HP releases $500 Linux netbook onto Aussie market

David Flynn
13 July 2009, 10:00 AM


Send to a friend Print

The budget-priced Mini 110 makes its Aussie debut this week with HP’s Ubuntu-based ‘Mi’ edition and a 16GB solid state drive for $499. Want Windows XP? That’ll be another $200...


Local netbook fans are finally getting a little Linux lovin’ from HP. This week sees the Australian launch of the Mini 110, which HP is offering with both Ubuntu and Windows XP.

While Linux has long been on the Mini menu for US and European customers, this is the first time that HP’s Australian netbook buyers have been able to order Linux a la carte.

The Linux model of the Mini 110 comes with a 16GB solid state drive, 512MB of RAM and a low $499 price tag, and will be available only in black.


Ubuntu 8.04 is the underlying OS but sitting atop this is HP’s slick ‘Mi’ (Mobile Internet) desktop shell.



HP's bespoke Mi desktop for Ubuntu launches with a well-designed 'home' page showing your email inbox; a Web page with Google search box, a drop-down Bookmarks menu plus thumbnails of your most-visited sites; links to your music and photo libraries; plus buttons to run programs and launch HP's preloaded Recovery software.



A slew of Linux apps such as OpenOffice and GIMP are preloaded onto the Mini 110, and programs are presented on simplified screens with large icons and tabbed pages under headings such as Internet, Media, Utilities, Work and Play.

HP also throws in some programs of its own, such as the MediaStyle audio/video player and photo viewer which mimics Apple’s FrontRow.



Even the Settings screen has been customised to give it a friendlier look.

If you’re hankering for a more familiar OS the Windows XP version of the Mini 110 gets a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM and your choice of black (available now), white and ‘pink chic’ (available at the end of this month) for $699.

Each of the colours has HP’s eye-catching embossed swirl pattern baked onto the cover, however the ‘pink chic’ model gets a floral treatment that’s decidedly feminine.





The rest of the Mini 110 spec is pretty much as you’d expect: Intel’s Atom N280 processor with integrated graphics and a 10.1 inch screen clocked at 1024 x 576 pixels.

The standard three-cell battery is rated at up to three hours, although we know from experience that this will be more like 2.5 usable hours at a stretch. $111 will get you the optional BX06 six-cell battery which HP reckons is good for six hours.


Post your comment



Comments

 RSS feed Email alert

The Big Baboo (New user):

Black is good :)I like Black :) Black rules :) Bring on the Black :) Wow I must sound like an All Black lover :)

13 July 2009, 11:06 AM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aubrey (New user):

I don't understand why these major companies persist with Linux on netbooks.

As the experts on these forums will no doubt point out (again and again and again) a) Linux netbooks have "proven" high return rates, b) nobody wants to use Linux and c)netbooks are not serious computers and are really just a fad anyway - you would think these OEMs would see the light. But no - they keep banging away with new offerings.

And I see no sign that Google is taking advice from APC either - they still think they can deliver a viable desktop/netbook OS to compete with Windows!

Why don't these people listen? I'm certain that HP, DELL, Acer and Google will all go broke over this and we'll be saying "told you so" in a year's time.

13 July 2009, 11:49 AM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Ken Johnson (New user):

I don't understand these computer company's sometimes. Linux will never sell in the market. Nobody give a rats about Linux. This is a good idea for the Linux heads, that's about it. The average person only cares about Windows! At the end of the day, it's all about compatibility.

13 July 2009, 12:55 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

BrownieBoy (User):

Quoting Ken Johnson:
The average person only cares about Windows!


There are, indeed, a lot of average people around. Yourself amongst them, it seems.

And HP makes an XP version just for you. All you have to do is pay a bit of extra cash and you'll be happy, and the "Linux heads" will be happy with their purchase. Everybody's happy!

So, no real need for you (and you, Aubrey) to come here flamebaiting at all, was there?




13 July 2009, 1:16 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aubrey (New user):

:-)

I think I can now write a whole APC "discussion" about this all by myself.

To be explicit about it, my point (if indeed I had one) was that commenters here would make the same predictable, half-baked, meme-and-personal-ignorance-based comments about Linux on netbooks. It only took one post to be proven right!

My personal view, apart from a 100% bias in favour of Linux on everything, everywhere, allways, is that companies like HP, DELL etc are much, much smarter than your average on-line magazine reader and that their decisions are based on market research and actual sales/profit figures. While they could, of course, be wrong, I'd bet real cash money that they have a pretty good idea of what actually sells computers.

1. Netbooks remain the fastest growing and nearly the biggest sector of computer retail sales.

2. The meme about higher return rates was based on one comment by one company nearly a year ago - and it was one (of several) that rushed a very flaky Linux rebuild to market and did nothing at all to support it.

3. Many people who buy netbooks want a cheap no-brain way to access the web and web-based tools. That's as easy, if not easier, to deliver with a WELL CONFIGURED pre-installed Linux distro (like Ubuntu Netbook Remix) as it is with any version of Windows. It is also free and more secure. Linux CAN be a lot more that that, but its modular and open source nature makes it ideal to cut-down and reconfigure for a specific purpose like web-based work.

My crack about Google was related to Angus Kidman's own flamebait article on this topic posted last week and is based on the, I believe self-evident, basis that Google is at least 22 Billion times smarter than Angus Kidman. His personal views about their business or technological strategies are about as relevant and useful as those of posters here have proven to be about Linux, netbooks and the cloud.



13 July 2009, 1:54 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting Aubrey:
I think I can now write a whole APC "discussion" about this all by myself.

A though that is deeply disturbing and yet somehow strangely indicative of what could possibly be compelling read. :>


Quoting Aubrey:
much smarter than your average on-line magazine reader

It's just such a shame that all of those with real insight into the future of computing are somehow driving taxis or manning the security industry. The working day would not be the same without these charitable and unrequested offers of advice and opinion.


Quoting Aubrey:
Many people who buy netbooks want a cheap no-brain way to access the web and web-based tools

I'd still suggest that most of the current net-book market is driven more by desire to have one than by any consideration of possible uses for the thing. That's by no mean a condemnation of the devices or their configuration more a reflection of the foolishness of the though that Nirvana is available via cash sale.

It not often that people purchase a chainsaw when they need a butter knife or vice versa, yet many will face disappointment in the realisation that their Linux net-book turns out not to be a portable recreation of their Solar Flare Windows Gamesmasters.

Such situations are not the fault of the machines or their point of sale operating systems.


14 July 2009, 11:27 AM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

reddish (New user):

Yep! I am sooo glad that someone is kind enough to take the flag and rise his voice to protect us and our benefactor computer companies, because... truly... we don´t know what we want (tears here)... but after your post, I am enlightened... and going to return all my linux boxes... for good... I promise to be in the future as average as I can be, and only care about Windows! Never be incompatible again...Yeah!!



14 July 2009, 2:12 AM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Not signed in
anonymous user Anonymous user