Intel Introduces Its RAZR-Thin Notebook PC

A PC thinner than a Motorola Razr? Intel is showing off an ultra-thin notebook designed by Ziba Design in Portland, Oregon, but bear in mind it’s a prototype: you can’t buy one yet, even if you could afford one. Business Week says

The … Intel mobile Metro notebook is less than 0.7 inches thick–about one-quarter of an inch thicker than Motorola’s iconic cell phone, making it the world’s thinnest notebook. And at 2.25 pounds, it’s also one of the lightest small-sized portable computers. Other features include always-on Internet connectivity via various wireless technologies.

One of the cute features is the extra external screen that lets you see things without opening the machine, using Windows Vista’s SideShow.

The Metro is thin partly because it uses a Flash drive instead of a hard disk. But whether it is actually the thinnest is another matter. Three years ago, Sony showed the very similar Vaio X505, which measured 0.75 inches at its thickest point and 0.3 inches at its thinnest. The Metro is slightly thinner at its thickest, but overall?

By the way, although it was something of a marvel, the X505 didn’t survive for very long, because of the price.