The power-saving properties of CherryPal’s new Linux-based mini-desktop may attract the users but its performance may lead to some concerns.

The CherryPal “cloud computer,” announced on Monday, which is about the size of a paperback book and weighs 10 ounces, uses only 2 watts of power at maximum usage, 97 percent less than typical desktops, claims the company.

But with low power consumption comes limited performance, said Michael Kanellos, senior analyst with GreenTech Media.

It is priced at US$249, and includes a Freescale processor running at 400MHz, 256M bytes of RAM and 4G bytes of internal flash storage. It comes with the OpenOffice suite and the Firefox Web browser. By comparison, Asus Eee PC mini-notebooks have at least an 800GHz Intel Celeron processor, 512M bytes of RAM and 2G bytes of flash storage for about $300.

Users have the option to store data online, a concept known as “cloud” storage, and access it from any device, including mobile phones. Online storage capacity of 50G bytes will be provided at no extra cost, claims the company.

The company will begin shipping later this month, said Max Seybold, the creator and CEO of CherryPal.