HP has entered the emerging market for low-cost miniature laptops with its own product, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC. Like the Asus Eee PC, this is priced for the education market, but HP also has an eye on business and mobile professionals with its release, many of which are more likely to purchase from a well-established enterprise vendor.

The HP Mini-Note is expected to be available in the UK and Ireland from May with a starting price of £299. Specialist educational supplier RM is to sell the unit alongside the Eee PC.

With a starting weight of 1.27kg, the system is designed to survive classroom life with a sturdy yet lightweight anodised aluminium shell and HP's 3D DriveGuard to protect the hard disk against damage.

However, HP clearly sees an opportunity to market its Mini-Note to companies as well, pointing out that business and mobile professionals value the same mobility, usability and cost concerns as the education market.

The entry-level price includes Suse Linux, 1GB memory and a 3-cell battery, while a higher priced version has Windows Vista Business, 2GB memory and a larger 6-cell battery. Both are based on a 1.2GHz VIA C7 processor with a 120GB hard drive, 8.9in WXGA (1280 x 760) screen, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi built-in and optional Bluetooth.

The 3-cell battery provides up to two hours and fifteen minutes of battery life, according to HP, while the 6-cell is good for up to four and a half hours.