jkOnTheRun- hands on with the HP Mini 1000 netbook
We were one of the first to get our hands on the first netbook from HP and today they have announced the release of the next addition to that little notebook family. The HP Mini 1000 is a netbook aimed directly at the consumer in us all and has some great features that sets it apart from the crowded pack. We got to spend some quality time with the various models of the Mini 1000 and in this hands-on review we’ll share what we found about what may be the thinnest and lightest netbook yet. We’ll share the full deets about the Mini 1000 and cover how it compares to the predecessor, the Mini-Note. We should note that according to HP this does not replace the Mini-Note which will still be sold to the education market. The Mini 1000 is aimed at the consumer market and becomes a product line in its own right.
UPDATE: The Mini 1000 is now available for order at HP.
UPDATE #2: Both screen sizes are LED backlit.
UPDATE #3: There may very well be a 3G option early next year.
First impressions
The Mini 1000 is easily one of the most attractive netbooks we have seen yet with a smooth black plastic casing that has the HP imprint technology on the lid. The device is less than an inch thick, one of HP’s design goals, and starts at 2.2 pounds making the Mini 1000 one of the thinnest and lightest netbooks around. The build quality is superb and feels very sturdy in the hand and could easily take the rigors of traveling.
MIE version, designer model, Win XP version (all with 10.2-inch displays)
The first thing we checked out on the Mini 1000 was the keyboard as the outstanding keyboard on the Mini-Note is easily the best on any netbook. We are happy to report that HP listened to the praise of that keyboard and the Mini 1000 has retained the same keyboard. This keyboard is 92% the size of a full keyboard and it is tailor-made for touch typing like a banshee. It feels good to use and has no poorly placed keys which is common on other netbooks. This is still the best keyboard we have used to date on a netbook and kudos to HP for sticking with what works.
Specs
The Mini 1000 will come in three different basic configurations: Windows XP, MIE (Ubuntu) and the Vivienne Tam red designer version. The Vivienne Tam is a designer version and we’ll give some information on it at the end of this article. We played with all three models which are basically the same except for the specs. Here are the basic specs depending on the model:
Left and right side views
- N270 Atom 1.6 GHz
- 512 MB/ 1 GB memory (2 GB on MIE model)
- 8, 16 GB SSD; 60 GB hard drive (PATA)
- 3-cell battery (25 WHr); 6-cell optional (52 WHr)
- 2 USB ports
- HP Mini Mobile Drive port (2/ 4/ 8 GB; more on this later)
- Ethernet
- Combo headphone/ mic jack
- Expansion port (for optional dock)
- 802.11 b/g; Bluetooth 2.1 optional
- Webcam (0.3 MP/ VGA @ 30 fps)
- SD/ MMC slot
- 8.9 or 10.2 inch screen (1024×600); glossy
The Mini 1000 keeps basically the same form as the older Mini-Note but now offers two screen size options. The original 8.9 inch screen is still available but the welcome addition is the option of a 10.2 inch screen in the same chassis. Both of these screen sizes now offer 1024×600 and there is no option for 1280×768 as the Mini-Note provided. This is a shame as the higher resolution would be perfect on the 10.2 inch screen but it is no longer available. The 8.9 inch screen option has a plastic bezel around it but the 10.2 inch has flat glass that stretches from edge to edge of the lid which is very nice. There is only a glossy screen option which some folks will not prefer but it is very bright and vivid and looks good.
What’s the same as the older Mini-Note?
The first thing we checked out was how the Mini 1000 compares to the older Mini-Note. We found that for the most part HP kept the good stuff and changed things that could stand improving. As we’ve already mentioned the keyboard is basically the same and it can’t be stated strongly enough how good it is. The new netbook also has the same trackpad with the mouse buttons on either side and a scroll area on the right side. We found that while disconcerting at first the button placement is easy to adjust to and then becomes second nature. HP kept a trackpad on/off toggle button above the trackpad for those times you use an external mouse. There is still a wireless on/off switch making it easy to enter flight mode. The lid retains the Macbook-like hinge behind the unit making the display sit lower than most netbooks.
Nice, big right shift key 
Left side KB
What’s missing?
