The Boxless Laptop

Mike Gunderloy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Here’s an interesting idea for the ecologically-conscious web worker: buy a laptop without any packaging. That’s not as far-fetched as it used to be, thanks to the introduction by HP of the Pavilion dv6929 laptop, sold only through Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. The trick? They’re packaging the laptop in its own protective messenger bag, displaying it that way on the shelf, and when you buy one you can just put it over your shoulder and take it home – without foam, bubble wrap, or cardboard.

The plan doesn’t eliminate all packaging; the laptops still get to Walmart in large cardboard cartons, 3 to a box. But they do say it saves 97% of the packaging, the equivalent of eliminating the CO2 from 1/4 of the delivery trucks that bring them to the stores. While web workers aren’t the core market for this “entertainment notebook,” if it sells we can expect to see this approach spread.

Does the amount of packaging influence your own computer-buying decisions?

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The Boxless Laptop