Q: What are the minimum system requirements for the ecobutton to function? ^

A: The ecobutton requires a spare USB port and the computer should be capable of going to and resuming from Windows sleep mode.

Q: Will ecobutton™ work on my computer? ^

A: ecobutton™ will only work on PCs (A MAC version will be available later).
Some older computers may have difficulty in reactivation. This is a problem with the computer bios and not the software.

Q: What operating systems does it run on? ^

A: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7 - 32 and 64 bit versions

Q: Does my PC go into 'Hibernate' mode when ecobutton™ is engaged? ^

A: No, ecobutton™ does not put your PC into Hibernate mode. ecobutton™ educates your PC to use the lowest power mode available to it whilst at the same time, remain capable of waking up quickly for you to resume work.

Q: What kind of sleep mode does ecobutton™ actually engage, is it just the normal Standby mode? ^

A: The ecobutton uses the most efficient form of sleep available on your PC whilst still allowing your PC to "wake" quickly and return to its previous state with all programs still open. This is usually a deeper energy saving mode than the regular Standby mode you normally find as default on a Windows PC.

On most PCs there are 4 inbuilt sleep states - S1, S2, S3 and S4. With each successive sleep state, from S1 to S4 (hibernate), more of the computer is shut down. However, the majority of PCs are actually supplied with S2 and S3 disabled leaving just the most shallow sleep state (S1) and the deepest (S4 hibernate) available to most users. Most people tend not to use hibernate due to the length of time the PC takes to wake up leaving just S1 as the only convenient option.

The sleep states built into most PCs are as follows:

S1 = Basic Standby (Shallow sleep). Typically wakes up in no more than two seconds
S2 = Less power consumption than S1 and greater than in S3. Wake up is usually two seconds or slightly more.
S3 = Less power consumption than in S2. Wake up time is the same as S2.
S4 (hibernate) = The lowest power state but with a long wake up time - sometimes a few minutes or more.

Wherever possible, ecobutton™ instructs your PC to use the most efficient form of sleep (or sleep state) available on your PC.

For more detailed information about the various sleep states please see this link http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms798270.aspx

Q: Why does the ecobutton™ contain lights? ^

A: The ecobutton™ contains 3 very small LED lights that glow and form an important part of the visual presence of the product - reminding the user to press the button at every opportunity and helping to encourage power saving habits. The LEDs are an extremely efficient form of lighting and draw a maximum of 0.1 watts - a virtually insignificant amount of electricity.

Q: Does the ecobutton™ also work the same on laptops? ^

A: Yes. However, you may need to reactivate by tapping the On/Power switch first.

Q: How much space is required on my system? ^

A: Less than 5Mb of disk space and a minimum of 256Kb RAM.

Q: Does it need an Administrator to run? ^

A: Administrative rights will be required to install the software.

Q: What are Administrative rights? ^

A: If your computer is part of a network you may need to check with your IT department.

Q: I am not allowed to download software from the web. ^

A: Then please contact us to arrange a disc to be sent to you (nominal charge applicable)

Q: Will ecobutton™ affect my internet connection? ^

A: All internet traffic will be suspended when the ecobutton™ is used although in most cases, it will simply
continue from where the connection was left off when reconnection is made.

Uploads may be affected if interrupted by use of the ecobutton™, but in most cases, it will simply continue when reconnection is made.

Q: What about security - will anybody else be able to access my computer when in 'ecomode'? ^

A: For added security, systems can be set to require a password on resume. With this activated, no one can access the computer when it is in ecomode. This offers added security - especially for workplace environments where a logout is required by users - as ecobutton™ will automatically logout and require users to password login again to resume work.

Q: How much will I save? ^

A: This is totally dependant on how your specific system is configured and how often you use your button. Obviously, the more often you use your ecobutton™ the more you'll save, and remember, every little click adds up so even short breaks are worth pressing the button for. And don't forget that collectively, as part of a community of ecobutton™ users, you'll be saving a lot more.

Typically a single user could save around £50 per year in electricity and prevent 135kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere with regular use of the ecobutton™. Collectively this could add up to £1.5 billion in electricity and over 4 million tonnes of CO2 across the UK alone.

Q: How does the ecobutton perform within a networked environment? ^

A: With the home version of our software there shouldn’t be any problem using the ecobutton in a SOHO (small office / home office) environment, problems can occur in an larger network/business environment where open sessions to a Network Server may be interrupted due to the computer going to sleep (please contact your network administrator for more information regarding your specific setup)