Following similar products from HP and Asus, Acer has added a £199 mini notebook to its range.

The Acer Aspire One has an 8.9 inch LCD screen and will be available with either Linux or Windows XP Home. It will weigh less than 1kg and measure 24x7cm (wxd).

It comes with a low-power processor Intel Atom processor, which means batteries last longer – around six hours between charges.

David Drummond, managing director at Acer UK, said: “We don’t see the One as a low-cost PC. Instead it’s about being able to access the internet anywhere and everywhere.”

He said the notebook will suit people looking to do tasks such as simple gaming, writing up documents and sharing photos online.

"If you're into photo manipulation then this is not the notebook for you," he said at the launch.

The Linux model will include a copy of Open Office. It has 512MB of memory, 8GB of storage and a 5-in-1 card reader. The Windows XP model will have 1GB of memory and an 80GB hard disk

Both will be available in four different colour options: blue, white, pink and brown. The Linux model will cost £199, with the Windows XP version priced at £299. They will be available from 10 July.

Carphone Warehouse has also launched a mini notebook PC. The Webbook is made by Elonex technology, has a 10.2in screen and weighs 1.3kg. It will also be available with either Linux or Windows XP and has three USB ports and 512MB of memory. The webbook will be available as part of a broadband package.