Our comparison with the Mini-Note wouldn’t be complete if we neglected to mention what we found missing on the Mini 1000 and there are some key features not present. We told you about the higher resolution screen (1280×768) that the Mini-Note offered uniquely in the netbook world and it’s a shame that it’s no longer available. The Mini 1000 only offers the netbook standard resolution of 1024×600 which is adequate but the higher res would have been nice on that bigger screen. Another feature missing that might be important to some folks is the removal of the ExpressCard slot. It will now be necessary to use a USB modem for 3G connectivity with that option gone. The Mini 1000 also has no VGA out port but there is a new option to replace it. The maximum storage option of 60 GB is a far cry from the 120 GB available on the Mini-Note and we wish HP offered a larger drive option. The two biggest things missing from the Mini 1000 that were included on the Mini-Note will not be missed at all and that is the Via processor and the Windows Vista option. The Atom and Windows XP are much better options and the Mobile Internet Experience (MIE) option is pretty decent too.
What’s new?
The Mini 1000 has some new features and options that are worth mentioning. It’s definitely thinner and lighter than the Mini-Note which is very welcome. The bigger screen option is also a nice change for the better and we can’t emphasize how bright and vivid it displays. The flat glass bezel over that bigger screen is very welcome too. There is a new display port that requires an optional cable to connect to VGA monitors which won’t affect most people but may be a negative for those who do presentations. The Mini 1000 is intended for consumers so HP felt they could save the space of the VGA out port and thus the change. The new memory expansion slot for units configured with SSDs is a nice method to expand storage capacity. It’s the size of a sunken USB port and when the 2/ 4/ 8 GB memory card is inserted it fits flush with the case and is seen as an external volume. Speaking of expansion a nice change is the access panel on the bottom of the Mini 1000 which makes memory expansion very simple. The 3-cell battery fits here too. Lastly a nice option that is new and unique among netbooks is the docking solution. HP will offer a dock that will provide full desktop connectivity ports to extend the functionality of the Mini 1000. This dock will be available early next year, pricing not yet determined.
HP has moved the stereo speakers to just above the keyboard. It’s the metal grille that looks like a hinge and we are happy to report that the Mini 1000 plays audio just as loud as the Mini-Note did. The sound quality will not replace your home stereo but it’s easily as loud as any notebook you’ll run across.
Mobile Internet Experience (MIE)
As stated the Mini 1000 is available with two operating system options, Windows XP home and Linux. The Linux version is Ubuntu and HP has developed the Mobile Internet Experience (MIE) shell sitting on top of it to appeal to novice users. We played with the MIE for a good bit and we are impressed how decent the user experience is using it. Basically it is a home screen that provides easy access to the most common tasks that users will perform. The left of the screen is devoted to email access and you can read the most recent emails right on this screen. There is a little search box that provides multiple functions. Enter a search term and it opens the browser to present the results. Enter a URL in the search box and you are taken right to that web page. This browser is a Firefox-based version that works nice and easy. The home page also displays the thumbnails for the four most recently visited web pages for easy returning with one click.
MIE home screen
The MIE screen gives easy access to photos and the media player which worked as expected. The MIE was extremely snappy and well done and it’s easy to see how it is the way to go for novices. There is an easy way to add programs using the MIE that will only offer Linux programs that HP has certified as working with the device. Of course Linux folk can pretty much do what they want as the system is not overly restrictive. The Windows key on the keyboard is replaced by an HP key on the MIE models and pressing this key takes you straight to the MIE home key. The MIE functionality is very well done and even though what we used is an early prototype it worked fine. This version will not be available until January of next year as it’s still under development.
Pricing and availability
We saved the most critical information for last and that is the MSRP pricing. The entry level Windows XP model will run $399 and includes the 8 GB SSD, 512 MB of memory, 8.9-inch screen and WiFi (no Bluetooth). The top-of-the-line Windows XP model will run $499 and include 1 GB of memory, 60 GB hard drive, 10.2-inch display, WiFi, Bluetooth and the web cam. The $399 configuration listed above will only be $379 with Linux/ MIE instead of XP. The Windows XP version is available now and HP says it is shipping right away. The MIE version will be available in January.
The optional 6-cell battery and dock should be available in January or thereabouts but pricing has not been determined by HP. The 6-cell battery will be a wedge that fits on the bottom of the unit.
