Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) recently fell as the world's second-largest PC maker, and if Taiwan's Acer has any fire left, it will be directed at the numero uno in global PC sales, Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ). Is it really out of the realm of possibilities to have Acer unseat a $100 billion global technology giant?

Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ), the world's largest computer maker, has released its smallest laptop PC ever. The new Mini-Note from HP weighs in at just over two pounds, but can run Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows Vista or a freely-available Linux operating system. That distinction is important since HP is making the Mini-Note available in a slew of configurations -- from $500 or so to over $1,200.

HP apparently sees a bright future in the miniature notebook, and will be competing with the Taiwanese computer maker Asus, which released the tiny Eee PC last fall. Although small notebooks, known as ultra-portables, have been around for years, this new Mini-Note is even smaller. Striking a balance between a smartphone and a full laptop, it will be interesting if the popularity of Asus's miniature PC offering will carry over into HP's new product, which is being offered in many flavors. That alone will make the Mini-Note more competitive.

HP's Mini-Note will have one defining characteristic -- a nearly full-size keyboard. Stuffing in a keyboard that's 92% the size of a normal keyboard laptop is no small feat of course, but the screen resolution and weight are nothing to sneeze at either. HP says that "We think the U.S. market will be extremely interested in this," which is probably true for early gadget adopters, students (due to price) and road warriors where weight rules. Could this type of product become a mainstream laptop seller? HP will give it the best shot it can.