Acer Launches Bacteria-Resistant PCs

During its next@Acer event today, the company announced three new PCs -- a laptop, a two-in-one, and a tablet -- that will be joining its antimicrobial lineup. Ars Technica reports: Something is considered antimicrobial if it's capable of "destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, and especially pathogenic microorganisms." That means it fights disease-causing things you can't see. Acer claims its Antimicrobial 360 Design, as it brands the feature, fights germs in two ways. First, high-touch surfaces -- such as the chassis's exterior and hinge, the keyboard, the touchpad, and the fingerprint reader -- are coated with a silver-ion agent. For years, research has pointed to silver ions' ability to fight bacteria. As a more recent report published in ACS Applied Bio Materials explains, "They can readily adsorb to most biomolecules (DNA, membrane protein, enzymes, or intracellular cofactors) in bacteria to inactivate their functions." Acer's silver-ion agent is compliant with regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Biocidal Products Regulation; it can cut the bacteria count to 1,000 after a 99.9 percent reduction, based on the International Organization for Standardization 22196 test protocol. The 22196 standard specifies methods for testing the "antibacterial activity of antibacterial-treated plastics and other non-porous surfaces of products."

The products also use Corning Gorilla Glass coated with the silver-ion product. "This is done via trace amounts of silver ions leaching to the glass surface to eliminate the surface bacteria, while still offering other benefits such as improved durability and improved scratch resistance," Acer said. Acer introduced new antimicrobial PCs to its lineup in 2020 but is still adding to the roster. The company sees its antimicrobial coating expanding even further "across multiple product lines," an Acer spokesperson told Ars.

I'd prefer one with an anit-viral coating

[mykepredko]

High Five! A Covid and Computer Security reference in one line!

Re:

[The Real Dr John]

This is just silly. So what about every other surface all around you? The vast majority of bacteria are harmless. Your gut is filled with trillions of bacteria that are necessary for your health (the microbiome). Killing a few bacteria in one small place will have no effect on the number of bacteria you are exposed to, and will have no health or other benefits.

Re: I'd prefer one with an anit-viral coating

[newcastlejon]

A keyboard may be small, but in all likelihood it's dirtier than the average toilet seat. Sometimes it's best to concentrate on small areas because they are the places that we touch the most.

Re: I'd prefer one with an anit-viral coating

[The Real Dr John]

Disinfecting common bacteria, that are in the air, on your skin and on every surface, does nothing for health. Your skin has far more bacteria per square inch than your keyboard. Every surface has bacteria and mold spores on it. They can't be avoided.

If anyone thinks it will help, just wipe your keyboard down with alcohol before you turn your computer on. That will kill all bacteria, which is something that silver won't do. But again, the bacteria on your keyboard come more from your fingertips than they do from the air.

It is a selling point for people who think all bacteria are bad. You know, like cooties.

Re: I'd prefer one with an anit-viral coating

[newcastlejon]

But again, the bacteria on your keyboard come more from your fingertips than they do from the air.

Exactly. Keyboards and such aren't just covered in harmless germs that surround us anyway, but pick up anything that we have on our hands. The problem with hands is that they get everywhere. An antimicrobial keyboard would probably be most useful in a clinical setting where there is the risk of nastier bugs being passed from patient to doctor to doctor to patient. I have brass fixtures at home, but only for the look of the thing.

Re:

[The Real Dr John]

Agreed, and that is why cleaning your keyboard is the best way to go. I hate to do it, but I pull the keys on my mechanical keyboard about once a year or so to clean everything. The main buildup besides stuck on dust (that is really stuck) is what has to be dead skin cells and oil from your skin. It would still be there even with a silver ion coating. Now if it was a Teflon coating, then it might keep some of the oil and debris off, but probably not a good choice for typing keys. In any case, a clean keyboa

Re:

[The Real Dr John]

Did I forget to mention the dried coffee and food crumbs in there too? Yeah, I did.

Re:

[newcastlejon]

I used to have a fairly basic MS keyboard that was easy to disassemble. Remove a few screws, the bottom cover lifts off and the circuit board can come out. I was left with the top cover and all the keys still attached, which I just put in the dishwasher twice a year.