Vivienne Tam designer edition
The sexy red version was created for HP by designer Vivienne Tam and has a nice red and gold theme along with some attractive peonies on the lid. This version is the fully tricked out version spec-wise and will retail for $699. Hey, it will go with your $700 Vivienne Tam shoes. Here are some pics of the red jewel:
Interesting stuff.
What do you think the reason is for the removal of 1280×768? Especially given the larger screen.
I can’t help but wonder if that resolution on the 10″ screen had HP worried about siphoning off sales of their 13″ 1280×800 laptops? I mean, with a decent size screen, 1GB of RAM, a real hard disk, and Windows XP some may think it’s more than just a netbook. This may be why they dropped VGA as well.
Interesting, but a disappointment.
Going up to 10″ without keeping the useful 1280 res is sad. HP really should offer it as an option, even if it means a higher price.
Lack of a pc card slot may not impact most home users, but it will be a deal-breaker for power users. USB just cannot replace everything that express card offers.
I’m surprised with the XP only choice, since HP has advocated Vista on every consumer pc now for over a year. The business downgrade option is only supposed to be available until Jan 09, so this opens the question as to how long MS will make XP available on new pc’s.
I think I’ll stick with my 2133 mininote, that refresh is due 2Q09. I’ll wait and see what happens there.
James, you make no mention of the hard drive used in the mini 1000. Is it still the 2.5″ notebook drive or the smaller 1.8″ size?
Also, how’s the heat/fan-noise under load?
Thanks for the great overview. This is perhaps the prettiest netbook ever, though I’ve had friends who sold their earlier Mini-Note because couldn’t deal with the trackpad side buttons. To each his own.
Know why you don’t see any netbooks with greater than 1024×600 resolution, a 10″ screen, or more than 1 GB of RAM? Thank Microsoft, and something called ULCPC – Ultra Low Cost PC.
Microsoft doesn’t want to keep selling Windows XP. They want to kill it, and sell Vista. Makes business sense. But, these little netbooks don’t meet the minimum specs for Vista.
So, MS grudgingly decided to keep selling an “ULCPC Edition” of XP, but only for systems that don’t exceed the specs they set: no larger than 10″ screen, no higher than 1024×600 resolution, no more than 1GB RAM. If OEMs made netbooks with beefier specs, MS wouldn’t let them sell them with XP.
One could speculate that MS is doing something “evil” here, or that they’re only practicing good business. But it’s a frustrating, arbitrary limitation, and one of the big reasons fanboys like me hold out hope that Apple will make a netbook. I mean, I actually like using XP on my netbook, but I’d like better specs than what we’re ever going to see as long as MS gets to dictate their terms.
Oh, and raise your hand if you think Windows 7 is going to run better than XP on netbooks?
That’s what I thought…
I had the previous Mini Note but got mugged — I’m glad the resolution on this one is lower, or I’d feel awful about having jumped for a Dell Mini as its replacement last week.
A few moments ago, I was pretty much set on the Samsung model for my first netbook. Now I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the MIE version of the Mini 1000. We’ll see how battery life tests come out.
Oh, and great hands on, James. Like Vance, I was liking the Samsung netbook, but now this one looks like the one I’ll get for my family, as soon as the 6-cell version comes out. Excellent info, thanks for sharing!
Personally, I’m excited to see some competition for this “second wave” of netbooks heat up. Yay!
in short (typing on iPhone): disappointing
normally i would have said i was a little disappointed but since this is the consumer model i will let it go.
i would definitely hold out for the true 2133 successor though, WXGA, expresscard, VGA out, aluminum, all make it VERY much worth the extra money.
I am set on the Samsung to replace my 701, it has a lot to offer for $499.
The competition is allready here, the new ones coming is all about looks, weight and thiness. Check out the Asus 1002HA coming, simply gorgeous and it is made of brushed metal (alu?) for 449 Euro,should be less than $550 if you minus the Tax.
James, awesome review, thanks!
Are you sure both the 8.9″ and 10.2″ screen sizes are both Mini 1000s?
Okay, so its got a DisplayPort connector. I assume it is a “full size” standard DisplayPort connector rather than the “mini” one that Apple just introduced on their new line of MacBooks? Any idea what the DisplayPort to VGA dongle is going to go for?
How about expansion? Is that expansion slot for memory an SD card slot? From the pictures on the Engadget site it seemed more like a USB thumb drive without the case, and thus pretty much proprietary to HP. Can you comment?
