When is a netbook not a netbook? With versions of the ultra-portable laptop pioneered by Asustek proving a disappointment in spite of their general success, PC makers are set to unleash hybrid models that combine the price of the low-cost machines with the performance of a notebook.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the Asus Eee PC and Apple’s more expensive wafer-thin Macbook Air notebook are proving to be the influences that are shaping manufacturers’ plans for this year.