Cowon's N3 slips into a smoking jacket and Burl Walnut finish

Better get used to it 'cause wood emblazoned consumer electronics is a trend that's apparently here to stay. This time, it's Burl Walnut (not bamboo) on this N3 which Cowon puts up for sale in Korea on April 28th. We're not sure when deforestation become synonymous with ecological so we'll assume that Cowon's going for recyclability here and involved in some form of sustainable forest management program. Surely this isn't just some marketing ploy. The 2GB DMB with GPS device will cost you ₩419,000 (about $437) -- a $20 premium over the standard 2GB N3.

[Via Akihabara News]

[Nutsy @ Apr 24th 2008 6:46AM]

I must admit... Fad or not That is a really nice bit of design work. The wood works perfectly. And I would like to see more cases in electrpnics. [Sustainable of course]

Tablet PCs UMPCs and some mobile phones... You get the idea. If done right and elegantly it can come across much nicer than its plastic or metal counterpart.

[Nutsy @ Apr 24th 2008 6:47AM]

Gah Wish i proof read that before posting it... Sorry about the spelling :D

[The Serene Dragon @ Apr 24th 2008 7:04AM]

Ya know, unless it comes with a top hat and a monocle, they're half-assing it...

[citykids @ Apr 24th 2008 7:44AM]

Throw in the pipe and you've got a deal!

[Mike @ Apr 24th 2008 8:15AM]

No.

[SKhan @ Apr 24th 2008 8:19AM]

Cowon N3 is really smart and its wooden panel make it more attractive, price is also reasonable sure this will look awesome in my Mark X who has wooden dash as well :)))

[macserv @ Apr 24th 2008 8:23AM]

Ah, yes... Sharper Image may be dying, but the "luxurious" burlwood finish lives on. :-/

[Matthew @ Apr 24th 2008 8:34AM]

hell no, what is this a 1984 station wagon?

[frankXchange @ Apr 24th 2008 9:30AM]

I'm glad they decided not to go with their first impulse to use baby leopard skin.

[blueeyesm @ Apr 24th 2008 10:32AM]

My parents used to own electronics from the 1970s that had a metal and wood finish. It got tired looking and people wanted to the new sleek black look and thus trends shifted away.

Now they're back.

Only difference today is that its not real wood. Or metal.

[Revels @ Apr 24th 2008 11:18AM]

I approve of the return of veneers on electronics.

[ian mcgrady @ Apr 24th 2008 11:30AM]

In William Gibson's 'idoru' he talked about a stratification of markets where computers are tiered with similar insides but the cheapest being plastic, the 2nd level being metal, and the most expensive product being organic material. To wit, the protagonist wields a notebook comptuer made by native americans out of recycled cans from beaches and shells for keys.

There was an interesting article on Frog Design's website a while back that spelled this out concisely.

[Valgas @ Apr 24th 2008 1:25PM]

That sure is purty. The only thing wrong with the N3 is it's not available like... anywhere.

[Shadowfox952 @ Apr 24th 2008 10:13PM]

Well played old chap!