Hewlett Packard unveils 'Mini-Note' laptop

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 8 (UPI) -- California's Hewlett-Packard is poised to break into the small laptop business, planning to release the 2133 Mini-Note in about a month, the company announced.

The small computer weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and has a 9-inch screen, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

The Mini-Note will come in two versions -- one, for $500, with a Linus operating system, the other, for $600, with Windows Vista.

They were unveiled Tuesday.

"We think the U.S. market will be extremely interested in this," said company spokesman Carol Hess-Nickels said

In a separate announcement, the company said it had hired swimsuit designer Gideon Oberson to create laptop covers. The company hopes the effort will appeal to female customers, the company said.