The BBC reports that UK firm DSP Design has made a PC that gets its power via Ethernet cable using Power-over-Ethernet (PoE).
The Poet 6000 draws only 12 watts. It replaces a monitor with a flat-panel screen and uses low power components. It has a touch screen and DSP expects it to be used in kiosks, at trade shows and other places where laying power cables would take too long, be too expensive or too difficult.
The current PoE specifications have an upper limit of 15.4 watts. It’s enough for network hubs, webcams, smart card readers and even video servers but it’s not enough for most desktop PCs.
Ordinary laptops could also soon be getting their power from network cables as work is starting on specifications for Power Over Ethernet Plus which will be able to deliver 30-35 watts.
Power-Over-Ethernet could end up being a universal power supply, says the article. Cables and connectors for PoE are identical, world-wide. By contrast, power sockets and plugs differ by country.