Like others have said… which models have what storage options? If you buy the 8.9″ with the SSD are you limited to SSD expansion, or could you drop a hard disk in there? Is the hard disk a standard 4200rpm 1.8 incher, and thus it would be possible to upgrade it to at least 120GB and maybe even 240 depending on thickness?
Hows the expansion look? I know you mentioned that the memory slot was easily accessible, but how about any other access like to the SSD or disk drives? Or any available 3G PCIe slot?
Any information on the chipset used? I assume its the usual but any chance its Poulsbo, or that the “video accelerator” that will be available in the future is going to be Poulsbo?
Generally looks really nice. Any ideas what other colors its going to be available in, other than the $699 Red version I (male) couldn’t be caught dead with?
James, awesome review, thanks!
Are you sure both the 8.9″ and 10.2″ screen sizes are both Mini 1000s?
Okay, so its got a DisplayPort connector. I assume it is a “full size” standard DisplayPort connector rather than the “mini” one that Apple just introduced on their new line of MacBooks? Any idea what the DisplayPort to VGA dongle is going to go for?
How about expansion? Is that expansion slot for memory an SD card slot? From the pictures on the Engadget site it seemed more like a USB thumb drive without the case, and thus pretty much proprietary to HP. Can you comment?
Like others have said… which models have what storage options? If you buy the 8.9″ with the SSD are you limited to SSD expansion, or could you drop a hard disk in there? Is the hard disk a standard 4200rpm 1.8 incher, and thus it would be possible to upgrade it to at least 120GB and maybe even 240 depending on thickness?
Hows the expansion look? I know you mentioned that the memory slot was easily accessible, but how about any other access like to the SSD or disk drives? Or any available 3G PCIe slot?
Any information on the chipset used? I assume its the usual but any chance its Poulsbo, or that the “video accelerator” that will be available in the future is going to be Poulsbo?
Generally looks really nice. Any ideas what other colors its going to be available in, other than the $699 Red version I (male) couldn’t be caught dead with?
I thought I saw that sort of proprietary flash memory port on another laptop before. I don’t remember if it was HP or Dell. It actually is a deeply recessed USB port.
I’m somewhat disappointed in this laptop. In addition to the screen, I was looking for hardware-accelerated AES and SHA-256. AMD64/EM64T extensions would be nice, too.
Oh well, I’ll just have to see what’s out when I’m finally in the market for a laptop again, sometime in the future.
JK – Why is it so solid do you think?
Did they keep the magnesium chassis, even though they ditched the aluminium shell, that might explain the rigidity………….?
I may be dead wrong, but that black paint looks like the kind of paint that wears off easily (a la Macbook). Could you please tell us your opinion about this, James?
Thanks
The new HP Mini is great for people who want the great experience of the original HP Mini Note for a better price…
Also, as a 2133 consumer I’m happy that HP has not already “replaced” the original HP Mini Note as it was just introduced.
I’ll answer as many questions as I can here:
Colors. What you see is what you get. It will only be available in the black imprint version as shown. Not counting the fancy red one.
Paint quality. HP has a patented imprint technology that embeds the print into the plastic. The case is not painted at all and will not fade.
Resolution. I think that Josh Bancroft is right, I suspect the lower resolution is a MS restriction for including XP without Vista. It’s likely also the reason that 2 GB of memory as an option is only available on the MIE version.
Memory expansion port. It is indeed like a sunken USB slot and is proprietary as far as the cards go.
Solid. I believe it’s solid because it is manufactured just like HP makes all its notebooks.
SSD expansion is only available on the models that are configured with SSD, not HDD.
HDD size. The HDD is a 1.8″ drive according to HP as it was the only way to keep the device less than 1″ thin. Bigger drives would have required a 2.5″ drive and forced the Mini 1000 to be thicker and HP rejected that option.
Option pricing. HP had not decided pricing on any of the options yet as I stated.
One other thing: The screen size is a configurable option on any model. You can order one that has a 8.9″ screen in its basic config yet swap the 10″ screen for a $50 option.
Thanks for the answers James.
JK – can you judge whether the six cell battery will be flush with the chassis?
the compartment looks very big, but is that just for the battery, or does the memory and HD access sit under there too?
