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HP 2133 Mini-Note Arrives |
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Written by Stew
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Friday, 11 April 2008 |
 The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC appeared in the news this week making quite a splash as both a competitor to the Asus EEE and a tool for students. What interested me was that HP plan to offer three distinct versions, using three different operating systems complimented with three corresponding hardware configurations and price points.
The top-of-the-line sku involves a 1.6GHz VIA C7 ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) CPU with 2GB of DDR2 loaded with Windows Vista Business. Microsoft recommends at least 1GB of RAM to run their latest OS offering but I think that HP have listened to customers here, shipping 2GB to ensure a smooth ride. This setup costs $749.
The mid-priced version will apparently retail for $599 and sports a 1.2GHz VIA C7 ULV, 1GB of DDR2 and runs Windows Vista Home Basic.
At $499 we have a version that runs SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 OS from Novell. This version is content with a 1.0GHz VIA C7 ULV and 512MB of DRR2.
 All versions have a bright 8.9" screen with a native resolution of 1280 x 768, built in multi-channel VIA Vinyl Audio, 802.11a/b/g wireless and large, comfortable keyboard that uses significantly larger keys than we've seen on most devices this size. There are also various options regarding storage, including 120GB or 160GB capacities and 5,200rpm or 7,200rpm spindle speeds. There's also the option of a rugged student-proof SSD drive available for the Linux version.
The HP Mini is aimed at the education sector but I have a sneaky feeling it will also be in demand with business users and the mobility crowd alike. I think it's also significant that HP have developed three distinct versions. The Mini-Note / UMPC segment is still in its infancy and HP are offering enough options to let the user decide which way they want to go, be it open source, SSD/cloud PC, or a straight-up mini business machine. With a peak price of $750 and a price variance of $250, I bet it'll appeal to more than just school kids.
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Supported by:
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Sascha
Monday, 14 April 2008
what a smart decision by HP to go for the VIA platform.
They have the first new 8.9" system on the market (before the eee pc 900) and i am sure that they will upgrade to the Isaiah cpu asap.
Talking about the price range.. another smart decision.
The entry level system is going to compete against the new Eee PC while the top model will compete against systems like the Sony Vaio TZ series, which costs about 4 times more.
I am definately going to grab one! Good job HP and good job VIA!
Peter
Monday, 14 April 2008
Would love to seem some battery benchmarks of the linux model. For UMPC battery life is a focus.