Green Linux Machines: An Alternative to Windows Vista, the Resource Hog
Linux may be the greener choice when choosing an operating system. Why? Because the latest version of Microsoft Windows is such a resource-hog, you’ll need double or triple the computer power to perform basic tasks with the same speed you might with Linux.
Program that used to require a few hundred megs of RAM on Windows XP now require 2 gigs or more on Windows Vista. Check out this chart on the Audacity download page. To use Audacity on Windows Vista Home Premium, you will need 4 gigs of RAM versus the 512 MB you needed on XP. A whopping 4 GIGS!! Talk about creating unnecessary e-waste! Why force people to buy more electronic chips when the old operating system did everything just as fast if not faster on less hardware?
Windows Vista has put off so many people due to its resource-intensiveness that vocal customers have demanded a return to XP as an option on new desktop purchases. Linux is also becoming more common as a pre-loaded option.
Here’s a thought: Progress in computing should not mean that each new operating system upgrade should have to require new hardware upgrades. In fact, it should be the reverse. Progress in computing should mean that the code becomes leaner, meaner, more efficient, and require less in terms of hardware.
At least, that’d be the thinking if you were looking at software from a green perspective.
So, if you are buying a new computer, and you don’t want large portion of your purchase dollars going to Microsoft or Apple for a bloated operating system that’s going to force you to buy new RAM and contribute to more e-waste, try a new computer pre-loaded with the open source operating system Linux. Linux is free (though commercial versions are available with support), so your new computer may be even cheaper since you’re not paying Microsoft a licensing fee.
Additionally, many manufacturers are now creating “green” computers with lower power requirements. Many of these computers are available with special distributions of Linux pre-installed.
While Linux may seem intimidating to someone who has not used it before, a pre-installed version that comes with commercial support should work just as well if not better than Windows Vista. It will also be more stable, take up fewer computing resources, and be just as user-friendly in daily use.
For a list of green machines pre-loaded with Linux (some as cheap as $200), see: “The Year of Green Linux“
I love technology but I am also quite aware of the negative impact it can have on the environment. Still, I think it's technology that has the most potential to save us. Here you'll find articles on the green tech aka clean tech, such as alternative fuel, green computing, and e-cycling. You'll also hear about the "green" and the "tech" - from green household cleaners to why Linux is the progressive operating system of choice.
January 12th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Great article! I work in desktop support and completely agree with you on Vista. My company is pondering a move to Vista from XP and can only imagine the slowdowns that this will cause. We are running Office 2007 and have already noticed a slowdowns with this. I really hope that management can at some point can escape their dependency from Microsoft and go to OpenSource products.
http://www.flexfiles.blogspot.com
January 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
[...] In a previous article, I discussed how upgrading to Windows Vista could end up costing more in terms of upgraded hardware. Additionally, many older computers (even from a few years ago) won’t be able to handle the increased resource requirements of Vista. Linux, however, can run perfectly fine on older computers without needing to purchase more e-waste in the form of excess RAM if you just want something for web-browsing and word processing. In the least, consider keeping that older computer around to test out Linux instead of just throwing it out. [...]