The Imovio IKIT is a Linux-based handheld with about the same specs as many current smart phones, designed to run around $179. Strip away the sales pitch, and this is a very similar device to a Motorola Q or Palm Treo, with a 2.8-inch, 320-by-240 screen, a 312-Mhz processor, the Opera Mini browser, and 128MB of memory.

While Imovio is selling the IKIT as "a viable substitute for a laptop," it's only as much of a substitute as any of today's smart phones are. And unfortunately, U.S. consumers are unlikely to get to try it out. Imovio isn't selling directly to consumers; the company want to sell this product to mobile carriers and ISPs, who will then offer it to their customers. I'd expect this to appear first in Europe.