A London, Ont.-based technology firm is poised to launch a ruggedized solar-powered laptop.
The SOL will be officially launched in Ghana, Africa tomorrow. David Snir, CEO and founder of WeWi traveled to Africa, where he saw a need for a rugged laptop that would not need to be plugged into the grid in order to work.
He believes the SOL will be ideal for students in the region. However, the submersible, solar-powered laptop could also appeal to professionals who work remotely under harsh environmental conditions and where an electric power source is not always available.
The SOL runs on a free Ubuntu Linux operating system, however, Snir said users can load any OS of their choice. He also said, the SOL could be a Chromebook.
The laptop is equipped with detachable solar panels, which according to WeWi can provide up to 10 hours of battery life after just two hours under the sun. Although, SOL the machine may never need to be plugged into an electrical outlet, the comes with a detachable power cord.
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The laptop weight about five pounds and is around two inches thick. It has a 13.3 LCD display which opens up in traditional butterfly fashion. The four solar panels are a bit smaller than the screen and they are protected by a clamshell cover.
The case houses an Intel Atom D2500 1.86 Ghz Duo Core processor with an Intel 945GSE chipset. There is 320 GB of HDD storage and users have a choice of two or four GB of DDTIII SDRAM. The SOL has a 3 MP Webcam, two speakers and an internal mic for video conferencing.
The machine has inputs for USB 2.0, headphones and HDMI among others. It is Wi-Fi, 3G/3G/LTE capable and has connections for GPS and Bluetooth.
For more information on SOL, click here