Thanks
That screen resolution is such a bummer. I would have been in on this one, but I can’t stomach the resolution. 1280×768 is absolutely necessary on a 10″ model. Too bad, I was looking forward to this one. Maybe the samsung…
@Luscious The missing ExpressCard slot doesn’t kill it for me, but not offering a standard VGA port does. I often do demos connected to external monitors and wouldn’t pick up a notebook without VGA or DVI. Samsung NC10 and MSI Wind (still) are looking good.
I find the HP Mini 1000 to be a ripoff compared to other decent netbooks.
For $399 I can pick up an Acer Aspire
with 3 USB Ports, 2 audio ports for headphone/mic, 1 GB RAM, a 160 GB faster Hard Drive, plus the 6 Cell Battery, with FREE SHIPPING from Amazon.com
So why is the HP so damn expensive?
James, can you clarify how that removable SSD option works? Is that in addition to internal storage or as a replacement for it?
I also should mention the Acer Aspire also has 1 VGA port. HP really skipped out on the features on this unit. I really hope they put thought into the revisions for the HP 2133 series, and don’t sacrifice anything more!
The 6-cell battery will fit as a small wedge on the bottom of the chassis, thus tilting up the Mini 1000 slightly. I was not able to see one.
Brian E, the SSD expansion is in addition to the installed SSD and is seen as external storage.
Note that a simple dongle will provide the VGA out port.
The Acer Aspire is thicker, heavier. You have to make sacrifices to get the thinnest and lightest form possible. This has not changed in years. The Acer Aspire has also been on the market for a while now and the Mini 1000 for a few hours.
Fanless? ,
or how are the noise levels?
How easy is it to add RAM (ie expand the Windows model to 2 gig)?
I didn’t notice any fan noise so it’s not bad. I did not have the opportunity to take the Mini 1000 apart so I can’t answer about RAM upgrades.
with a 3-cell battery this laptop doesnt seem like much of a deal in comparison to the other top 3 10″ers out there EEE 1000, Wind, Samsung. i just dont get why HP/Dell cant seem to challenge Acer/Asus in the price wars.
it may have the best KB or it may not, depending on the Samsung. but beyond that its quite forgettable. the 1.8″ HDD is a TERRIBLE choice, overpriced, under capacitied, slow. the original 2133 managed to fit a 2.5″ HDD this 1 could have too.
The service manual is already up on HP’s site. http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01590181.pdf. Interesting discoveries:
* The VGA port is called the “expansion” port and can carry audio in/out, VGA, RJ45, USB, and power. So it’ll be usable with the mysterious “dock device” the manual alludes to, and which you mention in the article.
* The larger screen is described as “anti-glare” while the smaller screen is “brightview”. I wonder if the larger screen as a different, better coating.
* The drive is very easy to get to, it’s right under the keyboard on the right hand side. Yes, it’s a teeny iPod-size drive.
* Only the SSD versions will have slots for the special USB drives.
* The motherboard is tiny, as are the wireless and bluetooth modules.
* There are two mini-card slots inside, one full-size and one half-size. The half-size is occupied by the WLAN module while the full-size is vacant, but both are hidden under the palmrest and therefore need an extra step of disassembly to access. The WLAN module can be replaced with a Mobile Broadband Module in the same slot, while the larger slot will take a hardware video decoder card to improve video playback.
* The 10-inch display is only 1024×576, not 1024×600 as the 9-inch display.
*The machine does not allow more than 1GB of RAM.
JK – few more questions if you would:
1.is the keyboard still spill-proof?
2. can you confirm the 1024×576 10″ screeb resolution?
Many thanks
What is the weight of the Mini 1000 with the 60g HD? What are the dimensions of the netbook, will it fit in my purse? I would also like to know if it will be easy to upgrade the ram to 2g. Will the Mini 1000 and other netbooks be able to run Windows 7?
The slow speed of that magnetic hard drive makes it less appealing. It would seem to make sense to go with the SSD option to get faster disk speed and a little savings on battery.
I assume that “BrightView” is the marketing term for the glossy screen, right?
No mention has been made by HP of a spill-proof keyboard so I doubt it is.
The weight of the fully tricked out 1000 is 2.4 lbs. It will easily fit in your purse and I saw that happen. I cannot state how easy it will be to increase the RAM but there is only one slot I believe.
Who knows what will be able to run Windows 7 or how well.
