$98 laptop claimed for October

That's not a typo, nor is it a joke. It may never really arrive at the price the company claims and it may end up being an outright scam, but it does at least appear to have some basis in reality: A Chinese outfit called HiVision says it has created a $98 laptop, which includes everything you'd need to perform basic computing tasks, like working on documents, playing music, and browsing the web.

The specs are admittedly minimal: an ancient 400MHz CPU, 64MB or 128MB of RAM, a 7-inch LCD, and a 1GB flash drive for storage. Wi-Fi is built-in, and the machine runs either Linux or Windows CE (now there's a blast from the past). It's a stretch to call a WinCE device a "laptop," but the Linux version that these guys took extensive video of at a trade show earlier this month looks decently capable. Almost like a real computer.

Naturally, there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. While low-end electronics often come out of obscure shows like this (and from no-name companies), HiVision is not a name that engenders a lot of trust. Also known as Shenzen, the company's website has been off and on all morning. But an even bigger strike comes from Engadget, which spotted hollow, plastic versions of HP Mini-Notes on the tables next to the supposed $98 HiVision netbooks. Is the company (which specializes in lookalike versions of scads of electronic devices) also planning to knock off the Mini-Note?

Will we ever see a company bring this machine to the U.S.? The price may end up being higher than the claimed $98, but even at twice that, such a device could have a significant impact on the category, where mini-notes still run $350 and up.

So color me skeptical... but deeply curious.