Name: Tom D!
Office: Math Sciences Building (MSB) 2232
Personality: Domie, bicyclist, quaffer of Pepper Peddler Coffee, singer of songs, and I'm bored with editing for the Tom of Many Interests. P.S. He needs a nickname.
I recently finished building a very energy efficient computer in a cookie tin, which I might get around to making a page for one of these days... The whole machine - computer and monitor - uses less energy than a light bulb (about 30 Watts for the computer and 32 for the monitor), and has a power source that runs at about 95% efficiency. It is actually efficient enough that it doesn't even require a fan; the machine runs silent, but for a tiny bit of hard drive noise. For comparison, most desktop machines sport a power source which eat 150-500 Watts, and run at between 60 and 75% efficiency. (This, by the way, is an area where improvement could massively reduce power consumption in the US.) A CRT monitor runs at 100-150 Watts; a newer LCD uses only 30-50 Watts. To be sure, most laptops are already designed with this kind of energy consciousness in order to keep consumers from complaining about short battery life, and run on 30-50 Watts. This energy savings is supposed to pay for the difference between a laptop's and desktop's price within 3-5 years of use. I built my machine for about $400, and got a refurbished screen for another $150, significantly cheaper than a new laptop.
