Spanish firm introduces solar-powered netbook

Jake Widman
Friday, 15 May 2009 00:14

Your IT - Home IT

iUnika, "the free company," has introduced eco-friendly notebooks made from biodegradable materials and equipped with solar panels.

Madrid-based iUnika is "the first and only manufacturer of the hardware world that has pledged to use only free software on all its products." (Translation from the Spanish by Google.)

The company's new mini-PCs run on Linux and contain a 400MHz Ingenic processor, 128 MB of RAM, and a 64GB solid state hard drive. With 8-inch screens, they measure 23x16 cm (about 9x6 inches) and weigh 700 grams (about one and a half pounds).

Connectivity features include three USB ports, a 10/100 Ethernet port, and WiFi and CDMA compatibility.

But what makes the netbooks unique is their construction. The casing is a "bioplastic" made from starch, cellulose, and/or corn flour. The company claims it is completely biodegradable.

And the Solar models have solar panels built into the lid, supplementing the battery power to extend use time beyond the specified four hours.

The netbooks will be priced at €130 for the basic model and €160 for the solar-powered version. The company did not announce availability.