First Laptop With Full-Sized Solar Panels Will Run On Ubuntu

iwritethings writes "The Sol, a rugged-looking laptop with built-in foldable solar panels is designed for use in the military, education and developing countries where electricity is scarce. The Canada-based makers behind the Sol claim that the device can run directly off solar energy or can harness the sun's rays to charge the laptop's battery in under two hours. Once fully charged, the battery is expected to last between eight and 10 hours. While the concept of solar charging gadgets isn't new, this type of battery life is unprecedented. There's no word on when Sol will launch, but its headed to Ghana first, and it will run Ubuntu Linux."

The specs...

[afxgrin]

I don't like their website design, I find it annoying to navigate. :P

http://solaptop.com/en/products/laptops/ [solaptop.com]

        System

                CPU: Intel Atom D2500 1.86 GHz Duo Core, Intel 945GSE + ICH7M
                HDD: Seagate 2.5” SATA HDD 320GB
                RAM: Kingston 2-4GB DDRIII SDRAM (Options Available)
                Graphics: 1080p HD Vide, Built-In Intel GMA3600 Graphics
                Battery Operating Time: 8 - 10 hours

        I/O

                Display: 13.3" LCD, WXGA, 1366 x 768
                Camera: 3MP
                Audio: Realtek ALC661 HD Audio, Built-in 2 Speakers | Internal mic + 1/8” input
                3 USB2.0, Headphone jack, HDMI, LAN(10/100), Card reader (SD/MS/MMC)

        Wireless

                Modem: 3G/4G World/multimode LTE
                GPS: gpsOne Gen8A
                WiFi: MIMO 802.11b/gn (2.4/5GHz)
                Bluetooth: Integrated Digital Core BT4.0

Re:Seems like a terrible design

[pla]

a couple of square feet of solar panels provides enough power to drive four or five laptops?

My PC draws under 45W average, and around 20W idle. At my latitude, that would require about 4 square feet (as in, 2x2, not 4x4), and I live pretty far North.

Computers have gotten a lot more efficient since the bad ol' days of the P4, and solar panels have gotten a lot cheaper (like under $2/W). Given a laptop specifically designed for low power, I have no trouble considering this an entirely realistic design goal - An 8sqft 100W panel and a few laptops that draw 10-20W? You could probably even manage it with OEM hardware, never mind anything hardcore optimized for power.

Samsung NC215s

[iamhassi]

Samsung NC215s is the world's first solar laptop way back in 2011. [liliputing.com]

It's on Amazon with real reviews [amazon.com] and here's a customer unboxing video [youtube.com]

Article mentions the NC215s but claims it didn't have a 10 hour battery life [laptopmag.com] while this review says the NC215s did have a 10 hour battery life [itweb.co.za]... not that it really matters if the laptop can run on sunlight.... unless you're visiting the Arctic I suppose