A company called Cherry Pal is releasing its premier product next Monday. It is a $240+/- desktop Linux-based computer that is the size of a paperback and uses two watts of power (compared with the 100 watts of some desktops).

The key to its low price is its use of "cloud computing" which basically means part of your memory is managed and stored on servers, not on your PC.

Would you be able to use it as your primary PC? I don't see why not, but most likely, it will be used as a second computer, perhaps for children or for a second room in the house. Considering its low energy-usage, it won't stress people out (although you'll be running a monitor, as well).

I'm happy to report that I've been selected to receive a Cherry Pal computer, for free! I should be receiving it within a couple days, after which I'll be posting occasional entries about my experiences.

I've used several different computers / operating systems over the years, including Windows, OS X, Linux, Unix, and ... whatever it was that ran the old 3COM Audrey (which I loved!).

More: Smaller PCs Cause Worry for Industry - By Matt Richtel, The New York Times

Also: Cherry Pal PC has just enough oomph for web browsing - Boing Boing

And: CherryPal desktop has friendly $249 price tag - Crave the gadget blog, CNET

Further: Cherry Pal - manufacturer's website

Why not: Cherry Pal - MySpace