Nokia, Microsoft's new best friend, is branching out for the first time in 25 years with a Windows-based netbook called the Booklet 3G.

EVP for devices Kai Oistamo called the move a "natural evolution" given the current demand for mobility and Nokia's hereditary skills.

The company's keeping availability and pricing under wraps until Nokia World on September 2 but it evidently expects to push the gismo through the operator channel.

Like most other netbooks the widget is built around Intel's Atom processor, and Nokia claims up to 12 hours of battery life.

The thing's aluminum chassis measures slightly more than two centimeters and it weighs a little under three pounds.

Features include 3G/HSPA and Wi-Fi as well as Nokia's suite of Ovi services such as access and playback of millions of tracks through Nokia's Music Store and syncing from a Nokia smartphone to Booklet and the cloud.

Nokia says the mini-laptop also comes with an HDMI port for HD video out, a front-facing camera for video calling, integrated Bluetooth and an easily accessible SD card reader. Other features include a 10-inch glass HD-ready display and integrated A-GPS which, working with the Ovi Maps gadget, can pinpoint the user's position in seconds.

A couple of weeks ago Nokia and Microsoft cut a deal to put Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, as well as other business communications, collaboration and device management software on Nokia's Symbian-based phones next year, the first time Microsoft will support a mobile operating system not its own. At the time Nokia said it was looking for other uses for the widgetry.