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PCs
Windows-based PCs are the backbone of industry. Sure, there are some Macs and Linux
boxes out there, but most companies run on Windows. There aren’t too many low-power
models out there, but 2008 saw a number of new models introduced.

Intel
At the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Intel unveiled 16 new products
based on the company’s first 45 nanometer (nm) processor.
The new processor boosts a PC’s speed, reduces power requirements, saves on battery life,
helps the environment, and comes in a smaller package for more fashionable and compact
computer designs. With the introduction of the new processors, Intel will be offering a total of
32 desktop, laptop, and server processors. PART II

HP
HP has introduced its own low-power PCs, including the rp5700.
The PC touts a specialized design with additional cooling features. This allows it to be
in higher temperature environments than most other PCs. Its energy efficiency comes from
S3 power management, specialized Intel processors, and 80 Plus power supplies.

NOTE We’ll talk about 80 Plus power supplies later in this chapter.

The rp5700 also uses postconsumer recycled plastics and packaging as well as exceeds
requirements for hazardous material reduction.

Linux
Low-power Linux machines have largely been—like the OS itself—homebrew devices. An
enthusiastic tinkerer will decide he wants a low-power file server, so he’ll slap one together,
put his favorite flavor of Linux on it, and post the video of him doing it on his website. But
there are companies that offer their own low-power Linux options. Many of these are not
only inexpensive to run, but downright cheap to buy.
NorhTec
The Bangkok-based NorhTec offers a tiny PC (for less than US$100) capable of running
Puppy and other lightweight Linux distributions.
NorhTec’s MicroClient Jr. is 4.5 inches square and draws 8 watts of power. It uses a
166MHz Pentium–compatible processor.
The MicroClient Jr. is the smallest of the company’s line of extremely small, energy-
efficient PCs.
In fact, the company’s founder says he built the company with the goal of producing
sub-$100 PCs. The company has already sold PCs to clients such as McDonalds of Canada.
The MicroClient Jr. boots from CompactFlash rather than a hard drive. Other features
include:

• Fanless design
• 128MB SDRAM
• Input/output ports