At MetaEfficient I’ve been waiting for years to review some
exciting green computers, and now finally in 2008, we’ve seen
the introduction of some truly green PCs. Although the
components of green PCs cost about 10% more than regular PCs,
they retail for about the same price. You can jump ahead and see
our list of the greenest PCs. Or you can read about the details
of the green rating processes. How do you judge the greenness of
a computer? The two most important factors are power
consumption, and the elimination of hazardous components inside
the machine. Other factors such as the efficiency of the power
supply, packaging and the manufacturer’s support for recycling
programs are also important. Overall, there are a huge number of
factors to assess, but thankfully there are now some eco-
certifications that make it easier. The most important
certifications are EPEAT (Electronic Products Environmental
Assessment Tool), RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and
Energy Star 4.0. All three of these certificat