Steve Jobs talks "A Greener Apple", LED backlit Macs this year
By Conrad Quilty-Harper 
posted May 2nd 2007 3:26PM
posted May 2nd 2007 3:26PM
In his second public letter in recent times, Steve Jobs has responded to high profile accusations from environmental organizations that Apple is not taking the matter of the environment seriously enough, with a point by point article that highlights Apple's record and puts forward improvements for the future. Going down the list of toxic chemicals usually found in computers, Steve highlights Apple's elimination of lead packed CRTs, compliance with strict European Union regulations regarding cadmium, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame retardants, the expectence that Apple will recycle 30% of the weight of all its products by 2010, and most interestingly, makes the announcement that Apple plans to "introduce our first Macs with LED backlight technology in 2007". There's no question that this little tidbit will be enough to satisfy the average Apple addict -- LED MacBook Pro anyone? -- but will the environmental brief be enough to placate the rather passionate Greenpeace?[Via digg]
I know it's not legislated in the 'States yet, but can you really use RoHS compliance as a defence? To sell anything in Europe now, you HAVE to be compliant...
I do believe the point of what was being said is that while some companies may be able to place an RoHS label on their product, that they may not actually be as RoHS compliant as Apple is because they are taking advantage of exemptions that were provided by the EU.
Placating whackos is impossible, but this is a step in the right direction for multiple reasons:
reduce energy consumption
reduce use of harmful chemicals and waste
extend battery life
better screen colors and brightness
expand economy (R&D jobs with various firms for LED development)
And most of all, it'll force other companies to follow, providing us with a multiplying effect of these benefits. That's why this is important.
But satisfy Greenpeace? You can never satisfy people who are insane.
Why then would Steve Jobs be introducing measures to placate 'whackos' if their accusation has no weight or indeed as you had assumed, has no truth? Would anyone paying attention to the raving loony preaching apocalypse? No?
Also I doubt LEDs backlighting is an energy saving alternative to more traditional CCFL. They're probably more robust and produce better colour gamut, but in terms of lumens per watt? I don't think so, maybe in the near future perhaps.
A greener apple, hm? Might take some time for those green ideas to...wait for it...ripen? Muhr!
Steve's been steve~ Wut I mean is what are you expecting from a man who doesn't even know where's his pancreas located when he had a pancreas cancer?
I think you can say that, but it doesn't matter much as a defense because everyone is already doing it.
It's cheaper just to make one version of a product, and pretty much everything I've bought recently has had the ROHS/EU labels.
Who cares about Greenpeace? Nobody answers to them, for good reason. The other more rational, scientific organizations that actually have peer review and other safegaurds against wankery are the ones that everyone should listen to and act upon recommendations from. If someone gets Greenpeace wound up, nobody cares, period.
About bleeding time.
'Bout friggin time since they were rated the least green of all tech companies. Hopefully it will taste better than the rotten apple they are.
"Apple will recycle 30% of the weight of all its products by 2010"
Isn't that called a battery recall? :-)
I was under the impression that exemptions were only offered in the case of security/military industries. Regardless, It just sounds to me like he's touting things they were working on anyways (LED, RoHS) to meet requirements or to enhance their projects.
If he wanted to gain enviro kudos, I would suggest a product take-back credit program not unlike some pc/lappy manufacturers have. Something like that would also instill greater customer loyalty and take some of the harsh sting out of having to upgrade on a regular basis. That's always been my fav.
man, and i just got a macbook, misin out on sum LED goodness here, any word on LED screen uppgrades???
I'm all for the environment and stuff like that but what about the price? Will it increase or stay the same. It would be better if the price was reduced but the possibility is slim to none. I guess I'll be satisfied if the price does not change.
by the way, when can we expect SSD in macs. Dell dose it, Zepto dose it, Apple should tooo!
Ah yes. Let's throw down an additional $500 for a whopping 32GB of SSD on a MacBook. No thanks :)
"Steve highlights Apple's elimination of lead packed CRTs"
How about Apple's elimination of /all/ CRTs?
Considering that every CRT is lead packed...
"Speaking on the subject of iPods, Jobs said Apple this summer will expand its free iPod take back program -- which offers customers a 10 percent discount on a new iPod when they bring their old iPod to one of the company's 150+ U.S.-based retail stores -- to all of its retail stores worldwide." - Apple Insider
So does this mean you can take in your old iPod for a discount on a new iPhone?
10% for your iPod? That's too little. Just go sell your iPod somewhere, then get yourself an iPhone if you want. For example, if you have a used 80 GB iPod that has a value of $250USD, you'll only get $25USD towards an iPhone PLUS you still have to sign-up for the 2-year plan with Cingular.
biz_nard
The primary goal is eliminating backlights containing mercury, not energy savings.
My money is on the iMac getting the LED backlight overhaul. It's been 2 years since a major redesign of the iMac (since the G5) and that to me is quite out-dated when it comes to an Apple product line.
All shall be revealed in time :)
Did the majority of you not even bother to read the letter from Jobs, or are you just making retarded comments because you're... retarded?
The majority of the measures were ALREADY introduced, and well before other companies even considered it. Apple is last, as he says, because while other companies are making progress, Apple has already completed it. About friggin'/bleedin' time, you say? Years ago... that's when Apple did it, so no, it's about friggin'/bleedin' time to get a clue and actually read before you start spewing more toxic chemical waste into the environment.
I hear by 2020 that we'll get user-replaceable batteries in iPods, like notebooks and digital cams and phones have. All speculation tho.
Naturally such high-tech stuff is subject to technological leaps the likes of which we have never seen, so perhaps they won't be seen in our lifetime.
The Toshiba R400 TabletPC already has LED-backlit displays, its just that its relatively expensive compared to conventional back-lit LCds.
http://ces.engadget.com/2007/01/12/toshiba-portege-r400-reviewed/
"Ah yes. Let's throw down an additional $500 for a whopping 32GB of SSD on a MacBook. No thanks :)"
definitely, thats what gadgets are all about.
"Ah yes. Let's throw down an additional $500 for a whopping 32GB of SSD on a MacBook. No thanks :)"
I spent $700 for 64MB RAM less than ten years ago without batting an eye.
I'm sure there are MILLIONS of people who would go for the $500 SSD.
"Did the majority of you not even bother to read the letter from Jobs, or are you just making retarded comments because you're... retarded?
The majority of the measures were ALREADY introduced, and well before other companies even considered it. Apple is last, as he says, because while other companies are making progress, Apple has already completed it. About friggin'/bleedin' time, you say? Years ago... that's when Apple did it, so no, it's about friggin'/bleedin' time to get a clue and actually read before you start spewing more toxic chemical waste into the environment."
... said the apple troll.
GreenER? The "er" suggests Apple is already "green" to some extent....which is crap.
But since when did facts matter to Jobs and his iSheep?