may be difficult to track down.
In layman's terms, imagine you have a small bungalow-style house, a lot of money, and a penchant for collecting trinkets, ornaments, and memorabilia. Now, imagine that you have hundreds of these small trinkets being added to your collection daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. Rather than clearing out the things you don't need, they pile up. Eventually, in order to store all of them, you begin building additions to your house, just to hold them.
Eventually, you have a house the size of Manhattan. It's completely impossible to live in, navigate, or use in any meaningful way. Walking from the bedroom to the bathroom now takes all day. Maybe you'll trip and "crash" over some of the junk that's laying around.
This is what happens to your RAM (system memory) when too many modules are added to a program. Instead of having only those parts required to function, memory is used to store many more times that amount of information, all of it being completely useless and irrelevant. Also, some of the data isn't handled cleanly, leaving things around for your operating system to "trip" over, resulting in the familiar Windows crashes and blue screens.
From the computer's perspective, you have no choice but to "build a bigger house" to hold all the extra junk, ie, you need more RAM to hold all the useless bits of information, and to handle the clunky, inelegant code. In addition, you will require a lot more processor power to handle it, and a larger hard disk to store all the programs on.
If I Could Turn Back Time...
Microsoft initially downplayed the hardware specifications required to run Vista properly. In fact, they still do, albeit not as badly as they once did. Original claims were that Vista would run on 512 Megabytes of RAM, with a minimal processor. Unfortunately, that proved false. A 512-megabyte machine was simply not enough to run it. Period.
Sadly, many users purchased a Vista upgrade for their Windows XP systems as soon as one became available. After all, the promises of more security and a glossier interface and improved functionality were pretty hard to resist. Once upgraded, these folks suddenly found that their computer, which has run XP with little or no problems, would no longer run once they put Vista on it. Worse, Vista invalidated their XP activation code, and they cannot go back to their old OS. Now they have no choice: upgrade hardware, or be stuck with a 50kg paperweight.
Where Do I Stand?
According to Mirosoft's website, Vista requires a minimum of a 1Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 40 gigabytes of hard drive space, and a relatively new DirectX9.x 3D-capable graphics card. To run WELL, most Windows experts agree that it requires a 2.3Ghz or higher processor and at least 2GB of RAM.
The list of incompatible video cards is far longer than the list of compatible ones. Even most basic sound cards are known to have issues with Vista. Additionally, any hardware that does not comply with Microsoft's new, stringent DRO (Digital Rights Owner) requirements will not run at all.
Vista then disables those that do meet the requirements, since that's what the DRO software is designed to do. If the software and hardware are DRO compliant, the hardware will detect when you have a copyrighted media in your drive, for instance, and disable some or all of the functionality of your hard drive, sounds card or video card.
As an example , even if you have a video card that has an output to connect your computer or laptop to an HDTV, Vista DISABLES the outgoing ports if you try to play a BlueRay disk or DVD, in order to prevent copyright violations caused by potential for people to record the output on a VCR or DVDR.
In other words, having those ports is basically useless to you, since you cannot put a movie in the DVD or BlueRay drive and watch it on your television. Ironically, the only media you COULD watch through those ports would be primarily illegal copies, since LEGAL media would disable the hardware.
The average computer owner will be faced with a huge expense in the near future, as Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP at the end of 2008. As software for Microsoft operating systems crosses the line of compatibility, it will no longer work on XP and older systems.
Your computer, from Microsoft's perspective, will be obsolete. Since Microsoft has ongoing long-term contracts with most major hardware manufacturers, this suits them just fine.
Perhaps you feel differently.
What's Going to Happen To My Current Computer??
According to renowned US-based statistical analysis company Nielsen, 41% of all households have computer equipment which is no longer used. That number is now rising at an alarming rate.
But what happens to those computers when they will no longer run the latest operating system? And do we have any other option than to throw them away?
The rapid growth in the purchase of new hardware means a corresponding growth in the amount of computer hardware being discarded on a daily basis.
Currently less than 6 percent of discarded computer hardware is recycled. Thousands of tonnes per year are simply discarded. Over 80% of computers in North America that do get recycled are being sent to China to be recycled in oil-intensive processes where laborers work under inhumane conditions for nearly nothing. Is this progress?
Those computers that aren't recycled (ie, the other 96%) end up in a common landfill, leeching harmful chemicals and lead directly into the ground. Many of the component metals add to pollution, since they contain toxic substances like lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and flame-retardants.
If you're starting to feel physically ill, take heart. There is an alternative.
Open-Source To The Rescue!
Derek Wall, speaker for Britain's Green Party, argues that businesses should look into software alternatives such as Linux, as they run far more efficiently, and therefore don't require high-specification hardware to achieve the same or even better results. In an interview, Wall agreed that Linux "can run on existing hardware, reduces licensing costs for small businesses and affords important freedoms to consumers. The UK government should capitalize on this opportunity."
He continued, "Vista requires more expensive and energy-hungry hardware, passing the cost on to consumers and the environment. This will also further exclude the poor from the latest technology, and impose burdensome costs on small and medium businesses who will be forced to enter another expensive upgrade cycle."
