XO Blazes Trail for Cheaper Laptops

News this week that the so-called $100-dollar laptop (the XO) will be available to the general public at the still-friendly price of about $200 came with a number of caveats. As I wrote the other day, you'd go nuts trying to run a business on these Romper Room clamshells.Forget about it.

But more cheap laptops are coming, Datamation assures us . At least three factors are making the $300 laptop a real possibility:

The growing popularity of web apps and free and open source software Solid-state drives Public pressure in the wake of the XO

The ASUS EEE, pictured here, is expected later this year at a base price rumored to be $199. The EEE will run on Linux, a customized version of business-friendly Xandros, to be specific.

If you can't wait that long, check out the $399 (after rebate) ThinkCentre A61E Ultrasmall Form Factor desktop from Lenovo. Enterprise IT Planet gives the low-cost, power-sipping PC a "big thumbs-up for its efficiency, clever engineering, and environmentally friendly approach."