Move over Netbooks...here come the CULV's

Most technology-aware consumers have heard of "netbooks"... the ultra-light, ultra-small, and ultra-cheap laptops that have been on the market for some time now. The appeal of these devices is their incredible light weight, small dimensions, and cost. However, when it comes to computing power, they often leave a lot to be desired. Most of them operate on the low-power Intel ATOM chip. This makes these netbooks great for surfing the net, checking email and performing basic computing tasks. But most of us need to do more with our portable computing devices than browsing web pages.

Enter the CULV Laptops. Based on "Consumer Ultra Low Voltage" processors from Intel, these laptops are also small and light-weight, but offer more powerful processors under their hoods. The new low-power laptops will be more suited to running mainstream applications (though still not as good as traditional laptops), and will have very good battery life. Lenovo, Acer and HP are among the first to have CULV-based laptops shipping already. If you travel frequently for business, or are a mobile professional looking for a lightweight computng platform with enough power for your daily tasks, a new CULV laptop may be just what the doctor ordered. Pricing on these new laptops has been seen as low as $449, making them an even more attractive computing option for consumers today.