HP Mini-Note 2133 Fêted, Reviews Looking Positive
The HP Mini-Note 2133 made its swish entrance over the last 24 hours and the reviews for the stout little number are cheerfully positive. Sturdy metal case, decent nine-inch screen with ample resolution, decent battery life and an well-upholstered dusting of ports and connectors. And of course, a glittering foil tiara: the 92%-full-sized keyboard which makes using the Mini-Note 2133 for several hours a possibility for those not graced with the dexterity of a rodent gynecologist. (Is there an official standard width for "full-size keyboard?" I could not find one, but I didn't look very hard.)
There are a couple of warts, naturally. The Via C7-M processor is sluggish, as is Via processors' hallmark, but is also reported to run relatively hot. That affects both battery life—which is in the 2.5-3 hour range with the slim battery, or 4.5-5 with a form-destroying 6-cell protuberance—and increase background noise, as the 2133's fans are often running at full blast.
As I've previously sputtered to anyone who would listen, the defining quality of a sub-notebook is its keyboard. If a sub-notebook's keyboard is decent, everything else can be of middling quality; a poor keyboard spoils an otherwise perfect machine. And by all reports, HP has managed to grace the Mini-Note 2133 with a fantastic keyboard, remarkably similar in form to that of the 12-inch Powerbook, an update to which is the laptop I wished the Macbook Air had been.
It's impossible not to see the Mini-Note 2133 as a spiritual successor to the 12-inch Powerbook, right down to the way the screen hinges back behind the body of the laptop. The machine is sheathed in metal. It's got a keyboard flush with the edges of the chassis. If someone could figure out how to get OS X to run on this thing, I'd figure out how to drill out the HP logo on the back of the screen and replace it with a glowing apple.
Prices start at $499 for a 4GB solid-state version running Linux, then pop up in $50 and $100 increments as you add more RAM, a faster processor, Windows (Vista or XP), or spinning hard drives—all the way up to a $750 version with all the trimmings. At those prices you can dabble without fear of too much disappointment, but with Intel's Atom processors making their way into the channel with nothing but high praise from those who've tested them, it might not hurt to wait until the back half of this year to see if HP produces an upgrade that addresses the heat and battery life. (Via's upcoming Isaish platform might also be a possible successor.)
If you're not in a rush to buy, it's usually best to wait until the second revision. Just like with a Powerbook.
Press Release [HP.com]
Models and Pricing [HP.com]
[via Engadget, who has links to many hands-on reviews]
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Standard keys have a .5" x .5" face and are 3/4" apart on center. Are these keys 8% smaller, closer together, or some combination?
Looks like a neat competitor to the Eee, though. Considering the device is about the same size, the HP's 9" WXGA display sounds fantastic. It's nice to see that affordable subs are finally becoming a reality. I wonder if Apple are going to offer one this decade.