Asus EcoBook touts bamboo casing

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]

[omegamerc @ Mar 10th 2007 8:29PM]

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?

[Ed Ciesielski @ Mar 10th 2007 8:38PM]

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

[Mike D @ Mar 11th 2007 6:17AM]

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

[Bamboowhoyou? @ Mar 10th 2007 8:50PM]

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.

[Jeff @ Mar 10th 2007 9:11PM]

"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.

[akijikan @ Mar 10th 2007 9:16PM]

that's hawt.

I can use it for a cutting board!

[Jeff @ Mar 10th 2007 10:01PM]

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.

[Arp @ Mar 11th 2007 12:53PM]

It seems that some of it actually is made of bamboo : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops/0,39029450,49288082-8,00.htm

[a ham sandwich @ Mar 11th 2007 12:18AM]

bamboo grows up to a yard a day?! thats insane! i wish the damn trees grew that fast!

[ALLurGroceries @ Mar 11th 2007 12:24AM]

One mouse button? WTF? Or am I blind...

[jason @ Mar 11th 2007 1:53AM]

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.

[Eh @ Mar 11th 2007 3:29AM]

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.

[magnus @ Mar 11th 2007 7:10AM]

"One mouse button? WTF? Or am I blind..."
... irritating indeed!!!

[kadajawi @ Mar 11th 2007 9:01AM]

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 :)

[uhsf @ Mar 11th 2007 12:16PM]

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.

[mb @ Mar 11th 2007 3:52PM]

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.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Mar 11th 2007 6:58PM]

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

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Mar 11th 2007 7:01PM]

More FLAT BAMBOO: Cutting Boards

http://www.mingspantry.com/trcubo.html

[mb @ Mar 11th 2007 7:06PM]

Pay attention: those are all from cut strips. The notebook looks like moulded plastic. Look at image #7 in the c|net photo feed.

[lebewe @ Mar 12th 2007 1:39AM]

Those symbols are probably burned or stamped into the bamboo surface.

[Yelis @ Mar 12th 2007 9:13AM]

i have eco-friedly bamboo flooring in my 1355 sq. ft. apartment !

[Paul @ Apr 1st 2007 10:50PM]

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.