Solar powered devices are an interesting concept, although given the technology these days, especially towards more commercial products, it feels more like a novelty feature rather than a functional one. That being said we expect that there will come a day when solar powered charging can be brought to consumer products that will be just as efficient as the solar farms out there, but in the meantime it seems that Apple has toyed around with such an idea for its MacBook series of laptops. In a recent patent granted to Apple, it hints at a MacBook system in which a two-sided glass laptop display will be used.
While the display inside the laptop will be used normally, the outside display is expected to house photovoltaic cells used for solar charging, and at the same time act as a secondary display that houses sensors that can be used for touch input as well. In a way this sounds like hybrid Windows 8 devices we’ve seen hit the market, with the main difference being that Apple’s system will feature solar powered charging capabilities. It sounds like a nifty idea although we’re not sure if Apple will even implement such a system. After all most Windows 8 hybrid devices tend to be rather thick and with Apple placing such a huge emphasis on making devices light and thin, we’re not sure if that is something they’d sacrifice just for the added features, but what do you guys think?
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