JAPANESE information systems giant NEC and Taiwan's Acer Computer have become the latest personal computer (PC) manufacturers to turn ''green'', with both companies launching environmentally friendly machines last week.
NEC claims the power-saving features on its PowerMate 486es systems can save users up to $800 annually in energy costs.
The so-called green PC adheres to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary standard that requires the PC to reduce power consumption to less than 30 watts when not in use.
NEC Hong Kong general manager Tatsushi Kondo said the company's power management program - which reduces energy consumption of both the processor and monitor - would be incorporated in all future NEC desktop computer models.
The power management program automatically blanks the screen, disables its vertical synchronisation, and slows the CPU (central processing unit) speed from 33 MHz to eight MHz, among other things.
Though there is no requirement in Hong Kong that PCs adhere to a standard level of power consumption, Mr Kondo said environmentally friendly features had become an increasingly important selection criteria for users.
''Governments and corporations in particular expect to have these energy conservation features as standard [on the systems they buy],'' he said.