These days I have a backlit SteelSeries, which I can't take apart or pop off the key caps so it's out with the bleach wipes, paintbrush and air duster. I could possibly soak the thing in IPA, but I'm not willing to risk it.

As for crumbs I seldom

Re:

[PCM2]

This is just silly. So what about every other surface all around you? The vast majority of bacteria are harmless.

These are probably specialized devices for healthcare environments ... the type of places people go because they have bacteria that is actually making them sick.

Silver resistance

[amorsen]

Bacteria can develop resistance against silver. Please do not use silver-based antibiotic products unless you have a specific need, they should be reserved for hospitals and similar high-risk environments.

This is true for most other antibacterial products as well. Please do not use them. Use soap and chlorine and alcohol, bacteria have been exposed to those for a long long time and generally failed to defeat them.

Re:Silver resistance

[newcastlejon]

Bacteria can develop resistance against silver.

Then we can just switch to brass keyboards, and watch the steampunk crowd cream in their collective pants.

Re:

[Luckyo]

I actually want a brass keyboard now.

Re: Silver resistance

[newcastlejon]

You could probably have one now if you get some spray paint and a set of decals. Itâ(TM)s amazing, the variety of paints available these days. Why not buy a cheap keyboard and have a go?

Re:

[Luckyo]

I'm not talking about paint. I'm talking about an actual brass keyboard.

Re: Silver resistance

[newcastlejon]

You can get some that look like old typewriters, but I would think that modern style key caps would be nigh-on impossible to manufacture; brass may be easy to cast but it's tricky to machine. these [theworkalley.co.uk] have been around for a while I think.

Actually, come to think of it you might just be able to press/stamp some brass covers for your existing key caps. The letters are obviously all the same but the likes of Enter would have to be more expensive one-offs. That's assuming you can stamp brass⦠as I recall

Re: Silver resistance

[newcastlejon]

Ignore that, it's copper that is tricky to machine. But still, stamping out some covers for plastic key caps might well be feasible if you could get enough people to make it economical.

Re:

[fazig]

Be more specific.
With modern CNC tooling you could easily make the keycaps that are usually some kind of plastic from brass (disregarding cost).

But how do you want your Steampunk switches to be realized? Still using electricity? Pneumatic? Hydraulic?
I mean, even logic gate behaviour can be constructed with valve mechanisms. Hence a 'steam powered' computer is certainly possible. But due to all the mechanical interaction that's required, those circuits won't be fast.

Re:

[Gilgaron]

I thought surely someone would make one but a light googling didn't find one with brass caps. There are some pretty creative steampunk looks otherwise: https://datamancer.com/ [datamancer.com]

Re:

[Luckyo]

I suspect that's an issue of practicality and cost. Not only machining brass into key caps or keyboard chassis cost a ton, but keys would likely be too heavy and as a result have too much inertia, requiring pretty crazy springs to return them.

Re:

[ceoyoyo]

You could 3D print all the parts and plate them in actual brass. Or you could replacement mold actual solid brass. I don't think the latter would work very well though. The key caps would have too much momentum.

Re:

[Luckyo]

I was thinking of actually brass keys. But momentum would indeed kill the idea.

It would still look and feel awesome I think.

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

Japanese companies have been producing anti-bacterial products for decades, so it's probably too late. Keyboards, laptops, facemasks, hand holds on trains, all sorts of stuff.

Re:

[Viol8]

Nothing would surprise me from a culture that used to sell used girls underwear in vending machines. The japanese spent too long isolated on their island IMO.

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

I think that was a myth.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

âoeThey did exist [techinasia.com] in the back alleys of Akihabara, about 10 or 15 years ago,â the clerk continued. âoeBut the law is strict now. Some shops around here sold used panties â" not necessarily in vending machines â" but the police cracked down on them. They didnâ(TM)t arrest the shop owners, but told them to stop underage students from selling their stuff. Sometimes girls with fake IDs would try to sell panties or used school uniforms, so the police told the shops to be careful.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

Yeah, anti-bacterial stuff suck in so many ways.

And even worse, COVID is immune to this - because COVID is a virus, not bacteria!

There are reasons we have anti-bacterials, anti-virals, and anti-fungals, because they're all different and work differently. Chemical attacks are particularly effective on viruses, which is why simple soap and water works wonders at killing COVID and COVID can't really evolve a way around it. It needs that fatty outer shell to basically work, and surfactants just love nonpolar fa

Re:

[Rei]

Honestly, I suspect that computers already do a (very small) part in airborne virus control.

