Asus is, I think, a good company – last week they revealed that they don’t care if you crack open their products, and now they’re revealing a new line of laptops in line with a more eco-friendly philosophy. They’re replacing the bulk of the case with bamboo instead of using PVC or other difficult-to-dispose-of materials. Other companies, like Dell and Apple, have pledged to reduce their usage of such materials or recycle them, but Asus seems to be the first to grow their own cases on any large scale. Of course, the most damaging materials are to be found in CRT monitors, and the screen, keys, and guts of this bamboo PC are made of the usual stuff, but it looks good and uses half a pound less plastic than your average lappy. I’m guessing Jack Bauer will use one, because you can break pieces off it and use them to torture terrorists. [Not that we condone that sort of inhumane activity. –ed]