Spanish electronics company iUnika is showing four new netbooks including several solar powered models. That’s right. Netbooks with an actual, honest-to-goodness feature that sets them apart from the hundreds of other mini-laptops flooding the market right now.
The laptops aren’t exactly top of the line as far as netbooks go. They sport 400MHz MIPS processors, 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel displays and run Linux. But they also weigh just 700 grams (about 1.5 pounds) and cost between 130 and 160 Euros, which is about $177 to $218 US. And did I mention some models have solar panels on the back for charging on the go?
The solar models also feature plastic cases made of biodegradable starch and cellulose.
I want petroleum plastic because….wait no I don’t. If any of you actually watched these plastic cases being made in China you would BEG-ON-YOU-KNEES for a bio-plastic case.
As long as it doesn’t crack open in 5 years time that’s fine. I don’t care if the damn bio-plastic fades in five years that is meaningless as long as it works. Anything that makes our world less of a cess pit is a GOOD thing.
The most important,the browser must be fast.
LOL. A solar powered netbook that biodegrades in sun light!
Those hippie types never quite think things through…
In the southern US, the starch-based plastic could be a cockroach magnet, causing unwanted early biodegradation. It happens to wall paper with starch-based glue all the time. Going through some old things a couple of days ago, I ran across an ashtray made from a cow’s horn (protein based;), which had been severely biodegraded in this manner 🙂
But the other aspects are interesting.
The plantbook, I like it.
(insert hemp joke)
Its production was a joint effort.
Figures. Everyone in the marketing dept assumes anyone interested in the solar option is a frigin hippie. No I don’t want the crappy rots when exposed to UV bioplastic but I might want the solar. Would want to see some numbers as to how much it would extend the battery life.