UK Law outlawing standby switches?

[atari2600a]

I know this topic doesn't really involve me since I live in the US, but still, I don't get it...

They say that Standby electonics take 8% of their overall power consumption. Wouldn't passing a law outlawing Standby electronics cause more power consumption? If the user only has the choice of the electronic being either on or off, then the majority would probobly keep them on! Most electronics go into standby after a designated amount of time!

This would probobly (in a very small & virtually unnoticable way) effect the whole industriallised world. Since electronic/software (By software I mean mostly Microsoft) Companies would have to plan 2 different systems (three if you count China), then the design & production costs would probobly raise a cent or two for each manufactured unit.


This would also affect functionality for some electronics. As an example Nintendo's future console (launching this November), the Wii, depends deeply on standby. For the Wii, standby is when software updates & demos are downloaded via WiFi. Also, some games (For example, Animal Crossing) also depend heavily on the system going into Standby.

 

[alexkerhead]

WTF?
That is kind of retarded.

 

[dongfeng]

I think it was regarding things that where useless in standby - like a mobile phone charger that needlessly draws power when plugged in, rather than things that are actually useful in standby.

 

[CP/M User]

Can't say I'm a fan of Standby mode within my electronic
equipment. For example - I have to switch off by Amphifier -
which fortunately has a main switch for turning it off -
otherwise it interferes with the telly programmes. Then
there's the TV itself - I should have it switched off, cause I
just don't like leaving it switched off via the remote - it's
drawning power as well. MY computer is also another classic -
I switch it off, but for some reason it draws power when it's
off - hence must be in standby.

I just don't like all this power going in & being wasted when
if there off proper - no chance of drawning power - hence
reduced costs to power bills! They should outlaw Standby
switches here!

CP/M User.

 

[mbbrutman]

This is actually even kind of relevant to computers.

Most computer equipment runs on DC of some flavor. The conversion from AC to DC is inefficient. If you add a UPS into the picture that adds even more inefficiency.

And then these little vampires are sucking juice, whether they are actually being useful or not. I don't mind if my TV takes a few seconds to warm up, so keeping it 'warm' is just a waste of power.

Look at all of the 'wall warts' in your house .. it adds up.

 

[creepingnet]

I never understood the concept of standby anyway, except on things like amplifiers for guitars and stuff like that where it's used to heat the tubes and prevent the speaker from blowing when you turn it off (standby on guitar amps is merely a switch that cuts off juice to the speaker to prevent the draining capacitor thud from damaging the voice coils).

To me, a computer, a TV, or anything like that, should have a switch with 2 words, ON, and OFF! Just like the old days, just give me a big red switch, and I'm happy. I'm probably the only person who likes putting modern motherboards in old cases (if the power supply supports them), for the sole purpose that if you put a Pentium I motherboard in an old 286 era AT chassis, it blocks out APM power saving, and makes it where it's just like the 286 it once was, either it's on, or it's off, no halfways or in-betweens.

 

[dongfeng]

I have a special plug strip for my PC that has a primary socket and 5 other seconary sockets. When it detects my computer is powered off, it cuts power to the secondary sockets. So when I turn off my computer the monitor, printer, speakers, etc are all switched OFF. And of course they all come back on when the computer is booted.

I guess that is still 1 standby, but it's better than 5

 

[CP/M User]

Mad-Mike wrote:

> I never understood the concept of standby anyway,
> except on things like amplifiers for guitars and
> stuff like that where it's used to heat the tubes and
> prevent the speaker from blowing when you turn it off
> (standby on guitar amps is merely a switch that cuts
> off juice to the speaker to prevent the draining
> capacitor thud from damaging the voice coils).

Well if the standy is an important feature in amplifiers -
then the same probably applies for the Amp for my DVD.
Occassionally I might use it - switch it off to watch some
telly (otherwise I get a fuzzy picture if the amp is in
Standby) & switch it on latter when nothing is on telly. It
makes me wonder if I doing more harm than good if I use my Amp
like that.
Usually though I might turn it on to use it, switch it off -
then maybe turn it on the following day (24hrs later).

CP/M User.

 

[nige the hippy]

tongue-in-cheek rant!

tongue-in-cheek rant!

forget outlawing standby switches. At the risk of sounding sexist, to stem the greatest waste of power, we need a switch that turns "whatever-it-is" off whenever the woman who switched it on leaves the room. Never in my life have I known a girlfreind / wife or even my mother, switch off a light / radio / tv / stereo / computer when she's finished with it.

I'm working on ideas for my next house to incorporate automatic light & heat switching based on either PIRs or RFID tags because of the spiralling cost of energy.

Pushing the subject further, perhaps we could do a bit of maths, and tot up this energy waste plus the extra baths that girlies seem to need, plus all the articles of clothing worn for 1/2 an evening then washed, and weigh it against the "very detrimental for the well being of the planet, and therefore looked-down-upon" testosterone-fuelled petrol-head activity, and see which contributed most to the extinction of the human species.
Oh if only I didn't like freshly-bathed, beautifully-clothed girlies so much, I could drive at 120 (mph) in a 5 litre car without guilt!

Interesting to ponder on the fashions of badness... Which is dirtier:- dirt or detergent?

Nig.

 

[CP/M User]

Gawd, females would have to be power stations best friend -
and depending on what sort it is - have some kind of impact
towards the environment. Oh, that's okay lady we can breath
Carbon Dioxide - could do with a little bit more Acid too -
great stuff to drink.

With the price of fuel - wouldn't you think -every- driver on
the road would be more conserative - nope. And don't ask you
local tyre dealer likes hoons - well most of them might love
then, but our mate down the road had a sad story about some
hoon which had an impact sometime in his life.

Life's been quiet since moving to the Back of Burke! ;-)

CP/M User.