Acer Aspire Vero (Antichrist)

On the shelves of my local Staples exists an anomalous artifact; A crime against both man and nature; The antichrist himself.

The Acer Aspire Vero. A laptop that’s chassis is made of recycled plastic, the trackpad is made of ocean glass and the packaging is 100% recyclable, but what of the components? NOPE. All the parts are brand new. Here are some excerpts from the website¹:

“By adopting recycled plastic in the creation of Aspire Vero, we [Acer] are demonstrating our commitment to reducing carbon emissions. This year, we have increased our reduction of CO2 emissions from 21% to 30%, in our quest for a greater positive impact on the environment.”

So this laptop is a “demonstration” of Acer’s commitment to carbon emissions? How about we take a look at the marketing for the various colourschemes?

“Recalling the idyllic tree—the colour [of the laptop] acts as a subtle tribute to eco-conscious living.”

Translated: 「 The colour of this laptop will constantly remind you of how good of a person you are.」

“Designed to evoke considerations for our oceans, such as the Mariana Trench.”

Translated:「 Look at how much I care about the turtles!」

“The name itself implies what Vero’s purpose is—to act as a building block for sustainability.”

Right from the mouth of the dragon. This laptop’s purpose is not to act as a portable computer (like one might accept), but rather as a statement. This is a fad product.

I am not (in principle) against such a device, but do not be fooled. If Acer really cared about the environment, they would have included the option of a replaceable battery and upgradable CPU. Clearly Acer didn’t get the reduce and reuse part of the memo.

It fills me with great pain knowing some environmentalist schmuck got suckered into buying this. If you really want a laptop that's good for the environment, go give a used ThinkPad a new home. It won’t even cost you $900!