Design student concocts eco-friendly modular PC

Certainly, we've seen compartmentalized computing concepts before, but the machine you see above is far beyond a few lines on paper. This modular PC was designed with Mother Earth in mind, and from our view, design graduate Ben Chase should be receiving a copious amount of hugs from trees all around. The sustainable PC runs Windows, consumes just 27-watts of power and has "upgradable components that slide out without the need for tools." According to Mr. Chase, he has crafted a 95% working prototype, and though we doubt any of the big boys have contacted this bloke about taking things mainstream, that probably wouldn't be a bad idea on their part.

Gallery: Design student concocts eco-friendly modular PC

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[Blaine Oliver @ Jun 9th 2008 5:12PM]

Does eco always have to be ugly?

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jun 9th 2008 5:14PM]

Oh, and you can craft a granola-based computer system any better? Hmmm?

[Minilap @ Jun 9th 2008 5:24PM]

People are obsessed with looks these days, gay.

[m @ Jun 9th 2008 5:51PM]

give the kid a break: this is an excellent first attempt. it's not like he has a design staff and fabrication lab at his disposal. he did it all by himself, probably in less than a year, and very likely funded it out of his own pocket. what did your senior project look like? i thought so.

apple could take some lessons from him: green, user-replaceable everything, and function before form. it's the anti-macbook air. i'm down for one.

[Patriks7 @ Jun 9th 2008 5:50PM]

just because it dosnt look like an apple doesnt make it ugly.. -.-

[Dil @ Jun 10th 2008 1:57PM]

It could be that the designer put most of his energy into working on the functionality. Notice it is unfinished and he was working on modularity not product design.

Besides I think it looks like an older iMac which is not too bad for an initial design. I am more than impressed with a student producing a first phase prototype of this high of a caliber. Can't wait to see where it goes next.

[Whiplash @ Jun 10th 2008 11:10AM]

Yes it does. That's why they put a pretty girl next to it.

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jun 9th 2008 5:14PM]

I love the concept.

[ric @ Jun 9th 2008 5:25PM]

"The sustainable PC runs Windows, consumes just 27-watts of power and has "upgradable components that slide out without the need for tools."

So it's a laptop in a pig-ugly case?

[Tony @ Jun 9th 2008 5:22PM]

You'd think a design student would design a better looking computer...

Reguardless of its appearance, this would be great in schools.

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jun 9th 2008 6:01PM]

I think the student was also considering the actual design of the internals. With only rough materials, I imagine that looks were a secondary concern. With a better workshop to build it in, I'm sure a better looking system can be done with the same concept in mind.

[Zane @ Jun 9th 2008 5:27PM]

How about a pic from the front? ;-)

[Ryan Richmond @ Jun 9th 2008 5:32PM]

How about using a thinclient unit and a server....that's even more eco-friendly if you are using it in bulk. This would be great for individual users just not large corporations.

[Gavaconda @ Jun 9th 2008 5:32PM]

Pic needs more side-boob.

[Paulmichael @ Jun 9th 2008 11:19PM]

Indeed. Her arm behind the sunglasses at first looked like some very revealing cloth before my eyes finally made everything out...Haha.

[Galley @ Jun 9th 2008 5:32PM]

PC? What PC?

[Brandon @ Jun 9th 2008 5:33PM]

What kind of iPhone is this?

[jeremiah johnson @ Jun 9th 2008 5:36PM]

um, yeah, hello. I was wondering, might i have the contact information for the lovely specimen in the photograph? The beautiful redhead, I mean. :)

[DB0007 @ Jun 9th 2008 5:43PM]

I'd hit that....!!!!

[kjb434 @ Jun 9th 2008 5:44PM]

Carbon Belch Day is June 12th!

Do whatever you can to increase your footprint!

Man-made Global Warming is a hoax to tax citizens and take freedoms away!

[miami-fever.com @ Jun 9th 2008 5:53PM]

I bet her hair smells good.

[LloydChiro @ Jun 9th 2008 6:35PM]

I know, right? I love her hair. It's too bad she's 12 years old, though.

[pop @ Jun 9th 2008 5:49PM]

dugg for the downblouse.

[Ignatius @ Jun 9th 2008 6:04PM]

Oi. Half the comments are about the girl and not the PC. Hello Internets.

[Coral @ Jun 10th 2008 9:08AM]

What did you expect on a tech blog for geeks? Everyone here has seen a PC, so it's nothing new. A girl on the other hand...

