Toshiba unveils sub-$1,000 notebook

Computer maker Toshiba introduced a new series of business notebooks on Tuesday that are not only the company's first sub-$1,000 PCs but also include the company's first-ever 14-inch diagonal wide-screen display. The Tecra A5 comes in two flavors--the A5-S416 and the A5-S116. The computers weigh less than 5 pounds and can connect to the Internet on Wi-Fi (802.11b and g) bands. The new dockable Tecras run Microsoft's Windows XP Professional over Intel processors with the 915GM express chipset. They will be ready to ship in late June, Toshiba said.

The company has been rolling out different-sized computers in the last few months to appeal to small business owners and home office workers. Toshiba is traditionally known for making ultra-thin laptops with screen sizes of 12 inches or less. A recent study by IDC found that most home workers who are buying laptops--56 percent--are choosing the "thin and light" category, which usually consists of screens that are about 15 inches and come with a CD read-write drive and perhaps a DVD player.