Apricot, once a major player in the UK business PC market, has been revived as a maker of ultra-portable netbooks.

The Apricot PicoBook Pro, available immediately, weighs just under 1Kg and has an 8.9in display, with the standard mini-laptop configuration of 1GB memory, Linux or Windows XP Home edition and a low-power processor, in this case a VIA Technologies 1.2GHz C-7M.

Apricot claims a better than average battery life for a netbook of four hours, and said that the PicoBook Pro still manages to accommodate a generous sized keyboard despite being smaller than some recent models with 10in displays.

The device has a 60GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional support for WiMax, according to Apricot, with prices starting at £279 for the Linux-based model.

Apricot Computers chief executive Shahid Sultan said that mobile users wanted a PC to connect to the internet wherever they are and which can be used for a prolonged period of time.

"We have created a PC that is truly mobile and, despite its high quality credentials, functionality and look and feel, it is also affordable," he said.

The PicoBook Pro looks similar in appearance to Maxdata's Belinea s.book 1, launched earlier this year, which had a smaller display due to a detachable Bluetooth handset for VoIP calls sitting next to the screen.

Both models are likely based on VIA's Nanobook platform, announced in 2007.