LAS VEGAS, US - Japan's Sony Corp plans to launch the world's lightest 8-inch notebook PC, taking aim squarely at a rapidly growing market for ultra-portalbe personal computers.

The new Sony Vaio PC will come with Microsoft Corp's Windows Vista operating system, supporting all the software programs found in full-sized notebooks, and sell for about US$900, setting itself apart from Netbooks.

Netbooks, pioneered by Taiwan's Asustek in 2007 and one of the rare bright spots in the electronics industry in recent months, are generally described as low cost, mini-laptops optimized for Internet use, and sell typically for US$300 to US$400.

Sony said on Wednesday the new notebook, weighing 1.4 pounds and as thin as a mobile phone, will be available for pre-orders on Thursday and be sold at major retailers in the United States beginning February. --REUTERS