HP are preparing for the launch of their next generation laptop products, including the new HP Mini 311, a netbook that will come with the new Nvidia ION LE graphics platform. On the HP website we now have links to two HP Mini 311 models, the 311-1011TU and the 311-1012TU. No price is published on the site yet but other mininote blogs are saying that models will start at $399.
Here’s my initial take on the specs published.
Pro’s:
- 11.6″ HP LED Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
- 6-Cell Battery
- HDMI
- 3 USBs
- Price - starting at $399
Con’s:
- No Gigabit NIC, only 10/100
- No Wireless N, only b/g
- Heavier than I expected at 1.46 kg (3.2 lbs)
What’s interesting is HP have decided to ship this laptop with Windows XP Home, in advance of the Windows 7 launch (probably with a free upgrade when 7 becomes available). Both Samsung & Lenovo are waiting until the Windows 7 launch to bring their ION based products to market.
I must admit I’m tempted.
Frankly, I was very disappointed when HP introduced the HP 1000 netbook series. I felt the HP 2133 mini note was a sturdier, more attractive netbook and that HP had decided to forsake many of the features that made the HP 2133 mini note such a great little machine. From today’s posting at Engadget, it looks like HP have built the real successor to the HP2133, the HP2140. Same great keyboard, design and shell, better processor (Intel Atom N270) but a lower resolution screen (1024 x 576). Both Computer Shopper and Laptop Magazine love it. I really hope my mini note accessories (especially the batteries) work with this new machine.
This holiday I spent most of my holiday disposable income on accessories for my HP mini note. Here’s what I bought (with links). I’ll write a more in-depth review of each accessory over the next few posts.
Kensington 120-Watt Notebook AC/DC Power Adapter - Purchased from Circuity City, on sale around Thanksgiving for $59.99 (regular price $149.99). This thin and light power supply comes with multiple tips and supports both my mini note and my work laptop (an IBM t60 thinkpad). It also works in cars and planes (adapters included).
Samsung External 8x DVD Drive - Purchased from Newegg before the Christmas holiday for $59.99. This external DVD does not require an external power supply and runs directly from the mini note’s powered USB port.
Buffalo 500gb Ministation Turbo external Hard Drive - Purchased from Fry’s Electronics for $124.99. Link to product on Amazon. This compact 2.5 inch hd drive comes in a shock resistant chassis with a convenient built in cable.
Tucano Neoprene 9″ Sleeve - Purchased from Fry’s Electronics for $19.99. Link to product on Amazon. Fits the HP mini note very well.
Tucano Neoprene Cable Pouch - A matching cable pouch for my mini note accessories. Link to product on Amazon. I bought the case in a steel grey color. This was a really good deal at Fry’s electronics, who had them on clearance for just $3.99.
Finally, I bought a great pack of casual games for entertainment whilst traveling. The mumbojumbo game pack includes 6 puzzle type games, each with great graphics that run perfectly on my 1.0ghz machine (with upgraded RAM). I’d recommend them to everyone.
Did you get a measly 3,4 or 8gb SSD with your netbook? I know I did. I immediately switched it out for 120gb SATA hard drive so I could easily run Windows XP, load as many applications as I needed to be productive, and carry my entertainment with me. However, I felt pangs of regret as my HP mini-note then ran hot and was no longer virtually silent. Now, OCZ have made high capacity Solid State Drive’s affordable. For a very cheap $79 ($139 before rebate) you could upgrade your notebook to 32gb running this new OCZ drive. Check out the reviews on NewEgg.com before deciding if these drives will work for you.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been traveling and not had access to a printer, but for those of you who might travel to more exotic or less hospitable locations the PlanOn Printstik looks like a worthy portable printing companion. Weighing in at just 1.5lbs, including the paper cartridge and with dimensions of just 1″x10.75″x1.5″ it looks like the perfect match for your mini-note. At $25 for three print cartridges, each giving you 20 full pages (!) you better make sure your printing something mighty important. Julie at The Gadgeter has the full review.
Rumored to be available on September 4th, the Dell Inspiron 9 specification is one of the web’s worst kept secrets. A number of blogs and sites have had “leaked” specifications and pictures of the new machine for some time, but the price has been an unknown. The folks over at UMPC portal have a very realistic looking price and spec sheet, showing the standard edition starting at $349 (no webcam, 512K of memory, 4 Gig SSD, running Ubuntu) to the $449 XP Edition (1Gig of memory, Web Cam, 8 Gig SSD). They also have a link to the full specification.
It will be interesting to see how Dell’s entry in to the Netbook world will compete against the established Netbooks already available from Asus, HP, MSI, Lenovo etc. If the price sheet is right, Dell won’t be the budget price champion.
Kevin at Gigaom.com has got some basic information on the different netbooks (including the HP mininote) available for purchase today. He covers the Asus EeePC, HP Mini-note, Acer Aspire One and the MSI wind. Kevin doesn’t cover any new ground in this quick guide, but it’s a good primer if your in the market for a new mini pc/netbook.
If your interested in more comprehensive analysis of what to look for when buying your netbook, check out the shopping tips and recommendations in Jeffrey Wilson’s article over at laptopmag.com. Jeffrey selected the HP2133 mini-note in the category of best mini pc over $500, looking at HP’s high end mininote offering for $729. He selected the ASUS Eee PC 4g in the less than $400 category and the MSI Wind NB in the $400-500 category.
Techbargains.com (a favorite site of mine) have put together a list of the different mini notebooks that are available today, or available for pre-order. They include the Asus EEE, HP Mini-note, MSI Wind (pre-order) & Acer Aspire One (pre-order). With the list they have include some basic specifications and a link to where the product can be ordered or the appropriate price grabber page.
The cable that comes with the mini-note power supply has a three prong electrical plug, potentially limiting the places where you can power up and recharge your battery. Cables Unlimited provide a retractable notebook power cord, which not only enables you to plug your mini-note in to any power outlet, it provides a convenient way to carry a good cable length. I plan to pick one up for my next trip.
It’s available from amazon.com.
