Green PCs from Dell, Asus

Looks like computer makers were inspired by Earth Day. And while plenty of PC prototypes never see the light of day, these eco-PCs should be on sale sometime later this year.

At the Fortune Green conference, Dell unveiled a compact desktop with a bamboo case. The system is 81 percent smaller than a "standard" desktop, uses 70 percent less power, and is loaded with recycled materials, according to Dell. It will be available later this year for between $500 and $700.

Asus has been showing off its Bamboo PC Concept series at tradeshows for a while, most recently at CeBIT. The company announced it will ship two laptops, the 11-inch S6 and 12-inch U6, with bamboo panels starting this June for around $1,600. (Here's CNET's review of the current, leather-clad U6.) Asus does not yet have plans to market its other bamboo concept products, a desktop and monitor.

[Via Engadget.]