For those with an eye on green tech, PopSci.com has published an interesting article outlining the steps designers can take to produce a more eco-friendly laptop. Honestly, one thing that really caught my eye about this was the photo--the proposed laptop's sleek design put my boring, black IBM to shame. Although this super laptop has not yet been built, the article's proposed solutions illustrate a device that could marry tech genius and environmental consciousness.
The piece breaks down eight major ecological issues with these ubiquitous gadgets, including the materials used to make them, and then offers solutions. According to PopSci, producing the current plastic requires excessive oil and energy. Bioplastics, which are plant-based polymers, demand less of these precious resources.
Another problem is the disposal of laptops--19,000 tons a year are thrown into dumps--and the article reveals that there's headway being made on upgrading computer parts by simply removing one panel rather than rewiring the whole device. Laptop maker Asus, for one, hopes to make this process cheap enough to appeal to consumers, thus eliminating the need to throw away seemingly obsolete machines.
PopSci also tackles the power issue. Although laptops are meant for on-the-go use, they spend the majority of the day plugged into a socket. As such, solar-powered laptops, PopSci notes, are a great alternative.