Those who like to stay in touch while on the move will be delighted by the new and cheap ultra-mobile personal computers.

At least 10 new mini PCs are expected to debut within the next two months, with prices ranging from 2,999 yuan (US$438) to 4,999 yuan, half the cost of laptops.

These models may be small but boast wireless functions, a bright screen, long battery life and come in various colors.

Such entry-level small PCs have received a warm market response since ASUS launched its EeePC late last year. By the end of June this year, the ASUS model is expected to sell 2 million.

And global sales of ultra-mobile PCs will hit 9 million in 2012 from less than 500,000 units in 2007, according to IDC Corp, a US-based IT research firm.

Giants like Hewlett Packard Inc, Acer Inc and ASUS have launched ultra-mobile models. Chip makers Intel and VIA have also launched special chipsets for the ultra-mobile platform.

Lenovo Group Ltd said it will launch its ultra-mobile PC in August with a starting price of 2,999 yuan. Dell Inc also said it would launch a model for US$299.

"They are fully functional PCs - just smaller," said Peng Jun, Lenovo's consumer business market director based in Shanghai.

Generally speaking, the PCs feature an 8-inch or 10-inch LED screen, which gives a brighter display and longer battery life (up to six to seven hours) than a traditional LCD screen. They have about 1GB memory, an 80GB hard disk (8GB SSD for EeePC), wireless access and Windows or Linux systems.

"These PCs, because they are super mobile with a very reasonable price, will attract students and people who need a second laptop for regular business trips," said Wen Fang, analyst at CCID Consulting, a Beijing-based IT research firm.

Some second-tier or smaller PC vendors, such as MSI and Founder, have also tapped the market, helping them improve brand awareness and boost sales.