There's no dearth of netbooks, so a new entrant is not going to change any equation unless and until it's something like MSI Wind. But Maplin's "Minibook Ultra-Portable Laptop" is not out-of-this-world laptop so its not going to create any difference in this crazy segment. Basically the Maplin machine is a 7" mini-laptop with down-to-earth specification. Petty, it's price-tag is not so down-to-earth.

Specification:

* 32-bit processor (no word on whether its an Intel or VIA)
* 128MB DDR2 RAM
* 2GB flash memory
* 7" 800 x 480 resolution display
* Wi-Fi connectivity
* Linux operating system
* 2200mAh battery (claimed 3-hour operating life)
* 3 USB ports
* SD memory card slot
* Ethernet port

The Maplin Minibook Ultra-Portable Laptop is priced at $340.

[Via UberGizmo]