Frank, that may refer to the LED backlighting, I’m not sure.
I see that HP has just gone live with a very creative site for the Mini 1000:
http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/mini1000/?jumpid=ex_r602_go/mini#/Main/
“Brightview” is HP’s word for glossy screens, yeah. “Antiglare” on HP displays usually means a matte finish. Maybe it was just a typo in the service manual – both screens come up as Brightview (or Brightview Infinity) on the store.
BTW, about that 1GB limit – the service manual was for the XP one, HP’s site says the Linux models will be available with up to 2GB of RAM.
Disappointing ! There where a lot of expectings , but the Hp mini isnt a good choice – But this is only my thinking !
greets , Flug
is their an image quality difference between the 8.9-inch Brightview or 10.2-inch diagonal Brightview widescreen >Infinity< display?
Why oh why can’t we just buy it in nice matte black instead of that weird teenage-finish?
It seems pretty obvious to me that they’re trying to create market segments here so no serious user will buy this, but spring for the upgraded mininote sometime in the future.
I like the idea of ditching the vga out for something slightly more modern. This should allow for connecting to DVI only monitors and HDTVs right?
Should be very popular.
Too bad its not fanless,
love the Dell Mini 9 for its fanless design.
Also, HP could do without the case swirls,
I’d love just a matte black finger print free case. Maybe you can stick something on top.
Other thann those it looks great with the screen open. Maybe even possible to have both SATA drives and solid state too. See the service manual.
46 comments. Wow. Netbook is clearly hot.
TrustedReviews is reporting that the HP/Compaq Mini 700 will be available in the UK in December at £300 (the Mini 1000 isn’t due until February, at £400). It’s got HSDPA, but is otherwise identical they say. I’m not sure how it works out cheaper. Cosmetically it’s almost identical too, except it has a big Compaq logo and a sort of grid pattern on the lid.
It’s all about the keyboard, best keyboard wins my purchase. Looks like HP has it, I might wait for the new 12 inch Dell or just stick with a X61 Thinkpad.
Windows 7 sounds like it will be faster than Vista and possibly run on a netbook reasonably.
i hot the compaq logo is discreetly minimal, and i am more than a little dubious about this new ‘checked’ pattern on the Compaq Mini 700 version.
but provided i can buy a Mini 700 with a 10″ screen, bluetooth, and a 16GB flash drive in December in the UK I will be happy………..
Should I cancel my Mini 9 order?
The HP’s larger screen, bigger keys and much better looks with the case open could make up for the fan noise I hope?
As usual nothing doing over this side of the pond in the UK – HP’s UK site is truly appalling. Well, the Samsung NC10 it is then….
Sam, Crave UK has this info: “The Mini 1000 will be available mid-February 2009 for approximately £400, the Vivienne Tam edition comes out in January for the same price, while the Compaq Mini 700 will be released mid-December for around £300.”
Ref screen resolution: If it is a Microsoft limitation why can’t they offer the higher resolution on Linux models?
Picture of the HP-Compaq Mini 700.
It looks more like the HP 2133, with the speakers on the sid, it’s just black!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2984621048_29c0b16cda.jpg
more photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuexperto/
Here’s the real clincher and I hope HP reads this (since they have “read the blogs” right on the Mini 1000 site!)…
I will finally get a mini notebook (other than my zaurus) when the 2133 and 1000 converge into a “maxed out model” featuring the best of both: 1280×768, intel chipset, express card slot. Options I’d like but are not necessary are: non proprietary slots, aluminum case, matte screen. Pricing: No more than $650 maxed out.
I read that the 2133 will indeed have an intel refresh soon so lets hope this happens sooner than later.
Thanks again for the site, James, always enjoyable.
Why bother with the VGA altogether; stick a mini-dvi like the macbooks. no monitors today need to be even sold with VGA. it’s so DEAD.
1280×800 would have sold this on me. but it isn’t.
the 1.8inch drive makes it too limiting.
a digital audio output like the mac’s would be great too. and 802.11N I mean why even sell G anymore?
How about a backlit keyboard? That would be great.(again on new macbooks)
tchang, at the risk of stating the obvious, why don’t you just buy a Macbook? And remember to disable 802.11b and 802.11g, as you don’t need them any more.
