HP Mini 5101 gets HD display & 6-cell battery upgrade options
July 28, 2009 at 6:43 pm
The business-targeted HP Mini 5101 netbook became available in the US last week. However at the time only the Windows XP model was available, it now appears that a SUSE Linux option is also available along with upgrade options for a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display and 6-cell battery.
Both 6-cell battery and HD display options cost a reasonable $25 each to upgrade. Other upgrade options include 2GB RAM for $25 (not included for the XP Home SKU), 3G modem for $125 and a variety of HDD and SDD storage options. A Draft-N Wi-Fi module is also available for $20. These customisation options are available right now.
Via Liliputing.
HP Mini 5101 netbook review roundup
July 24, 2009 at 12:55 pm
The HP Mini 5101 netbook is marketed to business users and is the successor to the well-received HP Mini 2140 that will be discontinued in the next few months. It features a magnesium alloy chassis, a fast 7200RPM hard-disk drive, a 95 percent chiclet keyboard with HP DuraKey finish and a protective HDD system called HP 3D DriveGuard.
A couple of sites (Laptop Mag and PC Mag) have published reviews of the HP Mini 5101 netbook. Both sites praised the Mini 5101 for its solid and attractive design (important if you’re on the road a lot) as well as its performance. However, battery life wasn’t as good as some netbooks that are cheaper than the 5101. Check out the key review points after the jump. Read more
Business-targeted HP Mini 5101 netbook now available
July 20, 2009 at 3:12 pm
The HP Mini 5101 netbook is now on sale in the US from $399. The Mini 5101 is marketed to the business segment and features a magnesium alloy chassis, a fast 7200RPM hard-disk drive, a 95 percent chiclet keyboard with HP DuraKey finish and a protective HDD system called HP 3D DriveGuard.
The Mini 5101 comes with a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU and 1GB RAM. Various HDD and SDD storage options are offered along with a choice of Windows XP Home, XP Pro, Vista Home Basic, Vista Business, or SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 operating systems.
The listed model comes with XP Home, a 4-cell battery (good for 4.5 hours of use), Wi-Fi (Draft-N) and Bluetooth 2.0. You’ll also get three USB ports, a 2MP webcam and card reader. The 6-cell battery and high-resolution (1366 x 768) options do not appear to be available right now.
Via HP Mini Guide [via Slashgear].
Broadcom’s Crystal HD Media Accelerator gets video demo
July 10, 2009 at 3:40 pm
There have been many questions surrounding the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, which gives you the ability to watch 1080p HD content on your lowly Atom-based netbook. The HP Mini 110 XP is one of the first netbooks that uses this Crystal HD solution and more are planned in the future.
Broadcom has given a video demonstration of this technology in action. Naren Sankar from Broadcom’s Consumer Electronics Group, placed two 10-inch netbooks side-by-side. One HP Mini 110 XP (with Crystal HD) and a Lenovo S10 to the right of it. He played a 1080p h.264 video file on both and noted the differences. Read more
HP Mini 110 XP gets HD screen & Broadcom video acceleration
July 8, 2009 at 6:28 pm
The HP Mini 110 netbook was promised a number of optional upgrades this month and right on cue, these options are now available. First off, you can now opt for a high resolution 10.1-inch screen for an additional $30. This will bump up the resolution from 1024 x 576 pixels to 1366 x 768 pixels.
You may want to pair this with the Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator, which will cost an extra $30. This card should allow smooth playback of HD video content. However, you will have to use this with the bundled ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre software to take advantage of the video acceleration. TotalMedia Theatre will give you access to MKV, MOV, MP4, AVI, WMV and TS/M2TS files. Read more
PC Pitstop’s survey rates MSI Wind U100 as most “loved netbook”
July 4, 2009 at 11:05 pm
PC Pitstop run an online diagnostic and tune-up service, which has been scanned onto millions of PCs. As part of this service, they also ask owners how satisfied they are with their PCs. According to the results, it seems that netbook owners are largely satisfied with their purchases.
They have compiled a top nine list of netbooks for user satisfaction, which is topped by the MSI Wind U100. The overall rating scale is measured out of four stars. The survey also asks whether the PC freezes, reboots and how fast they are. All top 9 machines fare very well in the survey, with even the ninth position scoring 3.03 stars.
