The new Windows 7 packaging.
(Credit: Microsoft)Before Microsoft announced Windows 7 pricing, the company detailed earlier this week how it plans to package the operating system.
Microsoft claims that Windows 7 packaging "has a 37 percent weight reduction, and the econometrics score has improved by 50 percent over its predecessor." Instead of forcing customers to read instructions on how to open the box, Windows 7 packaging will open just like a DVD case.
"We've reduced the number of elements in the package down to three: the plastic case, the paper sleeve, and a simple Getting Started Guide," Microsoft wrote in a blog post. "The plastic case opens easily like a standard DVD case, and it will have a single easy-to-remove seal at the top--and that's it!"
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, packaging accounts for a third of consumer garbage. And as CNET pointed out on the Green Tech blog, "plastics comprise 12 percent of U.S. waste each year, but are rarely recycled, while some scientists fear that irresponsible dumping is making a plastic soup of the world's oceans."
Although software arguably should not require any packaging, instead relying purely on Internet downloads, and plastic packaging could (and should) probably be avoided altogether, Microsoft's reduction of packaging materials corresponds with a trend that I think is better for all of us.
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Some Sunday Deals
(Credit: CNET)I'll admit it -- I'm obsessed with the Sunday ads. Each morning, I run to the paper, open it up, take out the electronics ads and go find a secluded place in my house to see what kind of deals are available at my favorite stores. It's one of my favorite past times.
So, with that in mind, how would you like if I gave you some deals every Sunday? This is something I just thought up today while I was reading it and thought it would be a nice summary of what deals you can get for the week. I'm going to try it out for the next few weeks and I'd appreciate any comments or feedback you may have. Hey, even better, post some of your own deals you found in the comments.
I don't know about you, but I really can't stand buying something on a Saturday for full price and seeing it offered at a 20 percent discount the next day. There's something terribly disconcerting about the fact that I just spent more money than I had to in order to buy a new device. Let's put an end to this every Sunday and see what kind of deals are available in brick and mortars as well as online.
So, without further ado, here are some of the best deals I've found in my area for some of the most popular electronics stores. As I said above: if you would like to add some, please share.
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