Notebooks with cases that aren't some variation on grey/black have become more prevalent in recent years, but most still sport fundamentally the same materials on the outside. Asus' Bamboo series is a definite exception, using bamboo for a design approach that also claims a greater level of environmental friendliness than your typical hard-case machine.

The laptops are covered in "artisan-grade Moso bamboo panelling", a light, and durable, non-flammable and petrochemical-free material. Apparently, the design "is a cutting edge creation that incorporates innate, ornate aesthetics, each Bamboo Series notebook is organically unique and radiates a divine spirituality" -- those are Asus' words, not mine, obviously.

The notebook range actually looks better than the hyperbole makes it sound. Bear in mind that the machines are only partially degradable, with much debate about whether bamboo really is greener than plastic, and you'll still want a PC-friendly recycling centre at the end of its life. But anything that improves the green quotient for what's still a fairly toxic industry is a good step. The laptops -- which come in 11.1in and 12.1in models, sporting Core 2 Duo processors and Windows Vista -- should hit stores in December, with pricing starting at $3,499.

As we've previously mentioned, as of June 30 Microsoft is no longer be selling boxed copies of Windows XP or allowing manufacturers to install it directly (although some white-box vendors are immune). If you want to stick with XP, you'll need to purchase a machine running Vista Business and then get a downgrade licence to revert to XP.
Fran Foo at AustralianIT rang around local vendors to find out how much such a downgrade would cost. Pricing ranged from nothing (for HP models) to $83 to get an XP CD from Lenovo. If you decide to stick with Vista instead, check out our Vista hub for tips on how to make the most of Vista.
Local vendors gear for Vista downgrade [AustralianIT]

With June now officially upon us and the financial year almost over, if you've been thinking of purchasing a PC, now is a sensible time. If it's a business machine, you'll be able to deduct at least some of the cost in this financial year -- and with sub-$1,000 machines now common, you might be able to do it in a lump rather than over four years (check with your accountant).

An even more pressing reason to buy now is that manufacturers are officially supposed to stop selling any machines (apart from certain ultra-portables) with XP on them after June 30. If you want a PC that actually has a useful Windows operating system, not the pig-with-lipstick experience of Vista, then you'd best order soon. While there'll be downgrade rights options after that date -- meaning you can purchase a Vista Business machine and ask for XP to be installed instead -- who needs the extra hassle? (We note in passing that July 1 will also see tax rates increase on cars costing more than $57,123; go crazy, motoring freaks!)

Windows only: Last week we highlighted how to mute your Mac on a schedule, and this week weblog Inspect My Gadget details how to set up similar functionality in Windows. The post suggests a few tools that might do the job, then settles on adding a scheduled task to Windows to mute your computer using a freeware utility called Mute. It requires a minimum of setup but works perfectly, which is always nice. Like the idea of all that automation? Check out how you can get more from Windows Scheduled Tasks.

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Web site Can You Run It determines whether or not your PC can run any of a number of popular video games by checking your computer's specs against the minimum and recommended requirements of said games. Just browse to the... Read More »