Michael Dell was in a giving mood Jan. 9 in his keynote at International CES. The Dell founder and chairman announced several new initiatives to encourage support of green computing and other charities, and challenged the rest of the industry to follow Dell's lead.
Dell announced the Plant a Tree for Me campaign, which will allow Dell customers to donate $2 for every PC sold to a conservation fund that will help offset the amount of energy their computer will consume in its lifetime.
Dell reaffirmed the company's free recycling program as well, and pointed out that Dell ranks No. 1 in a Greenpeace report on manufacturers.
"I challenge every PC maker to join us in free recycling for every customer in every country where you do business, every time, no exceptions," Dell said. "It's the right thing to do for our customers; it's the right thing to do for the earth."
Dell announced several new products and services in his keynote, including an auction on eBay of a custom Dell XPS gaming system, the proceeds of which will be donated to America's Second Harvest.
Dell helped the ABC television program "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" to create more usable homes for children and parents with disabilities.
Click here to read more about Dell going green.
Dell also announced the Dell Home Media Suite, which includes a Dell XPS 410 with Intel Core Duo processor 2GB of memory and a 27-inch widescreen digital monitor, and a high-definition TV tuner. The Dell Ultra Sharp 27-inch monitor has a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels.
"This display is awesome," Dell said, "and it will deliver a great experience for our customers."
In an effort to help users to get the most out of the new Dell equipment, Dell made a strong pitch for faster broadband to homes, including fiber-optic cable.
He challenged the telecommunications industry to "accelerate the deployment of fiber to the home. Real broadband requires fiber," he said.
"Digital content is around the home, and the PC is at the center of that. But it's not yet a seamless experience. With broadband and great content, [users] need a fast connection. YouTube consumes as much bandwidth as the entire Internet did in 2000. We're going need a lot more bandwidth, servers and storage."
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