You can disassemble this Dell laptop in seconds. Dell showed off the latest design update to its modular laptop concept, the Concept Luna, which improves on how easy it is to take apart and repair. Dell introduced the Concept Luna last year, but it has since improved the design by removing the need for any adhesives or cables, while also reducing the need for screws.
It may be just a concept currently, but it’s a big step in the right direction for Dell and the overall industry. Dell’s not the only one offering a similar laptop design with companies like Framework, offering its highly repairable, modular laptop. Still, the difference is stark when you compare Dell’s Concept Luna and the Framework laptop to more popular choices like the MacBook Pro, which is notoriously hard to repair.
Snap into place — With the Concept Luna’s improved design, you can snap every component into place, like the keyboard, speakers, or hard drive. According to Glen Robson, Dell’s chief technology officer for Dell Technologies’ Client Solutions Group, the Experience Innovation Group spent the last year updating the Concept Luna’s original design. The team ended up with a design that completely removes the need for adhesives and cables, while also minimizing the use of screws. In Dell’s demonstration, all you need is a push-pin tool to start the process.
The Concept Luna’s repairable design also means it’s a very straightforward process when it comes to replacing or salvaging parts. Dell says most laptops that are nearing their end may still have components that are usable since people working from home use external hardware like another keyboard or monitor.
Dell even worked with a micro-factory to help them with the Concept Luna’s design, to ensure that robots could easily take apart and reassemble the laptop.
The future of sustainable design — Dell compares its Concept Luna design to the lifecycle of a car. You don’t need to replace the entire car when doing maintenance, usually just the tires or brakes. Dell wants to apply that same philosophy to laptop design, which is a major win for the consumer as well.
Still, Dell’s Concept Luna is just that: a concept. Robson does say it’s a vision for how Dell wants to look at its future product lineup. If any of these design principles make it to market, it would give us some much-needed hope that the industry may no longer be interested in these impossible-to-repair devices.
