Lenovo, with its IdeaPad S10, above, is one of several firms moving into the "netbook" market. It unveiled the small, portable IdeaPad this month.

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Ever since I sat down with Intel last spring to hear more about its tiny Atom chip, mini-computers with these chips have been popping up everywhere.

ASUS was one of the first companies to add the Atom, which made sense because it has had the petite Eee PC for the past year. Lenovo is the latest, unveiling the IdeaPad S10 this month. These "netbooks" or "nettops" are a new category of computers; they are smaller, lighter and often cheaper than laptops. With Internet access, the computers are targeting those who want something between a smartphone and a laptop.

Nearly every PC maker has jumped into the netbook frenzy, making me wonder whether consumers really want these computers. So I asked a market research firm that tracks the PC market closely.

"Our position right now is that they're not going to be as big as some people think," said Richard Shim, a PC analyst with IDC Corp.

"A lot of the hype was promoted by the media, playing up the ASUS Eee PC. And some companies have a vested interest, like Intel," Shim said.

Nevertheless, he added, "We're going to see all the big names get in there."

Sylvania recently unveiled its Sylvania g netbook. Acer has its Aspire one (although, according to Acer, a Gateway netbook isn't coming anytime soon). MSI Computer Corp. has the MSI Wind, and ASUS has two new models of its Eee PC, plus a new desktop.

Others are expected from Hannspree, BenQ, Clarion, Gigabyte and Compal.

Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. won't comment on what it has in the works, but the Irvine, Calif.-based computer company said the netbooks are an important new area: "It offers a unique growth opportunity that should be thoughtfully considered," said Jeff Barney, vice president and general manager.

But smaller, lighter and cheaper means a sacrifice.

The ASUS Eee PC I've been playing around with for a few weeks has a 7-inch screen surrounded by two speakers. It feels like a plastic children's toy, which I can live with. It's just the minuscule keyboard that I find impossible to type on unless I use the two-finger method.

The hype of netbooks, however, appears to be fueled more by companies than consumers.

"When I talk to manufacturers, they tell me it's a defensive move. They don't want to give up the opportunity to someone else in case it balloons and then it'll be harder to get into the market," Shim said.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10: Has a 10.2-inch screen, a keyboard that is 85 percent the size of a laptop's keyboard and an energy-efficient LED backlit display to conserve battery. Also includes Wi-Fi, two USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader, Express Card slot, webcam and Windows XP. Two configurations available: one with 512 MB of memory and 80 GB hard drive, or 1 GB memory and 160 GB hard drive. Available in October starting at $399.

Sylvania g: Has a 7-inch screen, a Linux-based operating system and weighs 1.8 pounds. It starts at $399. Coming this month, Sylvania is adding an 8.9-inch and 10-inch model to its netbook lineup — both run on Intel's Atom chip. Those are expected to cost less than $500.

ASUS Eee PC 901: Has an 8.9-inch screen, 12 GB storage, 1 GB of memory, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a webcam and a battery that lasts about 7.8 hours. It's $549. Two other Atom-based Eee PCs, the 1000 and 1000H, are $699 and $649, respectively, because of larger screens and more storage space.

MSI Wind NB: The 2.6-pound Wind has an 80 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM, Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and a keyboard that is 80 percent of a full-size notebook. Other features include a three-hour battery, three USB ports, and a 4-in-1 card reader. It's priced at $480.

Acer Aspire one: The 2.17-pound one has an 8.9-inch screen, Wi-Fi and a three-hour battery. Other features include a webcam, 5-in-1 memory card reader plus an SD card reader, and three USB ports. The $379 one comes with an 8 GB solid-state storage drive and 512 MB of memory, or for $399, users can get the 120 GB regular hard drive and 1 GB memory instead. A $449 model includes a seven-hour battery, 8 GB solid-state drive and 1 GB memory. Runs on Windows XP or Linpus Linux Lite.