It seems like the compromise between a notebook and a netbook has just become a non compromise, as with the launch of ViewSonic's new ViewBook 130, you can get a 13.3-inch notebook that weighs in at no more than most netbooks. At 1.45kg this is one of the lightest 13.3-inch notebooks on the market.

The design is also rather good and ViewSonic has come up with a much better design than those we've seen from some of its competitors when they started out in the notebook business. At 2.29cm at its thickest part and 1.78cm at its thinnest, the ViewBook 130 is anything but bulky. The slimness does of course mean that one compromise has been done, but one that we don't mind so much, there's no built in optical drive. Then again, the only time most people tend to use an optical drive these days is when they install the operating system, so this is unlikely to be a cause for concern.

The ViewBook 130 is available in three different SKUs, although we'd opt out of the most basic model simply due to the choice of processor. The most basic model comes with an Intel Celeron ULV743 processor which is clocked at 1.3GHz. The next model up comes wit h the Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 which is also clocked at 1.3GHz but adds a second core which should offer a decent performance boost over the single core Celeron processor. Both of these models come with the Intel GS40 chipset.

The top-end model comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 which again is clocked at 1.3GHz but gets more cache memory than the SU4100. This SKU also comes with the Intel GS45 chipset which offers better integrated graphics and improved video decoding for HD video over the GS40 chipset. Common to all three SKUs is 2GB of DDR3 1,066MHz memory, a 5,400rpm 320GB SATA hard drive, an ExpressCard 34 slot, HDMI output, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a memory card reader, a 1.3Megapixel webcam, onboard Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports (of which one is located at the rear), a D-sub connector and a pair of audio jacks.

Some other high-lights includes the LED backlit 13.3-inch display which offers a native resolution of 1,366x768, a multi-touch touchpad with gesture support and a "floating island" keyboard as ViewSonic put it, which is otherwise known as a chicklet keyboard. An external optical drive that connects via USB is also available as an upgrade option. ViewSonic claimed that the battery life is "ultra long" but didn't actually mention any specifics.

Price wise you're looking at a starting price of about €512 ($768) for the most basic version, which increases slightly to €574 ($861) for the mid-range version which we have a feeling will be the most popular model, while the high-end model will set you back €656 ($985) which still is quite reasonable considering what you get for your money. All three models will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium.