SAN FRANCISCO, April 17: A fully functioning computer weighing only about 250 grams (nine ounces) debuts at a trade show Wednesday, in what its developers say will be the next wave in portable computing.

Slightly bigger than a Palm or other hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA), the so-called OQO — named after the San Francisco start-up company that created it — will run for eight hours on a lithium ion battery.

The color screen is 10 centimeters (four inches) diagonally, but its creators, some veterans of Apple’s notebook computer development team, say an optional cradle will let a user hook a full-size monitor and keyboard to it.

Another available cradle with a larger flat panel monitor and keyboard will turn the diminutive computer into a laptop.

“Computers haven’t really been portable,” said OQO spokesman Andrew Popell. “There are a lot of strained shoulders out there lugging seven pound laptops. We wanted to change all that.”

The tiny computer is run by a Transmeta 1 GHz microchip, and uses the Windows XP operating system. Final pricing has not been set by OQO, which is backed by a pair of Silicon Valley venture capital companies. Popell said the computer will probably come in at the 1,000 milar to current sub-notebook computers.

The machine was to be shown at the WinHEC convention in Seattle this week. WinHEC is a gathering of computer developers.—AFP