Forget the giant gaming rigs with upwards of 16 GB of RAM, the latest NVIDIA graphics card(s), and an Intel Core i7 processor, or those convertible ultrabooks with the twisting screens that can be taken anywhere. Tech firm APC has created a “paper” computer—it comes in a cardboard case, and it can be yours for the low price of USD$99 (~Php 4,100).
This “paper” computer is a unique concept—according to APC, “There are many things around us in life whose size we’re very familiar with—things that we see on a daily basis. Paper notebooks are such objects. Bookshelves, cabinets, files, and desks are often determined according to some relationship with its size. We think that designing a computer of a size and shape with the closest connection to these things would result in an object that blended in with that space. Documents or books can be piled up on top of the computer, or it can be placed on a bookshelf. It’s a computer that you could sandwich between a variety of objects.”
The specs of this “paper” computer aren’t exactly eye-popping, or the “shut up and take my money” kind of gadget—you’re looking at a VIA ARM Cortex-A9 800Mhz CPU, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of NAND Flash memory, built-in 2D/3D graphic resolution of up to 1080p, all crammed into the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS, which puts it actually closer to a mobile phone than to a computer. It also comes with connectivity options most computers already come with—two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, a microUSB port, an audio port and a microphone port, and a microSD slot. The computer is only 204 x 98 x 28 mm, and its casing also includes high-grade aluminum.
For those who want to experience the “paper” computer, it’s not out yet, but pre-orders will be available in March of this year.