Hewlett-Packard is rolling out a new small, lightweight laptop computer aimed at the education market. The 2133 Mini-Note, offered at a base price of $500, will have a nine-inch screen, weigh about 2 1/2 pounds and have an aluminum case. Because of its small size, the computer will have a smaller keyboard, but it will still be about 92 percent of the size of a typical one. HP thinks the notebook, which it plans to unveil today, could also draw interest from executives and from small- and medium-sized businesses. The company will sell the Mini-Note worldwide, but "we think the U.S. market will be extremely interested in this," said Carol Hess-Nickels, director of HP's worldwide marketing for business notebooks. The company will offer two base versions of the machine. The $500 laptop will run a Linux operating system. A $600 model will include Windows Vista. Both will have a 4GB flash-hard drive. HP will start shipping the computers this month. The machine could prove popular with parents wanting to buy a computer for their kids, women and executives wanting a PC to take on trips, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a technology consulting firm. "It's the right price point at the right weight," he said.