Asus 'EcoBook' Encased In Bamboo

Author	Gordon Kelly
Published	12th Mar 2007

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In recent years it has become hip to be green and while that makes the leader of the free world 90 degrees at every angle Asus has decided to follow Kyocera's lead and clean up technology's act.

With the 'EcoBook' it has created a laptop which positively snorts roses, hugs trees and French kisses pandas – though its amorous moves towards this animal may not be entirely reciprocated because 1. Pandas have the sexual drive of a jam jar and 2. Asus is using bamboo.

Aside from these libido-less bears however there won't be many who find issue with the choice of material used in the EcoBook. Bamboo is easily replenished it grows infamously fast and yet when polished up it creates a luxurious wood veneer that is also biodegradable.

The goodness doesn't stop there though, the plastics chosen to manufacture the EcoBook come from recyclable raw materials and are numbered to facilitate recycling when the product reaches the end of its life cycle. Paper too makes an appearance, being used to build the computer enclosure from a form of stiffened card (below).

Still not enough bunny rubbing for you? Well, an LED indicator below the screen changes its light between green and red to show when you are in a low or high energy consumption setting – inert peer pressure...

External LED lenses also go the way of the dodo as the LEDs themselves are mounted directly behind the product surface to save waste and there are no paints, sprays or even electroplating used on its components. Instead the EcoBook exposes the raw materials, keeping the manufacturing process free of any solvents and hazardous materials.

With a release mooted for Q1 next year Asus is obviously in no position to give away specifications or pricing, but it can walk around smugly until then. Me, I feel uncomfortably politically correct right now so I'm off to re-lacquer my hair and muddle my rubbish...

Link:
Asus UK