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Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) 
has redesigned three versions of its desktop PC line to meet new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency energy standards.
The EPA's Energy Star 4.0 regulations, which take effect on July 20, 2007, require PC manufacturers to convert 80 percent of incoming electricity into usable computer power in order to be declared "energy efficient."
HP's new energy-efficient business desktop PCs, which use less power, are geared toward helping the environment and reducing energy costs, the company said.
Saving the Environment and Dollars
The power supply used with the Energy Star 4.0 hardware is expected to save between US$6 and $58 in energy costs annually per machine, according to HP.
In addition to lightening their environmental footprints, the cost benefits to companies can be tremendous, said Roger Kay, a principal analyst at Endpoint Technology Associates.
Power consumption in data centers across the United States in 2005 resulted in utility bills amounting to $2.7 billion, according to a recent AMD (NYSE: AMD) (Advanced Micro Devices) study.
"There is a tremendous upside to cutting down on consumption," Kay told TechNewsWorld.
"HP has taken a number of initiatives in the 'green area' and has been promoting itself as environmentally conscious," he said, but other companies, including Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) 
and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) , have also made strides in reducing energy consumption with their products.
Power Hungry
HP's new business PCs are geared toward companies and government agencies, where power consumption cost is multiplied by the thousands of computers typically used in big organizations.
The energy-efficient desktop PCs are designed to help business customers meet the upcoming regulatory requirements, as well as to reduce costs and lessen environmental impact, according to Jeri Callaway, senior vice president and general manager of HP's personal systems group for the Americas.
"HP is taking an industry-leadership role in the delivery of energy-efficient desktops," Callaway said.
The Three Machines
The dc5700, which costs $800, and the dc7700, priced at $959, both include an Intel Core Duo processor, an 80 GB hard drive, 1 GB of memory, a DVD/CD-RW drive and Microsoft Windows XP Pro.
The dc5750, which goes for $609, has AMD's Athlon processor and 512 MB of memory, as well as an 80 GB hard drive, a DVD/CD-RW drive and Microsoft Windows XP Pro.
Energy Star 4.0 configurations are also available for the HP Compaq dc5750 business desktop with AMD AthlonTM processors, Microsoft Windows XP Pro, 80 GB hard drives, 512 MB of memory and DVD/CD-RW combo drives, starting at $609.
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