There are companies that make silent "air purifiers", which don't actually filter anything out, but they have an internal heating element, and hot air rises through the heat channels and airborne pathogens are killed by the high temperatures. Most people seem to agree that you're better off getting a HEPA filter (more efficient, much higher flow rates, also physically remove particulate), but the thermal "purifiers"

Re:

[flyingfsck]

"hot air rises through the heat channels and airborne pathogens are killed by the high temperatures" - Hmm, I have wondered whether an electric fan heater makes things better by cooking pathogens, or worse by stirring up dust from the floor. Probably the latter.

Re:

[jbengt]

I have wondered whether an electric fan heater makes things better by cooking pathogens, or worse by stirring up dust from the floor. Probably the latter.

Especially from the byproducts of burning up the dust and pathogens

Re:

[Rei]

Most respiratory viruses don't remain infectious long outside the body - minutes to hours. On some surfaces, some pathogens might last days, but at greatly reduced infectiousness. Old dust sitting on the floor shouldn't be an issue of concern, I wouldn't think.

I have wondered a lot about the switch from incandescent lightbulbs to CFLs to LED, and their corresponding decreased temperatures, though. Incandescents get blazing hot and create a passive-circulating thermal plume around them. Pathogens passing b

Re:

[Viol8]

"Copper is a particularly effective and cheaper than silver, but it tarnishes very easily and corrodes into the nasty green"

Thats why brass (doesn't corrode) was used in the past in hospitals before cost and aesthetics was given a greater priority than patient care and brass handles and equipment was replaced with stainless steel and plastic.

Re:

[jbengt]

. . . a greater priority than patient care and brass handles and equipment was replaced with stainless steel and plastic.

It is easier to clean stainless steel (and some plastics) than brass, and brass can and does corrode. [hunker.com]

Re:

[Viol8]

It corrodes much more slowly than copper and it doesn't tend to rub off on your hand. And how can it be easier to clean steel? THey're both metals.

Re: Silver resistance

[PPH]

Brass is also antimicrobial. I suspect bronze is as well (both due to their copper content).

Re: Silver resistance

[newcastlejon]

Brass is antimicrobial; it kills some viruses too, e.g. flu. There are a number of different types of flu viruses though, so more research is needed.

Re:

[coofercat]

Indeed - this is a solution looking for a problem.

Outside (maybe) some kiosk type use cases, I can't imagine why anyone would need this. Are you getting ill from your laptop? No. Even if your kids are using it from time to time, it's no worse than other places in your house. Oh, you don't want to clean it? Well, then it's your problem. Please don't make it everyone's problem by breeding resistant versions of otherwise completely harmless bacteria.

This reminds me of those chopping boards that would "release"

Re: Silver resistance

[PPH]

Are you getting ill from your laptop?

Yes. But I suspect that has more to do with Slashdot.

Humans will Evolve with the Bacteria

[shipofgold]

I fear that if we continue this constant trend of attempting to remove bacteria from everything, humans will evolve to the point that one good bacterial infection will wipe is out.

Re:

[Luckyo]

The direction actually appears to be the opposite. It's causing allergies, i.e. lack of calibration of immune system, which causes it to begin attacking benign and beneficial things because of lack of pathogens to attack.

Re:

[Gilgaron]

That's more due to the lack of parasites and the hormones they secrete into their hosts to tamp down immune response. You've always got bacteria on and in you and your immune system is constantly churning new cells. It's that without the slow drip of worm-Benadryl to keep your immune system from noticing that they're chewing on your small intestine you get itchy easier.

Re:

[Luckyo]

Already proven largely not true in analyses done across certain national borders. For example Finnish-Russian border. Russians handle the parasites almost as well as Finns do, but their children on the eastern side of the border grow digging around in earth and generally in less clean conditions. And if you look at the statistics, it looks like, as one expert in a study I read a couple of years ago described it, "allergies end at our eastern border".

Re:

[Gilgaron]

You should look up food allergy distribution, the strongest correlate is ranges of species of trees! E.g. where I live, strawberry allergy is unheard of, but it can be common in places with different tree species generating titers in the locals.

