The reason why this device piques my interest is that this company has ambitiously created its own operating system as well as new hardware. It reminds me of Always Innovating’s TouchBook and it’s refreshing to see something new in this segment.

The ‘web’ part of its name is important as the company is defining the product as “an Internet computer for the home”. It is always on with no need to log into an OS. The company promises “high-quality TV-like viewing of online photos and other digital content.”

The website, that was in teaser mode last week, is fully live although I still couldn’t find any hard specifications of this device. What we do know is that it has a 12-inch display and the keyboard can flip right around due to a unique hinge mechanism. This means the Webbook can be propped up when viewing photos or listening to music.

It also has an HDMI-out port to view content on a large screen and there is even an optional remote control for a TV-like experience to change web ‘channels’. A scroll wheel also exists on the device itself that can flick through these channels. The channels announced so far include Flickr, Shutterfly, Weather.com and Facebook.

The litl has no hard drive and can auto-patch itself. The company is so confident in its product that it has a free two-year unconditional “satisfaction guaranteed or your money refunded”. That’s certainly a bold move by the company. The Litl Webbook does cost more than your typical netbook though at $699, although this device does appear to be targeting a different segment. We look forward to more information on this intriguing device going forward.

We’ll come to the hardware in a minute, as it’s the software that’s unique. It will be loaded with a custom Litl OS that presents the interface similarly to a stack of cards. These cards are classified in three cards (channels): Blue denotes the “permanent” cards and includes settings. White denotes the web cards, such as Mozilla whilst the black cards can be thought of as widgets (clock, weather etc). It even has a dedicated blue “Litl” key that works as a home page.

The hardware is a mixed bag. You get a 12.1-inch (1280 x 800) display powered by a 1.86GHz Z540 Atom CPU. However this powerful processor is married with just 1GB RAM storage and a paltry 2GB of flash storage. Other features include HDMI, Wi-Fi (b/g), webcam, a solitary USB port and 2,600mAh battery. Interestingly, there is also an IR receiver that is meant to be used with a Litl remote. The whole thing weighs 1.53kg (3.38lbs).

There’s no word on launch date right now, but a teaser is already up on the official website right now, which hopefully means it won’t be too much longer before we learn more from this intriguing project. The company certainly is making bold claims of the device, here’s what’s on the website right now:

“Ready to hit the reset button on personal computing? litl is. Grounded in the needs of families like our own, we’re busy rethinking tomorrow’s personal computer and its role in our homes. Every day, we’re working hard to bring the world our vision of simple, functional technology.”