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.