Student Designs Cardboard Computer Case

SpaceGhost writes "The Houston Chronicle has a story on a Grad student at the University of Houston who has designed a cardboard case for a computer. This is not a new concept, but this one is meant to be used in manufacture. The idea is that it will be faster and easier to produce (no fasteners for example) and dramatically easier to recycle."

Comments

*sniff sniff*

[EkriirkE]

What's that burning smell?

Re:*sniff sniff*

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Formerly Pentium 4, now known as Tetrapentium Oxide.

What happens

[maroberts]

When I spray coke over it like I normally do when reading Slashdot?

Re:What happens

[oldspewey]

You're not fooling us for a second - that's not coke and you're not reading slashdot.

Re:What happens

[david@ecsd.com]

I love that this comment is coming from someone calling himself "oldspewey"...

Pot ... Kettle ... etc. ...

Better description and pictures

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/recompute-a-closer-look-at-the-sustainable-cardboard-pc/ for a better description and better pictures

grounding?

[virmaior]

is grounding no longer a problem? I haven't built a computer in a while, but I'm not sure if cardboard makes a good ground.

the case is the easy part

[Gothmolly]

The case is either Al or steel sheet metal, easily recyclable. The toxic sludge and heavy metals in the PCB, capacitors and solder are the problem. Call me when they invent cardboard solder.

Re:the case is the easy part

[hairyfeet]

And I wonder how much extra ewaste is right now going into dumps because of that crap. Did the environmentalists even bother to see how bad the extra failure rate is for that stuff before forcing it down everyone's throats? Because I have seen a good 400-500% increase in dead electronics due to solder failure.

IMHO they should have demanded recycling plants for the solder we had, not force an inferior solder down everyone's throats. from talking to my engineer buds they are seeing the same thing as I am-lots of stuff that should be working but failed from the new solder giving out. I think 20 years from now we'll look back on the solder switch as another really bad idea pushed through under 'saving the planet". Whether we'll actually get a functional solder is anyone's guess, as all those failing devices means you have to buy NEW devices, which is of course planned obsolescence at its finest. IMHO the problem was NOT the solder, it was sending the stuff for "recycling" to the third world where it became an eco-disaster. It should have been recycled here and the materials then reused. That would have made more sense and helped the environment more than some faulty new solder that still gets dumped in the third world or ends up in a landfill.

EMC Nightmere

[distilate]

Not again.

This is not the first time we have seen this idea

cardboard does not act as a Farady cage and the computer will leak large amounts of radio frequency interference so will not be legal in most countries.

Re:

[coolmoose25]

Call me when they invent cardboard solder.

They did. It's called "Duct Tape"

I ordered one...

[coolmoose25]

... and the cardboard box came in metal shipping crate.

The case is least important

[bcmm]

As others have pointed out, the case is not difficult to recycle or toxic.

And who the hell throws away a case? It's the part that goes obsolete slowest, and several computers might occupy a case before it needs to be replaced.

Re:The case is least important

[tick_and_bash]

The people most likely to throw away a case are those who don't build their own computers. Not everyone has the know how or desire to do so. It's much easier to just order already made.

Re:Seems like a cool idea...

[Locke2005]

Actually, the ashes from this case will make an excellent soil supplement for your garden... pity about the rest of your house, however.

Re:Not a fire risk

[geekoid]

One of my favorite books is 'Centigrade 232'

Re:Seems like a cool idea...

[gEvil (beta)]

You could probably glue a thin sheet of aluminum foil to the inside of the case, so I wouldn't worry about the Faraday cage.

So now my cardboard computer case needs a tinfoil hat?

Such a bad idea, let me count the ways...

[Aphoxema]

Catching on fire
Getting wet
Condensation
Humidity
Supporting other objects
Stress
Changing structure
Changing composition
Bacteria
Mold
Bugs getting inside, getting them back out
Mites
Unwashable
Overheating
Weight of components
EM interference to internal components
EM interference to external appliances (possible FCC violation)
Grounding
Reusability/longevity
Papercuts
Transportability
Modification
Static
Security
Looking stupid

Did I miss anything?

Re:First!

[Sj0]

I don't think so. Recycling is the LAST of the three. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This will result in MORE resources being spent and LESS reuse of components.

Computer cases are one of the most re-usable elements in a system. My first PC, an 8088 PC, used a Cosmol XT case made of steel, and that case and power supply was the centerpiece of my computer from my XT all the way until my K6-2. Along that time, processor speeds increased by a factor of 100 (4.77MHz to 550MHz), memory size increased by a factor of 50 (256kb to 128MB), storage space increased by a factor of 2000(5MB to 10GB). The important standards for case design didn't change over that period, so there was no good reason to change. Also, the case was totally bad-ass. The computer I built to finally replace the aging beast used a new case, and the standards haven't changed since. I've built Athlon 64s with cases from old Pentium IIs or Athlons.

Making the case of a PC disposable crap is going to result in more waste, not less. Suddenly I won't be able to have the same case for 20 years, I'll have to replace it with every new computer(or more!). Also, it'll lead to less reuse of components. I've built 6 computers this year from parts scavenged from here and there. All of them have found homes. The parts simply wouldn't be able to be scavenged if the machines were made of cardboard. To clean the outsides of the cases, we had to use soap and water that these cases wouldn't stand up to. Some of them were left in the rain and mud for short periods fo time, and wouldn't be functional if not for the fact that they had cases that could withstand the elements.

My current case could last me another 10-20 years easily, depending on what standards do (a PC case you bought in 1999 would have an ATX form factor and could be reused today. I could see power supply standards but not case standards changing again in that time). Under this regimen, I could end up with a new case every 1-2 years or more. As others have pointed out, there will also be greater stress on components from EMI and RFI. Making less durable paper cases may be slightly easier for recycling, but it's stupid from the perspective of reducing waste.

Re:Seems like a cool idea...

[KharmaWidow]

LOL - I try not to shamelessly promoto myself

http://pizzaboxart.blogspot.com/