After years of offering small notebooks only at inflated prices, vendors now seem to be engaged in a price war. After the £169 non-x86 Neo from Maplins comes a Windows CE 5.0 device called the Cuol that, of all people, high-street household goods vendor Robert Dyas has been selling for £159, though it is now listed as sold out.

Actually low-cost Windows CE devices have been available for four or five years but not as cheaply as that. This one, from a Hong Kong vendor, is powered by an unspecified 533MHz ARM-based Samsung processor  and has a 7in VGA screen.

It has 11b Wifi, 2 USB ports (version not specified, one used for mouse), 1GB of ROM with the operating system and Word, Excel (presumably pocket versions) and a PDF and picture view plus the operating sustem in 1GB of ROM, with just 68MB of RAM.

It also has a mini-USB port for connecting to a PC; a big plus of Windows CE is its ability to sync easily with a PC.

We have not seen the machine (though was have asked to do so) but it's the kind of spec that has been used for specialist applications such as stock checking in warehouses. This is not to say it could not be used as a portable writing pad, email machine, and web access device.

But more recent machines in the Netbook class will have raised people's expectations and it would be a pity if a rash of underpowered cheapos devalues this format and the ARM platform.

Speaking of which, ARM has released this Top Ten list of priorities for mobile designers, clearly positioning itself and its licensees in respect to Intel:

1. Uncompromised internet experience, able to connect anytime anywhere
2. A choice of platforms. One size does not necessarily fit all; such as features, form factor...
3.  Long battery life and low power
4. A cool device - no fans required
5. Full-day use. Defined as web browsing or email use for ten hours, or playing three HD movies with needing to recharge,
6. Lots of connectivity including HSUPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB
7. Location-based services to know where you are and display what you want
8. Secure eCommerce transactions
9. Instant on rather than prolonged boot-time
10. A device incorporating the same architecture as 12 billion others alrteady sold.