Interestingly, the MSI Wind U-100, Asus Eee PC 1000HE, and Samsung NC10 are also among Pitstop’s top 10 for notebooks of all types. This suggest that many people don’t see them as substitutes for laptops and are happy with their performance. Check out the top nine most loved netbooks after the jump. Read more
HP Mini 110 video unboxing
June 30, 2009 at 10:56 pm
The recently announced HP Mini 110 netbook was launched to replace the older Mini 1000 series. Tech65 managed to win a Mini 110 in a competition and went on to shoot an unboxing video. The SKU that Daniel from Tech65 unboxed was powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It also came with a 5-in-1 card reader , Wi-Fi (b/g) and 3-cell battery.
The Mini 110 comes with HP’s usual mouse button placement on either side of the touchpad and I also noticed that it sports a wireless switch and only one audio jack (headphone, no mic). The video is attached after the jump, along with another that shows how HP’s new Syncables software works. As the name suggests, this software allows you to sync files between the netbook and desktop. Read more
HP Mini 5101 – the ultimate business netbook?
June 24, 2009 at 1:19 pm
HP has unleashed its latest netbook, the HP Mini 5101. This model is the successor to the Mini 2140 which is currently being phased out and it looks like a very worth update. As with the Mini 2140, the Mini 5101 netbook is targeted to business users.
The Mini 5101 moves away from the plastics that adorn most netbooks and instead uses anodized aluminium that surrounds the display and a magnesium alloy chassis. The result is a design that some may describe as bland, but personally I’m quite fond of it. Maybe that’s because it is all black and reminds me quite a bit of the Lenovo Thinkpad. Read more
A closer look at the HP Compaq 110c netbook [Video]
June 23, 2009 at 3:50 pm
The HP Compaq 110c netbook is the European equivalent of the HP Mini 110 that is sold in the US. The Compaq 110c is almost exactly the same as the Mini 110, it mainly differs in having a high-gloss ‘infinity’ imprint finish, which compares to the swirl design of the Mini 110. You’ll also find the ‘Q’ logo on the lid that might not be to everyone’s tastes.
Notebook Italia has gone hands-on with the Compaq 110c (110c-1020SL). This particular version comes with a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, although we know a 1.66GHZ N280 version is also planned. It comes with a 10.1-inch (1024 x 576) LED backlit display. The BrightView display uses a high-gloss and anti-reflective LCD screen technology.
The other specifications are pretty standard far and include 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD, we’ve included a list of the full technical specifications after the jump. This particular model goes on sale from the beginning of next month in Italy at a price of €299. It should hit the in August from £279. We’ve attached a video of the 110c from Notebook Italia after the break, where they give a tour of the model. Read more
HP Mini 2140 discontinued – new model on the horizon?
June 20, 2009 at 10:55 am
The very popular HP Mini 2140, which is targeted for business users, appears to have been discontinued from the HP Store. Apparently the HD model was available to order yesterday for $449 as a smart offer, before disappearing from the site altogether. The only model available to purchase is the HP Mini 1101, which is the business version of HP’s new Mini 110 netbooks.
The Mini 110 ended up replacing the Mini 1000 series of netbooks (which are now discontinued), so it could be conceivable that the Mini 1101 has replaced the Mini 2140. However, the Mini 2140 came with an aluminium shell, rather than the plastics seen in the Mini 1101, so I’d be surprised if there was no kind of refresh due soon. Back in January, it was rumoured that a HP Mini 2150 was due in June with built-in 3G module.
Thanks Steffen!
Acer, HP and Lenovo planning 12-inch multi-touch mini-notebooks?
June 19, 2009 at 10:53 am
There is no doubt that a number of manufacturers are planning to release touchscreen netbooks/notebooks in the fourth quarter, coinciding with the Windows 7 launch. From previous reports, we have heard that a number of panel manufacturers will ramp up production in the second-half of the year.
We are now hearing that Cando, which is a subsidiary of AU Optronics, has landed an order to supply 12.1-inch capacitive multi-touch panels to Acer, HP and Lenovo. According to Digitimes, these panels will start to ship in August, which could mean a year-end launch date for some of these models, although a H1 2010 release is more likely. Cando is the first touch panel manufacturer to receive certification or Windows 7 compatibility.
