Chinese hardware maker Lenovo will release its first range of mini-laptops this autumn, becoming the latest vendor to try an take a slice of this white-hot market.
Lenovo's IdeaPad S9 and S10 netbooks, based on Intel's Atom processor, will offer up to 1GB of memory and either a 160GB hard drive, or 4GB of solid state storage. They will also be available with a choice of Windows XP or Linux.

The mini notebooks "feature the best of basic computing functions in an extremely compact and affordable form," said Liu Jun, senior vice president of Lenovo's consumer business group, in a statement.

The S9 features a 8.9in screen, while the S10 has a 12.2in display. Both are available in a range of colours, including white, black, blue, red and pink.

The IdeaPads are due to ship in early October 2008. The IdeaPad S9 will cost from £279, the S10 from £319.

Lenovo has become the latest computer maker, along with Asus, Acer and HP, looking to exploit the demand for low-cost, lightweight, basic laptops.