Two recent announcements show that the notebook market is changing and that ambitious companies can use portable PCs in interesting new ways.

The first is the HP Compaq 6720t Mobile Thin Client. Launched in January this year, it has no moving parts or locally stored data. Instead, it uses Wi-Fi wireless networks or optional 3G mobile broadband to connect to Blade PCs, Citrix or VMware-based servers in the corporate data centre.

What's cool about this machine is that it gives mobile workers the same access to remote clients that desktop users already have. This has obvious security advantages (see my earlier post: How secure is your laptop). But Remote Client Solutions as HP likes to call them, have other benefits too.  See: Thin is beautiful, also on this blog.

The second recent launch is the HP Compaq 2133 Mini-Note PC. There are some striking differences about this machine:

Size. It's about the same size as a biggish paperback book. In other words, it's really neat and compact compared to regular laptops.

Looks. Its case is aluminium. It looks sexy. I saw a prototype last year in Houston and I fell in love with it then. Check out this video.

Linux. It runs Microsoft Windows Vista but it might also be available in a Linux version.

Price. It's £385 plus VAT (less if you get a Linux powered-version). Compare this with another sexy, ultra-mobile, aluminium-clad laptop, the MacBook Air which starts at just over £1,000 excluding VAT. There are, of course, differences between the two machines but the Mini-Note seems to combine three previously-impossible things: coolness, compactness and great value.

You'll have to wait until June to actually buy one and they're only available through educational specialist Research Machines. I expect all the cool kids will want one; including lots of people who don't work in schools.

- Matthew Stibbe