In related news, EETI (Egalax_empia Technology) is pushing for Windows 7 certification for 10.1-inch and 11.6-inch touch-panels. It is currently sampling touch panels based on analogue matrix resistive (AMR) and projective capacitive technology. The focus for Windows 7 netbooks and mini-notebooks will be on display sizes between 10 to 12-inch screens. It sees Windows 7 certification as a big driver to gain orders.
HP planning to release a smartbook later this year?
June 13, 2009 at 11:35 pm
The smartbook term has quickly caught on, despite only being conceived a matter of weeks ago. It refers to a new breed of ultraportables powered by ARM-based chips that are always connected to the internet and have long battery lives. We saw a number of smartbooks at Computex but most were from ODMs, apart from a Snapdragon-powered Eee PC.
Now, according to Collins Stewart analyst Ashok Kumar, Hewlett-Packard is looking to launch a smartbook later this year powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. The report claims that this will be manufactured by Foxconn Electronics. In response to this rumour, HP told TheStreet.com: “We don’t comment on rumours or products that may or may not be under way.”
If true, HP would be the first major vendor to embrace smartbooks. This segment could become very big and may become a thorn in Intel’s side. I can’t see these big players selling smartbooks exclusively, but they may start to cannibalise netbook sales just as netbooks did to laptops. My view is that smartbooks will be offered more by telecom operators on subsidised contracts, rather than sold directly to the end-consumer. Despite this I can’t see Intel being happy by such a move and it would be interesting to see how they respond.
Via Liliputing.
HP Mini 110 now available to order
June 10, 2009 at 4:28 pm
The HP Mini 110 XP and 110 Mi (Mobile Internet) 10-inch netbooks are now available directly from HP in the US. The 110 XP will set you back $329.99 for the base configuration, whilst the Linux-based 110Mi will cost you $279.99. The older Mini 1000 netbooks appear to have been phased out in preparation for the new 110 series. However, the funky Vivienne Tam HP Mini 1000 is still being sold for a while anyway.
The Mini 110 series comes with a 10.1-inch (1024 x 576) matte display. It is powered either by a 1.6GHz N270 or 1.66GHz N280 Atom (+$25) CPU. Other features include a 92 percent keyboard, webcam, microphone, VGA port and 5-in-1 card reader. The series will weigh around 1.1kg (2.33lbs) and measure just over 1-inch in thickness.
You will also be able to buy an optional 6-cell battery that will set you back $40. An optional 1366 x 768 HD display will be available in July for around $30. The Mini 110 XP will have an optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator to allow for 1080p high-definition content. This option is also expected to cost $30 when it is released next month. According to HP’s site, the Mini 110 will begin arriving at customers on or around June 24th.
Via Portable Monkey.
HP and Dell to launch ION netbooks in Q3 2009
June 2, 2009 at 4:20 pm
It’s a bit disappointing that we haven’t seen more big name manufacturers announcing ION netbooks at the Computex show, the only new ones we’ve seen are from the likes of Telecast and Weibu. However, both Hewlett-Packard and Dell are expected to launch netbooks using the ION-platform in the third quarter of this year according to Digitimes.
The main big profile ION netbook that has been announced so far is the Lenovo Ideapad S12. Other big names such as Asustek and MSI are also looking to launch ION products in the second half of this year.
However, Intel is looking to spoil the Nvidia party. According to the report, Intel is “reducing its offer of price incentives to PC vendors who are considering Ion-based products”. It is also closely monitoring vendors’ Atom inventories, to prevent them from dumping chipsets bought at a discount and using the CPUs with Nvidia’s ION. Is Intel not learning anything from its EU anti-competitive ruling and subsequent €1.06 billion fine?
HP considering ARM chips in future netbooks
May 29, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Whilst this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to many people, Hewlett-Packard is considering the use of ARM-based processors in upcoming netbooks. ARM processors from the likes of Qualcomm and Freescale are set to be used in smartbook devices from the end of this year and a number of manufacturers are considering its use in their netbook lines.
“We look at ARM quite a bit. The mini category is one that plays closely to ARM,” said Todd Bradley who oversees the PC unit. ARM produces chip designs and then licenses them to other companies such as Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Freescale. These chips are found in many mobile phones, iPods, video-game consoles and even cameras.
Companies such as Acer and Asustek are already rumoured to be working on Snapdragon products. Qualcomm hasn’t said whether the products are netbooks or smaller mobile devices. I would imagine that HP are looking to compliment their existing lines with these new chips are perhaps to enter the smartbook segment themselves.
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