'Cheap' is the New 'Green'

Oil and gasoline prices have plunged from their historic highs of earlier this year. Based on past experience, you would predict that consumers would be back to their profligate ways, buying large vehicles and driving more. It hasn't happened. That's good for the environment!

But only the most ardent environmentalists want to reduce pollution by reducing consumption. "Going Green," as a sales pitch, is all about replacing old, dirty, inefficient products with newer, cleaner, better, higher-tech, and more expensive products.

Now however, economic activity is in the deep-freeze and 'green' is not enough to motivate people to become buyers. 'Cheap' is everybody's new hot button. Walmart's results in these hard times prove the point.

So, here are some recommendations for you for going cheap in the IT realm.

• Switch to Open-Source software.
• It is free. It is as good as or better than the crap from Microsoft, Apple and others.
• Don't Pay More than $200 for a new computer.
• For example: the Everex gPC3 with Ubuntu and lots of free software installed.
• Virtualize new PCs to take advantage of the excess capacity you already have before buying new hardware.
• Update your domain name.
• For us that would mean registering KeystoneisCHEAP.com.

In recent years, the green message has been turned to help companies sell all manner of things at a nice profit, even McMansions, SUVs, and bottled water. Cheap may be a harder selling strategy to apply profitably. For example, it is hard to stick 'cheap' on non-essential items and luxuries, except at foreclosures and auctions.

Fortunately, experts agree, IT is cheap!