TCL set to launch air purifying PC

China's prolific electronics company TCL looks to be taking a less-than-conventional route to improving your computing experience with its latest desktop PC, packing an air purifier into its new S-series models to clean the air around you while you work -- you know, so you won't have to clutter up your desk with a USB-powered one. While the specs don't seem to have been revealed just yet, the PC will apparently come with a 22-inch widescreen monitor (or at least the option of one). There's also no indication of what it'll cost, although you can look for it to land in China sometime in the first half of next year.

[David Appleyard @ Dec 29th 2006 7:15AM]

Jeantech released something very similar to this idea a few years ago - http://ppleyard.org.uk/archives/2004/09/26/jeantech-case.html - good concept!

[Konstantino @ Dec 29th 2006 9:23AM]

This is a cool idea. I wonder if it will make dust less apparent around a desk space? Considering the computer is partially white, dust is going to be seen a lot around that thing. (I'd know, my iMac has dust all over the place when I barely use it.)

[NHAnimator @ Dec 29th 2006 9:53AM]

I can see The Sharper Image ad now.

Try our Air-Purifying Core Duo computer. If you're not fully satisfied, return it an owe nothing. And keep our Mini-Air-Purifying notebook as our gift.

[Nimajus Bagdonavicius @ Dec 29th 2006 10:25AM]

This is very interesting, because it is possible to buy an air purifier, dissemble it and use certain components in your PC for cooling. Now if this company actually used the purifier for cooling too, it would be a really cool commercial product.

[Nate @ Dec 29th 2006 10:59AM]

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "vaporware"

[Bob @ Dec 29th 2006 3:10PM]

In order for this to be appealing to anyone remotely knowledgeable about air quality issues, the manufacturer's marketing poop would have to answer many, many questions. First, have they eradicated the use of fire retardants on the motherboard? Have they eradicated formaldehyde or pthalate-containing substances? Are they using some kind of ozone-introducing technology, which usually does more harm than good, or are they using something that actually CLEANS the air like some combination of carbon and HEPA filters? And if so, are those filters themselves free of plastics, glues and binders?

Alas, I doubt that most consumers even know enough to ask such questions. I suspect this will just end up being an gimmick. I hope I'm wrong.

(Husband of a chemically sensitive person who knows better than to believe vague hype about "air purifiers").

[KHCloud @ Dec 29th 2006 4:01PM]

Breaking news Kutaragi claims the PS4 will purify air and grill hamburgers!
In all seriousness this sounds like a good idea but will their be limitations on what exactly can be put in the machine? How much will it cost? And how much air will it be able to 'purify'?

[Singularity @ Dec 29th 2006 8:50PM]

That's the damn freakin' greatest idea ever these days.. Who is not cleaning his computer parts once a year to see it's all dusty again? Also, whenever i turn my computer on actually, i really know how much *tiny micro dust* emission i breath(!) from this crap into my lungs then. Not the dust you know, i mean, the dust you can't even see.. the sort of dust beeing small enough to get not filtered by your lung and cause cancer. Micro gazoline emission based dust from the street etc etc. I run 3 Sharp Airpurifiers spread in my appartment now, but my computer has still tiny white dust on it each 2nd week.. anyway, this technology combined with some new BTX-like formfactor, built into all cooling devices (an airpurifier is basically just a vent with a HEPA and carbon filter on the incomming end) it could really save life and enhance our all lifestyle.. Of course it should be also effective against chemical emmsion from the computer parts itself, but built as a low-noise and effective system this would rule the whole personal computer industry i think..

[n3ldan @ Dec 30th 2006 12:22AM]

They probably put one of those ion air purifiers in it, so it cools the computer (silently) and purifies the air.

see:
http://www.inventgeek.com/Projects/IonCooler/Overview.aspx

for a DIY version