Building computers and PC peripherals out of wood is not new. Apple's first computer was nothing more than a homemade and badly soldered motherboard inside a wooden box. More recently, companies such as Swedx have demonstrated that PC peripherals can be made from sustainable wood, look good and still be functional.
Now PC maker Asustek has taken things a step further, unveiling a eco-friendly notebook PC encased in another natural material: bamboo.
The Asus Eco Book, as it's dubbed, has a case made of laminated bamboo strips available in different shades.
Harvesting bamboo, an abundant, flexible, durable and fast-growing grass, is unlikely to harm the environment as processing wood from trees might. However, a few Panda Bears might take exception to the electronics industry usurping their favourite snack.
The Eco book is a new tack for a company that caters to executives and other high-end users with its calf leather-bound notebooks and faux alligator-skin models.
"Originally we came out with a leather model style-book," said Cher Chronis, director of marketing communication for Asus in the US.
"It was very popular," she said. "After that, it was kind of natural for us to experiment with other types of materials, so we decided to go green."
While just about all big computer makers are taking steps to make technology more environmentally friendly, Asustek is one of the first to unveil a bamboo-encased computer.
"As part of a portfolio of case choices, it makes sense," said Roger Kay, president of PC market researcher Endpoint Technologies Associates Inc.
"I don't think the computer is going to go over to wooden casing," Kay said. "It's ecological to grow it, but my sense is there's probably more show than substance to the claim of sustainable manufacturing."
While plastic casings often contain toxins like polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, the bigger environmental threats come from lead in cathode ray tube monitors
Consumers and businesses are expected to buy about 260 million PCs this year, a 12 percent jump from 2006's level, according to market researcher IDC. Growth is being fuelled by surging demand for notebook computers.
With so many computers being sold, an estimated 500 million computers have hit obsolescence in the US alone in the past 10 years.
(Additional reporting by Chris Green, IT PRO)
