Apricot hopes UK launch will bear fruit

System builder marks return to UK market with the launch of its PicoBook Pro netbook

Flying the UK Flag: Apricot is hoping to steal a march on rivals with netbook launch

Apricot is hoping to give rivals such as Asus a run for their money by returning to the UK market with a netbook launch.

The PicoBook Pro is Apricot’s first re-entry to the UK market after a significant absence. It runs on either Linux or Windows XP, and boasts a 60Gb hard drive, 8.9-inch screen and a battery life of four hours. The machine weighs just 0.98kg and also features Wimax support, an in-built VGA output, Bluetooth, two USB 2.0 ports and a storage card slot.

Priced at £279, the PC builder is hoping to appeal to the mobile executive audience as well as consumers.

Shahid Sultan, Apricot’s new chief executive, said: “Many offerings in the sub-laptop market are missing the point. A mobile PC user fundamentally wants to be able to connect to the internet whenever and wherever they are and to be able to use it for a prolonged period of time, without needing to change the batteries.

“We have created a PC that is truly mobile and despite its credentials, functionality and look and feel – it is also affordable.”