Free Geek Vancouver (www.freegeekvancouver.org) is Canada's first recognized non-profit charitable organization specializing in recycling computers and redistributing them in a “green” way, without exporting to China, and using volunteers as their work force. They donate the computers they reassemble to schools, churches, and the poor.
They state on their website, “Free Geek was proud to hold the Vancouver Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron release party.. It is no secret now that computer recycling and... open source... go hand in hand. Linux is one reason we can keep older hardware alive and working well. Hardy Heron is a great edition to the every growing story of Ubuntu. We see a steady stream of people fed up with Vista and wanting more control over their hardware.”
Linux is now considered Microsoft's number one competitor, and it's extremely inexpensive. Even a complete computer novice can acquire a Linux operating system online for around $10, and enjoy the benefits of running an environmentally friendly operating system.
Linux versus Vista
Linux hardware requirements are less than a quarter those of Vista. For instance, a base installation of Vista uses about 790 MB of RAM upon boot-up, with no software running. In our office, a fully functional OpenSUSE system runs with less than 200MB of overhead. That's about one fourth the RAM required to run the basic operating system.
Vista requires 40 gigabytes of hard drive space, according to Microsoft's website. That's just for the basic operating system, not including any web server, office suite, applications, or anything else. Linux requires about 4 gigabytes of HD space for most operating systems. Some (such as Xubuntu) require less than 2 gigabytes of HD space. For a full installation, including all the software you'd normally have to install after the fact with Vista (media players, Google Earth, a full office suite, browsers, email applications, web servers, etc), you need about 10-12 gigabytes on your hard drive.
Vista requires a bare minimum of 1Ghz processor, with a recommendation of 2.3Ghz. Linux requires a 400Mhz processor (0.4Ghz), and will run very quickly on a 700Mhz one. In fact, we have an old IBM Thinkpad here in the office that has a 233Mhz processor, and 96 megabytes of RAM. It runs Xubuntu Linux, and has everything you would need to function. It's not a speed demon, but it's comparable to many XP systems folks use these days. It has a word processor, web browsers, etc, just like any other computer. It even has WiFi.
Linux is also capable of running many Windows applications, including MS Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer (ALL versions, even simultaneously), and thousands more software titles. It has over 60,000 software packages available for free download. The hardware support of Linux is now on par with, or better than, Vista's. Watch movies, work with your usual Office documents, listen to music, play games, surf the Internet, chat with friends or even use your webcam – all with applications that are included at no extra cost with the operating system. It's all there.
Additionally, no virus has ever been created that could run effectively in Linux. Not running anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall not only means more money in your pocket, but less hassle, less wasted time, and less hardware required to support the operating system, since you don't have to have these types of programs running in the background. Since anti-spyware software requires that it be run manually and frequently, you'll be saving manual effort to maintain the system. You'll also save a lot of down time due to viral attacks and security holes.
What Does That Mean For Me and My Planet?
For the consumer, that means saving a ton of money on hardware and software upgrades. Rather than paying for a $269 Vista upgrade, another $299 of Office, and more for all the other applicatiosn you could require, you can get them all on a DVD for less than $10USD at any of a number of online vendors, including us.
You can pay a bit more and buy one directly from the developer's various websites with a printed manual.
You can even download them freely, if you have a bit of techncial know-how and a CD or DVD burner, and have the patience (or time) to do some hunting for answers when you have a question.
Additionally, you won't require a new processor ($200+), a 2 gigabyte RAM upgrade ($269+/-), a new Vista-compliant video card and sound card ($200+/-) or a new hard drive ($120+) that would otherwise be required to run Microsoft's newest behemoth.
For small business owners, it means being able to stay competitive without having to pay thousands of dollars in hardware and software licensing.
For the poor, this puts technology in the hands of millions of people around the globe who could otherwise not afford to have a computer. Economically depressed areas, schools with little funding, and non-profit organizations can all see huge benefits from open-source software, especially when paired with the concept of reusing older computer systems that would otherwise be thrown away. Right now, millions of students in Brazil, Argentina, and other economically depressed regions around the world are using Linux because it's affordable, accessible, and runs on old hardware that they can get their hands on!
Over 1 billion Linux-based ASUS EEEPC laptops are expected to ship to an un-named government this year. We can only speculate on where such a large contract may have come from, but either way, this means that there is a huge shift in momentum towards open-source software.
For our planet, it means that hundreds of millions of computers now rendered “obsolete” by Microsoft, are not obsolete at all. Several hundred million copies of MS Vista are expected to ship this year. Each of them is heavily packaged in plastic and full-color cardboard. Each of them means a massive hardware upgrade, and a corresponding massive hardware disposal.
Running Linux means saving your old PC a trip to China for recycling, or worse, to our landfills. It means saving about 2 pounds of plastic and packaging as well.
It means running a computer that takes less electricity (and therefore less crude oil and coal) to function, and doesn't require building more environmentally-unfriendly hardware.
In Conclusion...
We believe that Linux and other Open-Source applications are not only the future of our industry, but of our planet. In a day and age where so many are concerned with savign our environment from unwanted and un-needed waste and pollution, this is one way EVERYONE can afford to pitch in, and save not only their planet, but their pocketbooks.
For more information on recycling computers, please visit these sites:
Texas Commission On Environmental Quality
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