HCL claims world's cheapest Windows notebook

HCL on Tuesday promised to make PCs more affordable for India with a special run of its MiLeap notebooks. Much in the vein of ASUS' Eee PC and other micro notebooks, the H series keeps costs low by using both a small 7-inch LCD and by using a low-power unnamed (but likely Celeron-based) Intel processor. Unlike some of its budget equivalents, the system serves as a convertible tablet with a directional pad for navigation and a touchscreen for handwriting that sometimes becomes necessary in HCL's home country.

Microsoft is involved in the project and has in part made this possible by extending the availability of Windows XP for low-cost PCs until 2010, allowing the new MiLeap to run with less advanced components.

A 1.3-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, and a 30GB hard drive are also bundled into the stock H series model. HCL touts the system as the most inexpensive Windows portable on the market and says the system ships with Windows XP for the equivalent to $425. The company typically sells only to India, however, and may not be referring to the Eee PC with Windows, which sells for $400 using the same operating system. [via Techtree]