CTL is probably best known (if they're known at all) as the company developing the 2Go PC, the first computer built using the Intel Classmate 2 reference design. But CTL also recently announced that it would be bringing the IL1 to American shores. The IL1 bears a superficial resemblance to the original Asus Eee PC, with its 800 x 480 pixel screen and oversized bezel. But there are a few significant differences.

Laptop Magazine snagged a review unit this morning. In a nutshell, the machine runs Windows XP, costs $50 more than the Eee PC 701 4G XP, and is a bit larger. The CTL IL1 also packs a 1GHz VIA processor rather than the 900MHz Celeron chip in the Eee PC and has 1GB of RAM, which is twice what you'd get with the cheaper Eee PC models.

The IL1 keyboard looks like it's a bit larger than the Eee PC keboard, and the miniscule trackpad has 2 distinct buttons, which are much easier to use than the rocker that ships with the original Eee.

Video playback and Skype video calls are reportedly a bit choppy, which doesn't surprise me. My HP Mini-Note has a 1.2GHz VIA processor and doesn't handle streaming video very well. I wouldn't expect the IL1 with its slower chip to perform better, even if the computer's display resolution is much lower than the Mini-Note's 1280 x 768 pixel.

The CTL Il1 will probably be available sometime in June.

German computer makers One and Brazil's Positivo are both set to launch low-cost ultraportable computers. And while I'm tempted to make a separated at birth joke, there's likely a good reason the two computers look exactly the same: They're probably just rebranded versions of the same computer. Either that, or they're both based on the same reference design.

Either way, the One A120 Mini Notebook and the Positivo Mobo are pretty much identical. And not only on the outside. Under the hood, they each pack:

• 7 inch display
• VIA C7-M processor
• WiFi
• Webcam

There are some differences though. The One A120 Mini has 4GB of Flash memory, while the Positivo Mobo has 2GB. The One A120 will cost the equivalent of about $430, while the Positivo Mobo will cost about $600, which seems a little high to me. Update: As one reader points out, computers tend to cost more in Brazil.

The CTL IL1, Dreambook Light IL1, and Airis Kira all look like they're built from the same design.

[via Eee PC.net and Engadget]

CTL, the company behind the 2Go PC, plans to bring another low-cost ultraportable laptop to market soon: The CTL IL1. Gizmodo got their hands on a few photos of this computer, and it seemed might familiar, so I dug into the ole Liliputing/Eee Site archives, and found a post about the Dreambook Light IL1, a nearly identical PC headed for Australia.

But wait, there's more! The Nohrtec Gecko and Airis Kira also seem to have the same case, and presumably the same hardware. In other words, these are all pretty much rebranded versions of the same computer. For the record, here are the specs:

• CPU: 1GHz VIA C7-M
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 4GB SSD
  
• Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixels
• Expansion/Connectivity: 2 USB ports, SD card reader, WiFi, Ethernet
• Webcam: 0.3 megapixels
  
• Operating System: WIndows XP Ready, supports LInux
• Size: 9.6 inches by 6.8 inches, by 1.7 inches
• Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Battery: 4 cell Li-Ion battery with estimated 4.5 hours battery life
  
• Price: Under $350
• Availability: ?