The first fiberglass ultrabooks
Computer technology doesn’t stand still: every year manufacturers release faster, lighter and smaller laptops. The thinnest and lightest notebooks are called ‘ultrabooks’. Traditionally, ultrabooks used a lightweight metal case. However, this is going to change, as Acer and Asus announced to switch to fiberglass materials.
Ultrabooks present a challenge to computer manufacturers, as these computers are less than 20 mm thick and weigh less than 1.4 kg. The traditional material for these computer cases, thin metal panels, has two big disadvantages: it is expensive to process and difficult to produce for mass production.
Acer and Asus came with a solution for this problem: fiber reinforced composites. Composite materials make it possible to maintain the same weight and strength that is common for the thin metal panels. At the same time, the production costs for the fiberglass materials are significantly lower. Acer and Asus will release fiberglass ultrabooks in 2012.
Source: Hardware Info
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