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New HP Mini 1000 vs. HP Mini-Note 2133 – major improvements, minor flaws
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Mini 1000 Cons:
It might sound like we’re nitpicking, but the new unit could use a few small modifications to get it onto our Christmas wish list.
Casing: Gone is the reflective aluminium-metallic casing that gave the 2133 its distinctive sheen; the Mini 1000 features a plastic eye-catching glossy black finish instead. But the plastic chassis fails to match up to the 2133’s metallic offering.
Memory: The 1GB of RAM is a little low for our needs; enthusiasts only need upgrade to 2GB to get the best results out of these mini-PC’s. We don’t expect XP to put too much pressure on it though.
Hard drive: Unfortunately, larger solid state drives (SSD) are still lacking due to high costs. The Mini 1000 includes a non-SSD equipped 60GB PATA drive, which is not nearly as large as the 2133’s 120 GB drive, and at 60GB - less than is required for most people’s Mp3 and photo collections.
Battery life: The reduced 3-cell battery life is a little worrying; as these units get smaller and more advanced, you’d naturally assume them to boast better battery performance, but the Mini 1000 is only rated at around 2hours and that’s even less than the 2133 managed. Even as the Mini 1000 has the benefit of the Atom to keep power ratings down, it’s still almost a deal breaker. We expect bigger batteries to be announced next year as sanity prevails. 6 or 9 cell please!
Price : Woah, what’s up with the Aussie pricing these days? We knew the exchange rate was fading, but based on a quick US vs. Aussie price comparison, it seems to be much worse than we initially feared. HP have the Mini 1000 on their website (link) with all the custom modifications for a tasty US $524.99. An even cheaper (and cut-down) version arrives at US $399, which represents a staggering price difference.
Closer to home, expect to fork out $899 for this hot little unit. At that price, it’s certainly one of the stumbling blocks that manufacturers may find themselves struggling to deal with, as they strive for lighter components. Achieving that important netbook ‘sweet spot’ seems to be a real struggle these days. A few hundred dollars cheaper and you’d potentially have a huge winner on your hands.
Overall:
The HP Mini 1000 has learnt the mistakes of its predecessor, though committed a few of its own. Make no mistake about it; this is a reformed, leaner looking unit and we’re excited by the direction HP are going with these ‘mini’ models. Till the next mini edition, we’ll be waiting and watching in anticipation.
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