Written by: Kenneth Kwok
It's been more than four months since our last Perspective article, here at Netbook Updates. Although you probably haven't noticed, there have been a slew of new netbooks over the past four months. The new release of Asus Eee PC models may have numbed our senses to any new netbooks, but in reality there have been a few important ones. The one that got us a little excited was the surprising announcement of the new HP netbook. Today, we will be taking a small look at the new HP Mini 1000.
HP is already a known competitor in the consumer desktop, laptop and most importantly the netbook market. They started their exploration of the netbook market with the introduction of the HP Mini-Note PC 2133, if you remember at that time there was only the Asus Eee PC 2G, 4G and 8G. It sported a Via C7 processor and that was one of the weak points of the Mini-Note, although it could run Vista, it was nowhere near as powerful as the Atom processor. Well HP has learned from it's first trek in the netbook front and introduced the HP Mini 1000, sporting a Intel Atom processor. Before moving on, let's take a look at the specs:
Size: 10" x 5"(fits in a purse)
Weight: Starting at 2.25 lbs.
Screen Size: 8.9" or 10.0"($50)
Processor: Intel® Atom™ N270
Memory: 512MB, 1GB($25)
Hard Drive: 8GB SSD, 16GB SSD($40), 60GB HDD($50)
Wireless: 802.11b/g
Media reader: Secure Digital, MultiMedia
OS: Windows XP Home SP3
Of course we should first take a look at the physical appearance of the HP Mini 1000 before moving on. HP opted out on using stainless steel construction and went with a more affordable plastic, effectively saving costs on construction and passing on the savings to the masses. Also visible from the front from left to right are the power switch, two LEDs and wifi switch. These seem to be standard HP sliding switches where you slide the switches to turn on and off the different functions of the netbook or laptop.
Another important factor is the screen size, the HP Mini comes in both standard netbook screen sizes: 8.9" and 10.0", but they both run on a resolution of 1024 x 600. The upgrade from the 8.9" to the 10.0" only costs $50, effectively making this the cheapest 10.0" netbook we have seen so far. There is a 0.3 megapixel webcam located at the top of the bezel surrounding the screen.
The exterior cover for the HP Mini 1000 is definitely standard to HP designs. A black color scheme with swirls of a contrasting color and ending with a glossy finish. It does look rather appealing, again these things are fingerprint magnets. It depends on the user, but to be honest, I never try to wash the prints off because it is time consuming.
The backside of the HP Mini 1000 is dominated by one thing, the big battery in the middle, unfortunately it is only available in a 3-cell battery. The battery life will be capped at about 3 to 4 hours maximum depending on usage. There is one more panel above the battery and that is the ram upgrade slot. As usual, you can upgrade to 2GB max, if you really need it. The stock ram is 512MB, but there is a 1GB upgrade from HP for $25. If you know how to upgrade ram, it is probably cheaper to upgrade yourself. There is no way to reach the hard drive without opening the whole netbook, therefore I would suggest you do not void your warranty to change the hard drive. Speaking of hard drives, there are three options to choose from: 8GB SSD, 16GB SSD($40), 60GB HDD($50). I would personally opt out for the 60GB HDD, since you will be running Windows XP Home. There is no Linux option so you will have to install it yourself if you really want to.
One of the key factors to any netbook is the keyboard size, this one definitely lives up to the hype with a keyboard 92% of the standard keyboard. From the looks of it, this will be one of the best keyboards so far. It even has proper shift keys, this will definitely please the users. The touch pad is pretty normal, while the buttons follow the HP Mini-Note design by placing them beside the touch pad.
The right side of the Mini has one USB Port, SD/MMC card reader and a hidden mobile drive bay, basically it is a USB port moved more into the system. Unfortunately you have to buy a proprietary HP Mini Mobile Drive to fit properly. They come in 2GB($20), 4GB($30) and 8GB($55). If we can get a review unit, we will try to explore this further.
On the left side, there is a port for the power, a USB port, a port for proprietary VGA output, shared speaker/microphone port and finally a hidden Ethernet port. The shared speaker/microphone port seems a little cheap, it would be nice to have both when you are on the go if you need the additional sound input or output.
Overall, the HP Mini 1000 isn't bad at all. It starts at $399, but the price does rack up when you choose to upgrade any of the parts. Our configuration would cost over $499 for the 10" screen and the 60GB PATA hard drive. If we can get in a review unit, we will try to better analyze the system itself.