In a climate of environmental concerns and a bad economy, #1 PC tune-up maker offers a green alternative, aiming to prevent roughly 70 million PCs from being prematurely discarded next year alone.
LOS ANGELES, CA – December 9, 2008 – Each year, more than five billion pounds of computer waste is generated — the equivalent of 17 pounds for each American citizen. In 2007 alone more than 40 million computers were dumped, up from 20 million in 1998, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Much of this waste could be avoided if PCs remained fast, efficient, and stable for longer that the current 30-month average. By keeping older personal computers running like new, iolo technologies’ System Mechanic helps deliver that green result. This #1 best-selling PC tune-up product has already been used by more than 21 million consumers worldwide to extend the lives and reduce the power consumption of their aging machines.
In a culture where automobile owners are encouraged to service their cars on a regular basis to sustain maximum performance, personal computers (which require similar maintenance) are often curiously neglected. It is widely known that keeping a car’s tire pressure optimal, changing the oil and regularly cleaning the fuel system all increase operating efficiency, reliability and overall longevity. To suggest outright disposal as the first solution to a vehicle that seems to be running slower would draw curious glances. Unfortunately, however, many PC owners actually believe it’s necessary to replace their entire computer system every few years just to experience PC performance that doesn’t degrade over time – a similarly unfounded belief and environmentally irresponsible suggestion, which results in prematurely discarded computers now making up almost 2 percent of municipal solid waste stream, according to the Municipal Solid Waste Characterization.
Another important fact that challenges popular belief is that computers do not inherently slow down the more they are used. In other words, an old CPU, motherboard, or memory chip runs just as fast as the day it was bought, regardless of how many hours it is used. So, why do so many people feel that the longer they use their PCs, the slower they become? The answer lies in a computer’s software, not its hardware – namely the operating system. In fact, research performed by iolo Labs indicates that roughly 98 percent of all slowdowns are a result of Windows becoming clogged with faulty settings, system clutter, and data fragmentation that result from everyday use.
These performance-draining problems are specifically what iolo’s System Mechanic is designed to deal with. Like an expert mechanic that springs into action each time you pull your vehicle into the garage for the night, System Mechanic’s patent-pending ActiveCare 2.0 automatic maintenance technology works on your PC while you aren’t using it, keeping it tuned-up and problem free so it’s always in optimal condition. The result is a PC that continues to run like the day it was purchased.
With more than 40 advanced tools and a range of options to satisfy both novice and expert users, System Mechanic is specifically engineered to breathe new life into old PCs by releasing misused processor cycles, sweeping away useless hard drive clutter and recovering wasted RAM memory. With only 18 percent of the 2,300,000 tons of computer waste generated each year being recycled, System Mechanic can save countless computers from joining the 82 percent of discarded machines that end up in landfills, frequently located in third world countries, where they release hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants.
According to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, there are 500 million obsolete computers in the US alone. A study performed in 2001 showed that approximately half of discarded computers were actually in good working order. Due to the recent trends indicating a dramatically shortened life span of computers, the number of fully functional machines being discarded is likely much higher now. Recent research indicates that slowness or instability are the most frequent reasons why PCs are discarded. If those slow or unstable computers were only given a 5 minute tune-up, we could have saved more than 250 million PCs from unnecessary waste over the past years – and we can still save more than 70 million PCs from the junkyard next year alone.
Keeping your computer properly tuned up – similarly to servicing your car – also dramatically reduces its energy consumption by creating a more power-efficient machine. Thus, in addition to keeping your computer out of landfills, tuning it up can also mean a welcome reduction of your electric bill.
This holiday season, mistletoe doesn’t have to be the only green thing in your life. In the coming weeks, iolo will be sharing several useful tips that you can easily implement to get the most out of your personal computer and put another kind of green back in your wallet.
• “10 ways your PC can save you money in the bad economy” will tell you how you can save money and the environment by tuning up your PC and keeping it running like new for longer.
• “Five tips to consider before donating your computer” will demonstrate how you can safely and cost-efficiently donate your computer in time to write the donation off your taxes.
• “Five tips to keep your photos safe and green” will teach you how to keep your cherished holiday photos secure, while helping the environment.
ABOUT SYSTEM MECHANIC
System Mechanic, the #1 best selling PC tune-up product according to NPD Reports, is a comprehensive utility suite designed to keep computers in peak operating condition. The software combines over 40 robust tools in an integrated console designed to make it easy to fix, speed-up, and maintain PCs. Patent-pending ActiveCare™ technology proactively keeps computers operating at maximum performance by performing repairs and optimizations when the system is on but not being used, never interrupting the owner.
ABOUT IOLO TECHNOLOGIES
iolo technologies, a privately held firm located in Los Angeles, produces award-winning software that repairs, optimizes, and protects computers running Windows. The iolo product line includes System Mechanic; System Mechanic Professional®, a comprehensive suite of PC tune-up and security tools; System Shield®, iolo AntiVirus™ and iolo Personal Firewall™, software for Internet security; Search and Recover™, a powerful data recovery tool that helps you recover lost files and photographs; and DriveScrubber®, a utility that permanently wipes data from hard drives.
