Who could honestly say, when asked to name the coolest $3,000 notebook, that the first thing that popped into their mind was Flybook's V5 mini-notebook? Now, for most of you technology enthusiasts out there, the most probable answer to that question would be Apple's MacBook Air that, although not much of a notebook, does stand out for being cool.

Apparently, the Flybook V5 mini-notebook will become available in the US and those interested in acquiring one will have to pay $3,000. This device has had a rather decent run in Europe so far, and hopes are high it will receive the same attention in the good old US of A. And, if you take into consideration its rather small form factor, the V5 mini-notebook can even be considered part of the highly mediated netbooks, which have created quite a craze as of late. Only thing wrong is that the V5-mini is priced almost the same as Apple's MacBook Air. However, it seems there was good reason for that, and it doesn't necessarily have something to do with the notebook's golden hue. The V5 packs an Intel Core Duo ULV (ultra low voltage) processor, which places it in the same power class as the MacBook Air.

Nevertheless, despite all similarities, Flybook isn't marketing its product as a competitor for the MacBook Air, but rather as an ultraportable computer that can provide more computing power than other sub-notebooks, like the Eee PC or MSI Wind.

The Flybook V5 also includes HSDPA/EDGE/GSM capability and will offer its users a 1.3 MP webcam and integrated WWAN. The portable system also brings no less than 4GB of RAM of memory and an 8.9-inch display. However, probably the most interesting feature remains the notebook's touch swivel screen, which all of the above mentioned devices can't provide. The touch technology allows the user to input data or to interact with the device just by using their fingers.

Besides marketing its Flybook V5 mini-notebook, the Taiwanese manufacturer is also busy working on a follow-up product, which is to be released in late November. One of the main features of this product will be a screen that will allow users to read in bright daylight, probably similar to the OLPC XO laptop.