The Transition from Desktop Computers to Tablets: A Model for Increasing Resource Efficiency?

Abstract

Sales statistics of computing devices show that users are not replacing units one by one, but rather adding additional devices to their hardware portfolios. In this paper, the authors describe the outcomes of a first attempt to quantify the ecological implications of these changes in the use of the ICT hardware for computing services by using LCA and applying three different perspectives ranging from individual devices, a “model family” up to global sales data of desktop, laptop, and tablet computers. In particular, the paper addresses the question which effect pre-dominates: the increase in efficiency induced by the emergence of new technologies or the growing energy consumption due to the increased number of devices combined with a higher utilization rate by individual users.