Back in 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built the Apple I, an early personal computer that consisted of a circuit board in a simple wooden box.
Apple and other computer makers went on to make advanced PCs in metal and plastic casings, but now Taiwan’s Asustek Computer is finding potential beauty — and sales — in an eco-friendly notebook PC encased in another natural material: bamboo.
The Asus Eco Book, as it’s dubbed, has a case made of laminated bamboo strips available in different shades.
While just about all big computer makers are taking steps to make technology more environmentally friendly, Asustek is one of the first to unveil a bamboo-encased computer.
“If it does get to the point where we do find a model that meets all the engineering requirements and allows green computing, we will release it,” the company’s Chronis said. “Everybody loves the Eco book. It’s a beautiful computer.”
The headline is only half in jest. Who else would have the impudence to offer this as a mainstream option?
Got wood?
Actually, I wonder about heat dissipation. How well does bamboo dissipate heat?
Personally, I think that thing looks like crap. About as lame as wood panels on a car.
Plus, how do you clean it? Pledge? I’ll never go near a laptop with Pledge.
Yup. Plastic really suits some folks’ taste.
And minds.
RFI anyone?? Coupled with ROHS this thing is probably the most recycle-able pc yet. Good news, too as it probably has a life span of three weeks.
Bamboo is a very table wood, but a poor conductor of heat. I had an expensive computer made from bamboo, and it didn’t require batteries. Bamboo was a favored wood for slide rules.
hmm… wood?
nah, I can’t see how that would match Apple’s stylish yuppi image. Brushed aluminium, glossy steel, magnesium, deep shiny black plastic yes, but wood? I would expect carbon fibre before wood.
pj
I’M GONNA BRANCH OUT FROM MY NORMAL THINKING AND GO OUT ON A LIMB AN SAY I WOOD BUY ONE OF THESE.
The computer looks like an old piece of crap as someone already noted.
I wonder just how environmentally friendly the laminated bamboo case really is. What kind of nasty chemicals and resins are used in the manufacturing process.
Bamboo would also act as a thermal insulator unless it’s very dense due to the lamination process…
I suppose we shouldn’t be stunned by the number of nerds here – who know as little about wood as they do about merchandising.
Cripes, the Inquirer raises the worry of pandas eating your laptop:
http://tinyurl.com/3bdvc7
I would buy this “but I’m a trim carpenter it would look good on construction sites” by the looks of it the wood only covers the back of the screen and the palm rests so heat problems would be unlikely. I would rather see cherry wood though, I would have to keep the bamboo out of the kitchen or my wife would use it as a cutting board.
For some reason, it seems like I am staring at a BOSE stereo or something. Looks interesting. Maybe a plastic coating for cleanliness?
Re #5:
I Still have my Post …
1966, I’m starting high school Sophomore Chemistry class. The teacher says we need to buy a slide rule. Might as well buy a cheaper plastic one as he surmised (correctly) that slide rules soon would be obsolete. But, he said with a gleam in his eye, the bamboo Post rules were sure nice … That’s what I went with, and I keep it as one of the few mementos of my youth.
I take it out of its fine leather case occasionally to admire its look, smell & feel.
That Post slide rule is by a very long shot the most long-living “tech” gadget I’ve held on to!
The problem is, bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. It easily grows over an inch a day.
So you purchase a 12″ laptop on Monday and by Friday it’s 17″ and you can’t get it into your backpack.
[Duplicate comment. – Deleted. – ed.]
Slide rules, mines aluminum state of the art in 55. I wood buy this if it doesn’t have an Apple in side. I need something with support for more than just the software products Stevie peddles.
Hey I think it looks great. Bamboo is a nice material. Other things being equal (especially weight), I’d buy it.
Buy a wooden laptop and get a wooden stationary for free?!
Unquestionably the best looking laptop I’ve ever seen. Danish Modern :)!
As for technical aspects….bamboo should be fairly shock resistant and laminated wood can be wiped clean with the usual household cleaners (409, etc.) How resistant to actual chipping and breakage is another matter. I’d guess that rubberized carbon fiber would be better, but the bamboo would be on par with run of the mill plastics at least.
Heat might be a problem as the palm rest usually covers the battery and hard drive areas which get warm.
Of course, if it’s a Mac, I wouldn’t let it in my house. It might crawl up in the night and put tape on the nose bridge of my glasses. :).
Apple´s team of design Nazis would commit suicide before putting out such a tacky design.
This laptop is like Mick Jagger, it’s so ugly it may be considered beautiful…
I would buy one though – just for the coolness of having a laptop made from bamboo…
Um, being that it’s a windows computer (see “windows key” on keyboard) I don’t think we’ll see it in the apple store very soon.
This looks terrible. I would rather have no computer at all than to use this monstrosity.