[gzeusmants @ Jun 9th 2008 6:10PM]

Why run windows when the goal is sustainability and energy use reduction?
Windows is neither of those. 5 year life, bad watt/result ratio...

[MrBoJangles @ Jun 9th 2008 6:15PM]

I'd like to get "eco-friendly" with that student if you know what I mean, and I think you do!

[Jake @ Jun 9th 2008 6:52PM]

that Ben Chase bloke is slammin', son! he looks just like Red Sonja!

also, insert comment about a "big boy" here.

-jp

[Jerry @ Jun 9th 2008 7:34PM]

How do you type?

[spacegravity4me @ Jun 9th 2008 8:35PM]

Very Star Trek TNG. I like it. :)

[Todd Croce @ Jun 9th 2008 8:50PM]

She has nice hair.

[Drewbyh @ Jun 12th 2008 10:59AM]

Todd, that was actually the first thing I noticed. Looks almost wig like but if it's really it's very nice.

[NineT9 @ Jun 9th 2008 9:56PM]

whoa, nice these are one of those Mindf*cks where if you concentrate hard enough you will see something crazy!

It took me 3 hours and 2 lotion bottles to realize theres a computer in that pic

[mabhatter @ Jun 9th 2008 10:51PM]

The problem with "eco-PCs" is two fold. The OEM business is all about low costs, not less material. it's lower cost to make pieces one-time-only and fashion changes so quickly it doesn't matter. Second is that the vast majority of PC owners don't crack the case. A small percent might add HDD or ram but that's it.

The pace of hardware upgrades and power requirements also out strip this. Granted we could make some parts changeable, but with current PCs CPU, ram, & chipset all update together there's not much "upgrade" out there anymore (remember part 1 about people not opening the case anyway) The most "eco-friendly" PC is probably something like the Mac-Mini. No extra frills, tiny space and mostly metal so it can be recycled. If it wasn't for the need for graphics updates more often than CPUs most PCS are at the point modular upgrades aren't really necessary, all the other stuff can be Firewire or USB. Making things modular requires more "empty" space and plastic/metal to enclose the pieces to make them meet FCC requirements and to make them fit a standard size hole.

We'd be better off to stop making "cheap" hardware and make stuff that can last a while. Then start making software to fit the task so we don't need new hardware all the time!

[Y00. @ Jun 9th 2008 11:09PM]

It looks like a mac plus.

http://www.allaboutapple.com/museo/pictures/donazioni/mac_plus.jpg

[mattkenny @ Jun 10th 2008 3:45AM]

I could have sworn that my computer is already modular... I mean I can swap out the CPU, GPU, hard drive, optical drive, keyboard, mouse, monitor, case, power supply, etc. Except my computer uses more than 27 watts (which can be solved by buying low power parts like VIA boards).


Oh, and why are people scared of a screwdriver - righty tighty, lefty loosy. Is it really that hard to use? I find all these "tool-less" designs are usually pretty weak, and a couple of philips screws aren't that big a deal...

[bottomdweller @ Jun 10th 2008 8:25AM]

i want to sniff the chair she is sitting in. :)

[Coral @ Jun 10th 2008 9:11AM]

@bottondweller: -1 because

a) she's standing, and
b) that has to be one of the most disgusting and creepy comments here.

At least you're living up to your name.

[wrabbit @ Jun 10th 2008 9:33AM]

How is a lack of need for tools equate to more environmental friendly. Seems to me that the extra plastic needed to shape the components into fitting computer while staying well in place (as well as shaping the computer enclosure itself) would be more harmful than a few extra screws. Aren't screws one of the most effective things in terms of surface area per hold power anyway?

[pikkoz @ Jun 10th 2008 11:37AM]

Probably Ben Chase never seen Asus Eee Notebook or desktop

[Dil @ Jun 10th 2008 2:33PM]

I am confused as to why you would bring the Eee up? is it because of low power and low use of materials? Otherwise it seems that the Eee did not have the aim of modularity and the ease of user upgradeable.

I think the Asus Eee is a great project but don't see the connection you are making to a sustainable modular pc.

[Timmy G @ Jun 10th 2008 3:20PM]

@pikkoz: uh, how is the Asus Notebook comparable to a fully upgradeable desktop with an 18 in screen? just saying.

@ mattkenny: I think the idea here is to design for the end user's experience- the consumer. Maybe nerds like you and me realize the fully modular potential of our PCs with tools, but most consumers don't. If you want to convince someone for whom a PC is just another appliance to upgrade it, you're going to need to create an interface that enables this type of participation.