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Bloat is not the only problem #
Posted Tuesday 29th April 2008 15:02 GMT
Bloatware is, indeed, a major part of the problem, as it (as Joe said) requires more power to do the same job. But there are other factors at work:
1. Most computers these days are put on standby instead of being switched completely off. This is partly due to slow boot times (bringing us back to bloat), but also due to laziness on th epart of the users.
2. Games are becoming increasingly power hungry, not due to bloat as such but due to increasing demands on graphics hardware (which is a major power consumer in a typical gaming PC).
3. Wireless access. Wireless networks require more power than cable-based networks, and users tend to leave their wireless router switched on all the time.
4. More computers. A few years ago, most homes had (at most) a single computer shared by all family members. Now it is common for each to have their own, which are in use at the same time.
5. Power use not a competitive factor. Few home users look at power use when they buy a computer. CPU power, RAM, HD space, graphics card power and optical drive capabilities are much more important. In fact, few shops can even tell you the power usage of the PCs they sell.
I suspect that power use won't drop until it is required of PC sellers to clearly indicate the yearly cost of leaving the computer on four hours per day and on stand-by the remaining 20 hours per day. That might make buyers think a bit about power.
