Global PC makers vying for "Green" crown

By Gabriel Madway

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Personal computer makers are increasingly prioritizing "green" strategies, creating a pivotal point of competition for customers that are becoming more attuned to their financial -- and societal -- benefits.

Analysts say going green has become a business plan unto itself for the industry's heavyweights: a way to stand apart from rivals, win over a growing segment of environmentally conscious consumers, and shore up branding worldwide.

The three major U.S. computer vendors -- Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell Inc, and Apple Inc -- argue that customers glean real benefits, for example lower power consumption in green-certified display screens.

"It's really a green arms race, in which they're trying to one up each other," said John Spooner, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "The good news is they're all working in this direction and that's going to benefit themselves, their customers and the environment."

Analysts point to certain efforts -- such as Dell's recycling program, Apple's moves to remove toxic raw materials, and HP's actions around packaging -- as areas of success.

But the IT industry still accounts for an estimated 2 percent of global emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Consumers might have trouble picking out just who among the PC makers are making the right moves: Dell says it aims to become the "greenest technology company on Earth"; Apple lays claims to the "greenest family of notebooks"; and HP stresses it has a long tradition of environmentalism as well as the market size to effect change.

TBR recently ranked Dell No. 1 out of 40 technology companies on corporate sustainability. But a recent Greenpeace report ranked Apple best among the major PC makers.