Asus Bamboo Series notebook computer was officially announced at the end of last month. Such design came under the limelight in the previous year as it was displayed in several shows. The belated announcement this time comes after the first debut of its bamboo counterpart, Dell Studio Hybrid which itself may be serving as a catalyst for the ASUS Bamboo.

ASUS Bamboo Series notebook boasts a premium-Moso-bamboo casing which is said to bring its users fantastic touching and feeling experience apart from its model-specific uniqueness. ASUS Bamboo Series notebook comes with two different configurations: the one equipped with a 12.1-inch-sized screen or the other with an 11.1-inch-sized screen at the weight of 1.57kg and 1.25kg respectively. Both models are based on Intel Core 2 Duo processer and feature ASUS's Super Hybrid Engine Technology, a power-saving technology which enables a 35% to 70% better battery-life experience and a 23% boost of system performance in contrast of other models under the same configuration. This technology also helps reducing 12.3kg of carbon dioxide emission every year.

In my eyes, adopting bamboo material as flat finish on the computer would not provide enough aesthetical satisfaction , which is also the case of Dell Studio Hybrid. The reason behind it may be that the bamboo surface cannot produce a feeling smooth enough as the way other top-quality wood material does. It also has something to do with the mechanism of human skin and bamboo's way of growing. Thus the feeling of touching flat bamboo surface is no better than scrubbing low-quality finish. But from the other way around, I still believe bamboo surface will make a difference when it comes to home furniture, though it still won't feel as elegant as what of other higher-quality material in terms of feeling and smoothness. In general, ASUS Bamboo Series notebook is not yet cool enough to impress the trendy people nowadays as a laptop computer, but it may still be a little eye-catching as an showcase of ASUS's awareness of environmental protection. And it is also likely to intrigue the industry if there are some ingenious structural techniques in it.


The two photos above are the conceptual designs of the ASUS Bamboo Series, by PEGA.