http://cleantechnica.com/2011/12/30/cheap-solar-home-systems-bringing-light-new-opportunities-to-millions-in-rural-bangladesh/

For less than they now pay for kerosene and candles they can purchase a basic solar system that gives them convenient, clean light and cell phone charging. Less CO2, less carbon black melting the world’s ice, fewer health problems from breathing kero fumes.

Once they’ve paid off the basic lighting system then they can use some of the saved money to expand their solar system and add a “$35 tablet”.

This is a route that can bring sustainable power and information technology to hundreds of millions who are very far from being able to afford a solar laptop.

I did see one piece about how they want to sell some in Bangladesh. That, to me, sounds like they’ve got product to dump.

The idea continues to make little sense to me. If you’re going to spend money for a solar panel then put it to use all the time, not just when you take your laptop outside and sit with it (closed) while you wait for the battery to charge.

At the very minimum sell a solar panel and several feet of wire so that you can put the panel outside while you work inside where you can see the screen.

I would really appreciate all answers.

Thankyou.

I assume some of the technical things are accounted for, and it is made for
comfortable use (but could be wrong… will wait to hear the reviews).

The short life span and high % of people not recycling is pretty big — good
point. Even with the best policies on that front, I imagine a lot of solar
panels will go to waste. (Better to have solar power on your house or biz &
use it to power efficient electronics.)

Thanks for the extra thought, as always! I’m still very curious to see one
of these & read the reviews, but it may not be such a practical idea. As I
said, & you hinted I think, better to have solar panels on your roof and
efficient electronics.

1) Solar panels need to be in the sun and pointed at the sun. Under what conditions would one find themselves able (and willing) to stick their laptop in direct sun?

There’s theft. The inability to use while charging (unless you get down on your knees and peer up into the downward slanted screen). Finding sun for lots of city dwellers. And heat is not good for electronics.

2) A solar panel needs to spend most of its time out of the sun. For the above reasons. Out in the sun, hooked up to the grid or charging batteries it could be producing useful power. Lots of wasted capacity (unless you have a safe, dry place to put your laptop in the sun all day and then use it only when the sun is down).

3) Laptops have rather short lives compared to solar panels. Perhaps five years. The oldest array of installed solar panels are now over 35 years old and still going strong. The laptop is likely to get thrown away after five or so years and if the solar panel is not recycled and put to use then 80% to 90% of its useful lifetime is wasted.

If you’re going to be out doing something like fieldwork for an extended time better to get a larger solar panel, one that you can tie down/lock down and run a wire to your (secured) laptop or battery pack. Then you can compute away in the shade and not worry about loosing your gear to curious monkeys.

I didn’t see anything about hard drive size, but assuming 160 gigs one can get a netbook for under $300. (Check NewEgg)

Netbooks are real energy savers. I’m using an ASUS 10″ netbook as my regular computer. I plug in a 20″ monitor, USB keyboard and USB trackball. Gives me all the speed and power I need for what I do. And then when I go traveling I just unplug it and stick it in my bag.

good luck with that

So you leave your laptop out on a park bench in the sun for four hours so you can watch a movie on sun power.

Can’t see why that wouldn’t work….