
One of our favorite all-ime Netbook, the HP Mini 2140, a brushed-metal system from HP’s business line is a cousin that focuses on the consumer mini-1000. Interestingly, it is one of your favorites, also known as Mini 2140 is the fourth most viewed laptop.
The new and quite different, 5101 Mini-trades the silver metal-look, with a slight curve on the lid, for a squared-off design in black brushed aluminum. HP Ted Clark, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, calls it “truly a work of art, a demanding PC companion crafted for the trend-savvy mobile professional needs, the functional, durability and style.” We are not sure we would go so far, but it is a pretty smooth looking Netbook.
We are always happy to HP mini 2140 for its solid construction and high-end extras, such as an ExpressCard slot. The new version loses the ExpressCard, but adds a standard hard drive 7200 RPM and an optional higher resolution 1366 x768 screen. An optional integrated Gobi powered HP Mobile Broadband Module will also be offered, along with some proprietary software for the organization to synchronize files between desktop PCs and portable Netbook (and HP has promised us that it is better than the corrupted version the same software found in the last HP Netbook Mini 110).
The other thing we are a little concerned about is changes to the mini-keyboard – one of our most popular features. The broad, flat, closely spaced buttons have been optimized to look and feel a bit more like the keys on a MacBook or Sony Vaio laptop, with a good amount of space between them. We need to play around with the system a bit longer to decide whether we like the new layout better. A positive development – the touchpad mouse buttons were in a traditional spot under the touchpad, rather than on both sides.
The HP Mini 5101 is expected to be available in late July.
via gizmodo
