Dell Promises Greener PCs -- Soon

Dell this week vowed that its desktops and laptops will be using 25 percent less energy by 2010.

"Our customers are inspiring us to address the environmental challenges facing our planet," said Albert Esser, Dell's vice president of power and infrastructure solutions, in a statement. "We've listened to them and are designing next-generation technologies that dramatically reduce energy consumption, drive meaningful cost savings and help achieve a low-carbon economy."

Dell noted in a release that it plans to trim energy usage by changing the circuit designs, fans and power management features in its computers. The company said it also is working with its vendors to get more energy-efficient components, like chip sets, power supplies and memory.

Last month, Dell Chairman and CEO Michael Dell said the company is working on a desktop computer that will use 70 percent less energy and be 81 percent smaller than a standard minitower machine in use today. Noting that the machine will be the "company's smallest and most environmentally responsible consumer desktop PC", Dell also said it will come in recycled and recyclable packaging.