Tiny iKIT notebook features 2.8-inch screen

Well, calling it a "notebook" may be a stretch, but I can still say for a fact that I'm anxious to get my hands on IMOVIO's iKIT, a £99 (about $161) miniature PC with a teensy 2.8-inch LCD that some are dubbing a sub-netbook or sub-subnotebook. While it won't run Word, it does pack quite a punch for its diminutive size.

The iKIT, officially dubbed a "Pocket Mobile Companion," is a familiar, if miniaturized, clamshell device with a QWERTY keyboard, Linux OS, Wi-Fi, 0.3-megapixel webcam, and a mini-USB port. It has 64MB of RAM and supports storage on regular SD cards (up to 8GB in size), and it's preloaded with apps, including the usual contact managers, messaging systems, a media player, and the Opera Mini web browser. It's really designed to be used as alternative to your cell phone for mobile email and messaging needs, but given all its capabilities and features, the idea that it can replace your laptop -- at least some of the time -- isn't that much of a stretch.

It's not, however, a replacement for a cell phone: The iKIT doesn't include voice features nor a cellular radio. Its only connectivity option is Wi-Fi (plus Bluetooth), unless you plug a WWAN adapter into the USB port or connect it to something else via Bluetooth.

Sadly, iKIT won't be showing up at Best Buy anytime soon. The British company is hoping to partner with wireless carriers or other companies to sell the device as an add-on or alternative to an expensive phone or laptop. It's unlikely that IMOVIO will bring the device to market on its own, sadly.

Someone at Asus needs to jump on this immediately!

Full press release and specs available here