*NEWS*DELL CHALLENGES IND. TO GO GREEN

[Anonymous]

Dell Challenges PC Industry to Go Green
LAS
VEGAS (Jan. 07) – Michael Dell , chairman of Dell  Inc., issued a
challenge Tuesday to the entire PC industry to adopt free recycling
programs for customers as he announced that his company would offer to
plant a tree for every PC sold.”Today, I challenge every PC maker to
join us in providing free recycling for every customer in every country
you do business, all the time – no exceptions,” Dell said. “It’s the
right thing to do for our customers. It’s the right thing to do for our
earth.The company has received high “green” marks from some
environmental groups, including Greenpeace.In 2004, Dell began offering
free recycling of any brand of computer or printer if consumers bought
a new Dell system.The policy was revised in June so that consumers can
recycle all Dell-branded printers, personal computers or other
electronics gear for free, no purchase of new Dell gear required.For
those not buying a new system or who don’t have Dell equipment, the
Round Rock, Texas, company will take back used electronics for $10 per
box, as long as it weighs less than 50 lbs.Dell, the company’s founder,
made his remarks during a keynote at the International Consumer
Electronics Show.With a comedic assist from an actor appearing as the
“Austin Powers” movie character Dr. Evil, Dell also announced a new
“Plant a Tree for Me” program, in which customers can choose to have $2
of a laptop purchase, or $6 of a desktop purchase, go toward funds to
plant trees around the world.”We’re the first global technology company
to offer customers the opportunity to offset the emissions associated
with the electricity used to power their computers,” Dell said.Dr. Evil
gave his approval, and so did the audience, which clapped after the
announcement.”We can’t destroy the planet, otherwise I have nothing to
take over,” the stage villain quipped.The trees will be placed in areas
where they won’t be felled, such as state parks and wildlife areas,
said Larry Selzer, president of The Conservation Fund, which is one of
two environmental groups involved in the planting effort.”This
groundbreaking program encourages participation by inviting customers
in the effort to address climate change,” he said. “No other company in
the technology space is doing something as extraordinary as the Plant a
Tree For Me program.”

Dell also unveiled several products.
One
of them was a “Home Media Suite,” which included a new media center PC
based on Microsoft  Corp.’s upcoming Windows Vista operating system, a
27-inch flat-panel monitor, a printer and wireless router. Dell said it
will be the first PC that can play back and record premium cable
content.The bundle will be available in the U.S. after Vista launches
later this month. A price was not disclosed.A new desktop geared for
gamers or PC power users was also introduced, featuring a new kind of
liquid-cooling technology. The XPS 710 H2C starts at $5,499 and is
available worldwide.Later this year, Dell said it will also offer a new
online data-migration service called “Dell DataSafe.” It’s an online
service in which users would let Dell store their digital photos,
movies, music or other data, so Dell could pre-load the data onto a
customer’s newly purchased systems.

[Author]

January 10, 2007 at 12:56 PM