Simple Systems of Vermont

3/21/09: If you're like the average computer user, chances are you haven't heard of the Open Source movement. Greg Smela and Simple Systems of Vermont would like to change that.

As I walked up to the booth, Greg was demonstrating a presentation on an LCD monitor with no computer in sight. It was then that I realised the tiny black box on the table (no bigger than a packet of cheese slices) was the computer! (As he explained later, the system he was demonstrating didn't need conventional components, which let it be smaller.)

To put it simply, the Open Source movement is all about freedom: free software, which anyone is free to distribute, that everyone is free to change however they choose. This differs strongly from Windows or Mac operating systems, which only those companies can fix or update. Open source systems, like the Ubuntu Linux that runs the fit PC, can be changed or upgraded by anybody; basically, the entire community is constantly looking for and fixing bugs and security problems.

Greg explained how using Open Source systems leads to more conservation. "The marketing guys are always telling you that you gotta get new," as in new upgrades that need new hardware. "It's hard for the average person, who just uses their computer for basic stuff like email and [Microsoft] Word." The fit PC has the capability and programs that the average user needs, while taking up a lot less space and using a lot less energy.

For example, the average desktop computer uses 60-250 watts (including monitor), and produces noise and heat from its cooling fan. A laptop uses anywhere from 15-45 watts, and has a stronger need for cooling and more fan use. The fit pc uses between 4-6 watts, and needs no fan. Of course, the fewer watts used, the smaller the greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention the lack of heat waste from the system itself.

"Open source standards save money," and "can double the useful hardware life," leading to fewer costly upgrades and less electronic waste. "There's less consumption, and computers can act as the appliances they were intended to be."

Simple systems of Vermont is online at: http://www.simplesystemsvt.com

Case study by Julia Klas, Vermont Climate Witness Intern