Green is most definitely in, and while LG is out crafting environmentally friendly
big screens,
Asus is stretching for the eco-minded set with its dashing EcoBook. Getting a bit of hands-on action, CNET was able to grab hold of Asus'
bamboo-clad laptop long enough to catch jungle fever, but sadly, we've absolutely no idea what type of potency lies beneath the
forest hood. Of course, with such a conservative message, we fully expect a ridiculously long battery life and a ULV processor, and true road warriors should probably invest in a decent humidifier to carry along in your laptop bag. It was noted that a good bit of thought went into the design, as the enclosure features interchangeable (and biodegradable) panels (pictured after the break), silver keyboard / trackpad, and a nifty PowerGear performance button, and considering all the
experience Asus has in coating portables with
materials other than plastic, we're sure the final product will be up to snuff whenever it decides to land.
[Via
Techie Diva]
posted March 10th 2007 8:19PM
How is it by cutting trees down eco friendly? Wouldn't it be a better idea to make the shell/materials out of recycled plastic?
Actually, bamboo is a very renewable and abuntant resource. It grows at the rate of about a foot per day. I think it's a much better option than making it out of non-biodegradable plastic
P.S.- That laptop looks classy as hell
do some research man.. you're so wrong its astounding. I don't mean to be insulting its just strange, doesn't everyone know bamboo is renewable? .. and grass
Some bamboo can even grow almost 1yard/meter a day.
It matures in ~6-8 years and is ready to harvest, and just like hemp, is a much better resource to use for production of things like paper.
If the US would get it out of their head that bamboo is an invasive weed that is only good for taking over your yard and realize the proper way to cultivate it, we could save tons of "real" forests. It is just one more area we in the US lag behind other countries.
I will be buying this laptop. 100%. Not just because they claim to be eco, but I really like the way it looks. Take it any day over black or silver like everyone and their sister has.
"How is it by cutting trees down eco friendly? "
Bamboo is not a tree. It's a grass. The practical upshot being it grows about as easily and quickly as the average lawn. It doesn't take 25 years to cultivate a forest of bamboo; with some species, it only takes a year or so before you have 60 foot stalks.
It's far more environmentally friendly to use such a naturally recurring resource vs. something like plastic, which is chemical from start to finish and which requires all sorts of exhaust pollutants in the energy of actually producing it.
Not only that, but I think bamboo looks pretty awesome too. I've got it as a floor in one of my bedrooms, and I think this computer looks great. It seems to be growing in popularity in general; it's got the perfect mix of good looks and environmental sustainability.
that's hawt.
I can use it for a cutting board!
i have eco-friedly bamboo flooring in my 1355 sq. ft. apartment !
Of course, I just clicked through the article and saw that they didn't actually use bamboo *instead* of plastic, they just plated the plastic casing with bamboo. So yeah, that's really not helping.
It seems that some of it actually is made of bamboo : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops/0,39029450,49288082-8,00.htm
bamboo grows up to a yard a day?! thats insane! i wish the damn trees grew that fast!
One mouse button? WTF? Or am I blind...
also bamboo gets stronger when you cut it and it grows back. i was reading that they are making furniture and looking into making houses out of bamboo.
I would say this looks way better than any apple laptop if it wasnt for the massive gap in the middle. What the hell is that about? Not only does it make it a lot more thick, it looks ridiculous and you would get abunch of crap inside it.
"One mouse button? WTF? Or am I blind..."
... irritating indeed!!!
Hm, yeah, strange, a bit Apple'ish. But maybe the button senses where you press it, so you still have 2 buttons.
I like the design, the material, some ideas like the power button that glows different according to the power usage, ... lovely :)
Keep in mind that Asus is also making leather notebooks, so it's still one of the least ecological brand, even after this modest effort.
I'm not convinced that's actually bamboo. It's almost impossible to get bamboo into a flat surface without making strips, let alone beveled around corners, and incised icons like in that c|net photo collection. It's a nice looking notebook, but I really doubt all that brown stuff is real bamboo.
So much darn bamboo ingnorance in this thread. They can and do make flattened bamboo sheets; It's called bamboo flooring.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_flooring
http://www.costco.com/Common/Search.aspx?whse=BC&topnav=&search=bamboo&N=0&Ntt=bamboo&cm_re=1-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search
More FLAT BAMBOO: Cutting Boards
http://www.mingspantry.com/trcubo.html
Pay attention: those are all from cut strips. The notebook looks like moulded plastic. Look at image #7 in the c|net photo feed.
Those symbols are probably burned or stamped into the bamboo surface.
It's scheduled for sale in 2008, so what we're seeing, I think, is a prototype. I'm confident the real ones will have 2 mizzouse buttons. Not "I know an insider at Asus" confident, just regular "I assume everyone wants a 2-button mizzouse" confident.
Unless they're going all Apple on us and setting it up for, like, 2-finger click=right click or something. You never know, it's a bamboo laptop.
However you get at those right-click funktions, I want one of these.