I’ve just heard from the Zonbu folks this morning and they let me know that as of today Zonbu is releasing a notebook version of their low power, environmentally friendly desktop.

The $279 Zonbu Notebook is the latest offering from the Open Source computer company—following up on the $99 Zonbu Desktop released earlier this year. The software is the same OS seen on the desktop, updated with a few new features such as real time data syncing. But the question remains: Does Zonbu find the sweet spot between solid performance and an entry level price?

I have been using my Zonbu for a couple of weeks now so it is time for a report.

A little over a week ago I received my Zonbu Notebook. Since reviewing their tiny, silent desktop replacement computer I’ve been interested in Zonbu and their business model. Could they really pull of the subscription model with inexpensive computers? I’ve long held that in the next ten to fifteen years the majority of computers will be inexpensive blocks handed out to anyone who wants one in exchange for subscribing to some sort of service – be it connectivity, online storage or even gaming.

It has been over two weeks now since I started playing with the Zonbu. My first foray was under VMWare and then my actual hardware arrived.

I’ve had the Zonbu laptop for a few days now so I wanted to share my initial impressions and do a review.

"Subscription-based computers have never proved very popular but now a California-based outfit has come up with a new twist: a subscription-based environmentally friendly computer."

Zonbu's overall goal is to vastly simplify the process of buying and using a computer. The idea is to make it not only more affordable but also much less of a hassle and much more energy efficient. However, there's a catch -- several catches, in fact.

The Linux-based Zonbu PC uses less electricity, 4GB of flash memory, and has six USB ports. But if you want the low price tag, you'll have to pay a monthly fee for online storage. Is it worth it?