The disposable computer is here.
The “Gyy” netbook from iUnika may have less computing power than many modern cellphones, but it weighs just a pound and a half, has a chassis made from biodegradable cellulose, and wears an array of solar panels on its top that can charge up its battery. All this for a projected price of $180, available “this summer”.
It won’t be completely disposable, of course. Heavy metals in the electronics will still need to be reclaimed and reprocessed. But built-in solar and bioplastic casing makes this several steps in the right direction. I want one—and as soon as I learn to read Spanish I’ll see if I can pre-order. [via Inhabitat]
Problem with Solar-Panels integratet in such Gadgets is – the don’t live long enough so they produce the Energy it takes to produce them…
good news. you’re going to see more and more of this in the near future. solar cellphones are already coming to market. i could do with a solar laptop myself so i can work outside without having to get extension cables out.
i love the idea, but biodegradable plastics usually do so in reaction to ultra violet light. what we have here is a computer that degrades as it charges.
chocolate fireguard anyone?
Modern solar panels are quite sophisticated bits of kit, with lots of clever chemical engineering and sophisticated semiconductor technology.
So I always wonder when I see stuff like this – how will the use of these solar panels compare to the energy use and ecological damage involved in making and eventually disposing of the panels themselves?
Has anyone ever seen any data on this sort of stuff? There must be some research going on, I’m just curious whether the results are being reflected in govt and companies’ policies.
I actually don’t like the solar panels. They add bulk and weight to it, and for what? You’d need it near perpendicular to the sun to get good charge, and when is that ever going to happen?
@1
I hear this so often and I don’t get it – why do people want to use a wireless keyboard with the iphone? I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I find the touch-screen keyboard more than good enough for light note-taking and stuff. When you get into “serious” writing territory, that’s what laptops are for!
WANT!
It’s way better than an iPhone, because it doesn’t have a phone in it. Or iTunes.
It’s the perfect thing for sending email and googling maps while on the road… just be sure to do whole-volume encryption on it, since part of the charm is you can cheaply replace it when it gets stolen or broken.
@#10:
When I’m not using my laptop, it’s either indoors or in a bag.
Biodegradable plastic, huh? Not sure I want a computer that rots.
As long as it’ll run Nano, I’m all for it. Though I do have the same sun vs plastic concern as #12… And as I’ve said before, I really hope someone else starts embracing the OLPC-style outdoor-friendly display soon, ’cause there are quite a few computers I’d rather have than that big old pile of green, but the display is a big deal for my tiny writing rig.
All I need is to be able to hook up my wireless keyboard to my iPhone. But since Apple is apparently never going to let me do that, this might be just the kind of typewriter I could use.
I like the degradable idea, and the solar panels even more. If the keyboard is any good and it can run Ubuntu with a Writeroom clone, I’d be happy.
I believe that Apple is allowing third-party Bluetooth in 3.0 firmware, aren’t they? I would probably go a little nuts with a tiny Bluetooth folding keyboard.
Nope, they said specifically that bluetooth keyboards are a no-go.
This sounds like a novel idea but I wonder if it will really catch on. It seems more and more power usage and processor crunching is needed these days to run your favorite apps and programs.
Im looking forward to seeing if this catches on or not.
Well, in January they did. I did some google searching and found that they might now allow it on specific apps. Here’s hoping..
@#9, when you aren’t using it.
I can read Spanish, and the asnwer is . . . no answer. I searched the site and couldn’t find a way to pre-order or contact them. But then again, while my Spanish is excellent, my Interwebs is rusty.