Re:

[Luckyo]

Certainly, but that's the reason why I mentioned said border. Flora and fauna across the border is exactly the same. Therefore these factors can be eliminated as relevant.

They're a bit late to the gravy train

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

All kinds of companies have been trying to profit from the COVID situation by releasing "hygienic"-related products and product features, even in the most unlikely products. Like this RFID reader manufacturer supplier of ours that used to sell RFID readers, and now sell "contactless antibacterial authentication systems" (in other words, RFID readers). Even my local home improvement store has rebranded fancy copper door handles as "antibacterial" door handles, just because they're copper. They use to be fancy, now they're hygienic - and more expensive...

Re:

[Viol8]

To be fair copper is antibacterial. The victorians knew this which his why they used brass in hospitals (though they didn't know why it worked). Unfortunately modern hospitals use stainless steel and plastic door handles etc presumably due to cost with the associated greater bacterial load.

Re:

[Gilgaron]

You can use harsher decontaminants on stainless and plastic, and the decon is going to be more effective than what copper can do.

Re:

[Viol8]

Not sure where you got that idea from. Plenty of plastics are damaged by alcohol based cleaners.

Re:

[Gilgaron]

Well yes, you have to use the right kinds of plastic. Plenty of any broad category of substance can be damaged by alcohol or bleach.

Bacteria?

[nospam007]

Didn't they get the memo that the world needs virus-resistant stuff?

Re:

[Gilgaron]

It's trickier to kill things in an inert state, like spores, seeds, etc. Due to their nature, viruses are very inert until they get into a cell, so while they're not generally super durable, you can't poison them like you can vegetative bacteria.

Re: Bacteria?

[newcastlejon]

Copper alloys have been shown to kill flu viruses. It's not beyond the realms of possibility for them to also affect coronaviruses.

Now vampires and werewolves will

[bobstreo]

complain and boycott Acer.

Doesn't sound very useful

[DrXym]

I'm sure their coating has some anti-microbial effect, but is a hospital really going to take their word for it? More likely they would prefer keyboards & controls that can tolerate a regime of alcohol / antibacterial wipes & sprays and also have less nooks & crannies that can trap gunk.

Re:

[Luckyo]

You're completely correct at hospital's requirements. This line is likely aimed at hypochondriacs, not hospitals. You can find quite a few similar "anti bacterial silver" products aimed at this particular group.

Re:

[Gilgaron]

Yes, and these sorts of coatings only work for low level contaminants, if you had a big blob of snot or blood on there the pathogens will be well protected from the silver.

Re: Doesn't sound very useful

[newcastlejon]

As always, the perfect is the enemy of the good. It doesn't have to kill everything on contact to be useful.

Re:

[Gilgaron]

Well sure it depends what you're trying to accomplish. Since it won't stop cross contamination of pathogens in situ then it is going to mostly end up killing normal flora bacteria from people's skin. That's not super useful, but if the items are the same price as regular then maybe you get them for the minor benefit, but if they cost more then you're better off buying more soap with the money saved, because it isn't effective enough to change the decon procedures. You could shine a UV light on everything

Re:

[DrXym]

It'll be proven to be useful when it undergoes the sort of trials that hospitals (or other clinical settings) would expect before they'd go anywhere near these products. E.g. swabbing down keyboard and sticking the swabs in culture. The trials would also have to demonstrate some substantive difference to their existing regime of wiping down keyboards with some kind of disinfecting solution or sticking them under a UV light.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that.

Re: Doesn't sound very useful

[PPH]

They need dishwasher-safe keyboards.

Didn't realize we needed a antimicrobial PC

[bsdetector101]

Didn't realize we needed a antimicrobial PC, the least of my worries ! Maybe they need to concentrate on making better PC's. NEVER had an Apple iMac DIE from bacteria !! lolol

Cool..

[Kelxin]

More trash that will last 10 million years.

Unconvinced...

[Gabest]

Is also gluten free, lactose free, vegan, paleo and halal? I have pretty high standards.

Invompatible with ...

[PPH]

... Windows 11.

Keyboard and mouse yes, anything else nah

[Bruce66423]

Studies have shown that keyboards are dirtier than the average toilet

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_... [bbc.co.uk]