The Taiwanese tech heavyweight Asus, best known here for motherboards and other desktop components, has introduced a $400 laptop with most of the capability of a $2,000 Sony or Fujitsu subnotebook; the convenience and usability missing from members of Intel's Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) club; and the goofiest name of the year.

The Eee PC -- named for "easy to work, easy to learn, easy to play"; you may also enjoy the Asus motto "Rock Solid, Heart Touching" -- is a two-pound traveling companion for anyone who'd like basic office productivity and WiFi Web and e-mail access in a system slightly bigger than a stack of three DVD cases (about 6.5 by 9 by 1.4 inches).

Does it really compare to a status-symbol slimline notebook?