David Flynn08 April 2008, 11:05 PM
It’s more expensive than the Eee PC but boasts serious notebook tech such as a spill-proof keyboard, shock-resistant hard drive and aluminium chassis.
HP is stepping into the mini-notebook ring with a heavyweight contender to take on Asus’ bantamweight Eee PC. Set for local release next month and starting at A$899, the HP 2133 Mini-Note is intended to be a more serious take on the category of machines popularised by Asus.
Just about every spec of the groundbreaking Eee PC has been upsized, although this still brings it closer to par with the second-gen Eee PC 900 series due mid-year. The screen is a scratch-resistant 8.9 inch panel running at 1280x768 pixels, mounted on a magnesium hinge to a chassis cast from aluminium (although the weight is just 1.2kg) and styled to look more ‘professional’ than the coloured plastic shell of the Eee PC. We reckon it bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s classic 12in PowerBook.
The larger footprint allows HP to use an almost full-size keyboard that’s only 8% smaller than the norm and partner this to a large touchpad with straddled by left- and right-click buttons.
Under the hood sits VIA Technology’s C7-M ultra-low voltage processor which clocks from 1GHz to 1.6GHz. HP will offer the 2133 Mini-Note in several configurations with differing CPU speed, RAM, disk drive and operating system. At the time of writing the only model confirmed for the Australian market was the top-shelf $899 system running Windows Vista Business Edition. This is probably identical to the premium US model (US$749) which is fitted with the 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and a 120GB 2.5in hard drive (spinning at a rapid 7200rpm).
Interestingly the US range kicks off at US$499 for a low-end model running Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 with a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and a 4GB solid state drive, although this has been earmarked for the educational market. HP’s US press release trumpets the 2133 Mini-Note as being “designed for the education market (and) flexible enough for students to use from the classroom to the family room”, although the release later acknowledges that the unit also “provides mobile professionals (with) a sleek, lightweight device that provides access to information and the ability to collaborate with others”.
The next model up the ladder for US$549 drops in a 120GB (5400rpm) hard drive, boosts the memory to 1GB and bumps up the processor to 1.2GHz. This is also the entry level spec for a Windows-based system, although the ticket price is US$599 due to the licence cost for Vista Home Basic. Windows XP doesn’t appear anywhere on the checklist, alas.
We’ve sought comment from HP Australia as to the availability of the lower-spec and lower-priced models. The company has already indicated that other OS options to follow after the 2133’s launch will include Vista Home Basic, SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and FreeDOS (and if you’re thinking that last one is a little oddball, you’re probably not alone).
However, while its size and spec set mark it as belonging to the ‘little Linux laptop’ class, the 2133 also enjoys its share of ‘hand-me-down’ technology from HP’s conventional notebook line. This includes a spill-proof keyboard, a 3D accelerometer for knock-and-drop protection on models fitted with a hard drive and an optional six-cell (58Whr) battery for longer life than the standard three-cell (28Whr) battery. HP has yet to advise battery life statistics, which obviously depend on factors such as the disk technology, but you’d have to expect at least three hours even for the models with a mechanical hard disk, and over well four with the bigger battery. Along with the Gigabit Ethernet jack, two USB ports and SD card slot is an ExpressCard.54 slot so you can slide in a 3G HSDPA modem. 802.11g WiFi is standard but Bluetooth is optional, as is a 64GB solid state drive and (of course) a CD/DVD drive.
We’ve got a call in to HP’s Australian office to get some more details on the configurations to be offered in the 2133 family and will get back to you with an update.