Lenovo Australia is close to the launch of its slimline IdeaPad U110, an ultralight notebook computer aimed at the consumer and small business market.

Lenovo Australia is close to the launch of its slimline IdeaPad U110, an ultralight notebook computer aimed at the consumer and small business market.

The classy-looking U110, foreshadowed at a demonstration in Sydney in February, went on sale in the US this week at $US1899 ­ more than Apple’s ultra-thin, ultra-light MacBook Air.

It has an 11-inch display, Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz processor, 120GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, and an engraved red or black lid, and comes loaded with Vista Home Premium.

In Sydney, a Lenovo Australia spokesperson said the company was currently talking with potential resellers and finalising local pricing. A launch was likely “within weeks”.

Lenovo, previously known mainly for its business models, including the ThinkPad line of notebooks, began tackling the consumer market with full-sized IdeaPads in February, sold through sold through Domayne and Dick Smith Electronics stores.