Green Computing

By Matt Ahola

Two important days are coming soon, the start of the new fiscal year and Earth Day. So regardless of people’s political or philosophical views, the need to conserve resources should be on everyone’s minds. Computers are one of the necessary resources for us to effectively conduct our business, and it is important for us to find ways to get the most out of them.

A key decision when purchasing new computer equipment should be “how long will this last”. As technology evolves it is inevitable for older equipment to become obsolete; however this can be mitigated by purchasing a higher grade of machine than might be immediately necessary. By predicting future trends you can extend the lifespan of equipment and delay the time before it ends up in the trash.

Another key purchasing decision is whether to purchase a flat panel monitor or a CRT monitor. CRTs are the traditional TV monitor which are slightly less expensive, but take up more desktop space and use more power. Most computers now come with flat panel monitors, however this is something you will want to double-check.

When a computer gets upgraded it isn’t always necessary to throw the entire old computer out. Often, peripherals like the keyboard, mouse, printer, or even the monitor can and should be re-used with a new computer. It’s important to check to see if the new computer comes with interfaces for the older peripherals, however this can often be accomplished with a small, inexpensive converter.

A primary concern with computers is the amount of power they consume. All parts of the computer require electricity to function. It seems like the natural conclusion is that a computer should be turned off when it is not in use. However we need to balance the expense of the electrical consumption of a running computer versus being able to properly maintain a system.

Here are some of the updates that might run on a campus computer at night: antivirus, disk defragmentation, spyware removal, software upgrades, and security patches. If the computer is shut down it will miss out on this important maintenance and could cease to function completely. A good compromise is to shut down all unnecessary peripherals when they are not in use. The monitor, printer, and speakers all can be turned off without impacting important nightly maintenance.

Using a screen saver is a good idea if you want to the computer to become locked and require a password after so many minutes of inactivity. However this is a security feature and has nothing to with conserving electricity. To save power, simply turn the monitor off when it is not in use.

When computer equipment is no longer needed, it should be properly disposed of. Computers contain plastics and metals that do not biodegrade, and if they end up in landfills they can cause a host of environmental issues. Old computers should be donated, recycled, or properly disposed (not put in the trash). Fortunately, Physical Plant is here to facilitate campus recycling efforts. Details are available at http://pp.fullerton.edu/information/recycling_program.htm and RecycleResources.

Employee Training and Development Tutorials for Managing Outlook email

You can access the tutorials at http://etd.fullerton.edu/cbt.htm

There you will find tutorials on everything from cleaning up your mailbox to eliminating Spam email messages. New tutorials will be added regularly so check back often. At first the tutorials will focus on Microsoft Outlook, but soon there will be sections on Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage and Visio and sections on Macromedia DreamWeaver and Flash. If you have ideas on training modules you would like to see, please contact Timothy Benbow at tbenbow@fullerton.edu or 657.278.4417.

Employee Training and Development also has a full calendar of computer training opportunities on many of the applications we use every day as well as opportunities for personal assistance for special needs. You can see the calendar of classes by going to the ETD website at http://etd.fullerton.edu. Employee Training and Development is focused on providing the learning support you need to use the technology we have to do your job faster and more effectively.

For further information or questions on campus computer training opportunities, contact Timothy Benbow at either tbenbow@fullerton.edu or 657.278.4417.

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