JK – about the ‘infinity’ brightview used on the 1000 ten inch. i read the following on anandtech: “Only the 10.2″ has the infinity display option (flush glass) not the 8.9″. is this true, that infinity is not a better screen technology, merely a bling screen cover? i ask because i was worried that the cheapo compaq version sold first in the UK would not have the better screen………
I just priced out a Mini 1000 on HP’s website and the price came to $549. The 2133 mininote that I have is priced on HP at $819 – a difference of $270.
What does that $270 difference equal to?
-XP Pro installed instead of XP Home
-1280 8.9″ screen instead of 10″ 1024
-6-cell battery instead of 3-cell
-160GB drive instead of just 60GB
-2GB ram instead of 1GB
-2.5 inch drive instead of 1.8 inch
In addition, I get use of an express54 slot, vga port sans dongle, powered USB port, driveguard technology and separate mic/headphone jacks.
So for less than $300, you get tangibly more functionality and features (and performance) from the 2133 as you would from the mini 1000.
Yes, the VIA is gone – replaced by an Atom. It seems however that HP made a lot of sacrifices in the other areas in order to give us a netbook with an Intel Atom.
I’m thinking that the 2133 refresh will be the one to really look out for. It should be coming around April 09, and I’m hoping HP will finally produce a 2133 with an Atom CPU in there and offer a 10″ 1280 display, leaving everything else on the 2133 untouched.
I wonder when HP will release an upgraded 2133, does anybody have any information on thet matter? I hope it’ll come out this year…
It’ll be great if they would pack 10 inch screen@1280×800 into it and replace the c7 with nano.
IMO nano is a better solution than atom:
- it’s at least just as fast as atom
- it features hardware encryption acceleration, which outperforms intel quads@3,2ghz many times. Won’t it be nice to have your harddrive encrypted with virtually no performence penalty? After all, a netbook may be lost or snatched…
- Intel puts some restrictions on atom boards (like only one ram slot), via encourages vendors to do whatever they want.
Thank you James!
Hi James, this seems like a nice machine but I refuse to buy anything that requires you to buy an $80 cable just to get VGA. No thanks.
When are ya’ll going to do a video review of the system? I’d like to see how it handles some high res online video, for example sites like ‘hulu’.
Sheldon, we’ll do one when we get the eval unit. We don’t have it yet.
just curious, does the mini 1000 have a powered usb port? I have an external hard drive that needs a powered usb drive and if I can’t utilize that this is a deal breaker.
You’re an idiot if you are complaining about a 1024x resolution on a 10″ screen. Cry a me a freakin river. That’s plenty to display any properly designed web page. You tards obviously haven’t a clue what a *NET*book is designed for. It’s for being handy when you want to do BASIC tasks, such as web/email. That is it, that is all. Want to **** around with HD video, photo apps, games, and content creation? Do what you are supposed to and buy a REAL ultra portable *laptop*… but we all know you won’t since you’re all a bunch of cheap ********. If you were so smart, you could afford to drop $1000+ on a real UPL.
If it were any other machine your poorly-composed rant would seem vaguely sensible, but this is the nominal successor to the HP Mini-Note, which managed to combine Netbook price with the screen resolution of a “proper” ultraportable. It’s to be expected that people are a little disappointed that the 1280×800 didn’t carry over to the consumer line, although I fully expect them to retain it when they revise the Mini-Note. And to be honest nobody’s getting as worked up about it as you are.
I know the portable video folks aren’t fans of the lowered resolution, but I actually thought fonts and such were a bit too small on the 2133. Maybe just my eyes, but I will have no problem with the 1024 res.
But the aluminum case… that one I really wanted. Still do. Will there be a true 2133 follow-up?
“IMO nano is a better solution than atom:
- it’s at least just as fast as atom”
It also consumes about ten times more power (yes, ten times more). Yes it’s faster, but for these devices, Atom is fast enough. I wuold rather pick lower power-consumption over better performance.
And we must not forget, that the included vid-card in the Via-solution is even crappier than the one shat Intel provides….
As to the screen-resolution…. It might be due to Microsoft insisting on crippled machines. But it might also simply be because a screen with higher resolution would also cost more.
JK, when you do get the eval unit can you please confirm if it’s fanless like the Mini 9 or if there is in fact a fan. If there’s a fan, can you please provide some details about fan noise. Thanks!
I would like to know about fan noise too.
