ITBusiness.ca

Fujitsu to show laptop with wooden case

Could this be the environmentally friendly laptop PC of the future? Fujitsu will unveil later this week a laptop PC with a case manufactured from wood rather than the more traditional plastic or metal.

The laptop, which is only a prototype, uses cedar wood for the case and also makes use of bio-plastics for parts. Bio-plastics are plastics produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oil rather than petroleum used in traditional plastics.

The laptop PC carries the names of Fujitsu and Monacca, a Japanese design team that specializes in wooden products. Monacca has a range of furniture and bags made from wood on sale via its Web site and recently launched a desktop calculator with a distinctive large, round wooden case.

While the all-wood PC may not be ready for commercialization Fujitsu has been pursuing the use of bio-plastics in its other laptops. In 2002 it began working on using corn to produce a bio-plastic and the result of that project can now be seen on Japanese computer store shelves. Fujitsu’s Biblo NX95 laptop has a 30 percent bio-plastic case.

The two PCs will be part of the “Japan Design 2008” exhibition that will take place as part of the Milan Salone design show in Italy.

Exit mobile version