Intel is putting efforts on production of atom sized chip for portable laptops.

“We will see many smaller laptops come into the market with players like HP and Dell launching their products later this year. There is certainly potential for these devices. If we look at markets like Malaysia and Philippines that are similar to India, Asus has seen demand exceed supply for its Eee PC,” says Gartner principal analyst Diptarup Chakraborti.

Dell is planning to launch an 8.9-inch laptop produced by Taiwan company - Compal Electronics for price than $499. HP’s Mini-Note PC is targeted on education segment, which will be available at a starting price of $499.

“We don’t just compete on low cost but look at a more specific target audience – children and first-time PC users with simple needs of Internet access and basic multimedia functions,” says Asus India product manager for notebooks, Francis Kao.

“The response to MiLeap has been good. It’s still new and the newly-launched Windows XP-powered version will offer greater choice to the consumers,” said HCL Infosystems executive VP George Paul.

So this must be a lucky year. Branded Laptops will be available at a rate of less than $500.

Categories: IT sector
Tags: Dell, features, HCL, HP, Ultra Portable Laptops