Can it run Office 2007?
Has anyone used skype on this machine?
Is webcam on this worth it to use skype video?
And I would like to know about fan noise too.
I bought the HP Mini 1000 for my wife to replace her Dell notebook. She does light word-processing, internet, saves photos, and a little excel.
A few thoughts and procedures, then some questions:
This machine comes with XP. Perfect.
The keyboard is by FAR the best netbook keyboard we tried. That’s why we purchased this netbook. Keyboard size is everything, and this one has a 92%-size standard keyboard.
It boots up faster than any of our vista machines in the house. Sad.
I modded an 8-gig USB thumbdrive to work as the “HP Proprietary” drive. The system came with a 2 Gig HP “additional” drive, but when I looked in the slot, it’s just a deeply recessed USB port. So, I stripped the cover off an 8-gig drive, wrapped it in electrical tape, padded one side, and placed it in the port cover and jammed it in. Works perfectly. I’m proud of that. My device had 16 gig ssd drive, so now I have a useable storage (8 gig more).
The screen res is ok. It’s enough for what the computer is designed for. With the stock battery, it lasts pretty long. I like that.
The netbook uses about 350 mb of memory at any given time (maybe with internet explorer open). I was thinking a memory upgrade might be good, and read that xp will recognize up to 1.99 GB of RAM, but I don’t know if that will improve the performance (faster web-page processing).
To round out the netbook system – I installed a network printer and network HD. Now my wife can sit on the couch, hit print, and whatever she printed will pop out on the office printer. Also, I wasn’t going to buy the Netbook because the HD was so small, and I knew she wanted to store photos. Somebody told me about a network HD (I guess it’s like a lite-server). So, I have a dual-drive network HD, with a mapped drive on my laptop and her netbook. Works great. Anyhow, I hope this helps.
My question – would there be any noticeable difference in performance using a 2-gig RAM instead of 1-gig? It’s certainly cheap to upgrade, but why do it if no performance improvement.
I got my hp mini three days ago. As others have said, keyboard is great to use.
I have been using skype everyday for three days w/o problems. (I usually use it for around 10 hrs a day) Webcam it comes w/ seems to be descent enough for me to use w/ my girlfriend. Only thing is that I have to adjust setting of webcam everytime skype video starts. (It goes right back to default setting)
Battery life is not the best as it comes w/ 3-cell. But it is good enough for what I do outside of my house. I get around two hrs w/ skype and windows on w/ full bar.
About Fan noise and heat, I would have to say Asus Eee is quieter and produce less heat. It has not overheated to the point of shutting down or anything like that. It does get a little bit loud for my taste, but it is not noticeable at places like coffee shop, library, Applebees (didn’t know they had wifi until yesterday lol), Barnes n nobles, and just around house as I carry it around.
I hope this helps. I am not sure about upgrading to 2 gig as it seems like it runs well w/ 1 gig. Happy shopping everyone.
Looking forward to seeing what the dockin solution will be like for the Mini 1K, as itmay provide the added functionality that this system lacks. Will it support more than the 1024 res while docked? I hope so. HP’s previous docks such as the XB3000 are fantastic. So waiting for the dock solution to be announced to decide between this and the HP Mini-Note refresh. The only other systems that seem comparable in fit, finish, and features are the MSI Wind, and the Samsung.
Thanks JK, awsome work on reviews.
I want a netbook so bad especially this one from HP its the best i saw a few on http://www.tycromedia.com/aspireonelinuxnetbookblue-p-136998.html i want one so bad though
The red one is HOT!!!
OK… I have a question!!! I have had a really hard time with the HP MIE… This is my first net mininote.. Im use to big bulky laptops and I believed this was a good change for me, I do not believe that anymore.
My question is, how are you suppose to download a program? Everytime I download something, whatever it may be, a window pops up and reads: You have chosen to open; then it reads the name of the program-3.3..exe; along with the website. It procedes to ask me if I would like to save to file. After selecting save file, nothing else happens. It is saved, but it does not open nor is it installed onto my computer! Anyone have any suggestions? Please help.
it’s sad to know that this netbook with MIE will not be selled in Mexico; almost everyone in my country thinks just Windows exist and is the better LOL, also they think that Ubuntu is a pirate software ’cause you can download from the intrernet.
That embarrasing and very sad…