Have the HP gods finally listened to us netbook minions? The release of the HP Mini 2140 netbook gives us hope.
Key Nebook features:
- 10.1" 16:9 LED screen
- Windows XP
- 3-cell/6-cell battery options
- HP 3D DriveGuard
- HP DuraKeys
- 160GB HDD/ 80GB SSD options
- VGA webcam
- Bluetooth® 2.0
- 1GB RAM
The Mini 2140 looks to be a stylish successor to the much maligned Mini 2133, which was best described for its "groin-endangering" anti-fertility benefits. Gone is the clunky Vista OS that weighed down its older sibling - the 1.19kg Mini 2140 is an mean XP machine, with a 6 cell battery option (finally!) and SD/HDD alternatives, depending on your pick.
In fact, everything that was wrong with the Mini 2133 appears to have been solved, including the performance-weak VIA chipset which gets the boot in this netbook redo. Instead, the 2140 ships with the favourable Atom CPU, so we'd expect much better performance as a result.
The construction of this model is backed by the nifty HP Panel Protection System, which offers a scratch-resistant acrylic LCD cover and a durable, ultra-tough magnesium hinge bracket for casual knocks and drops. HD 3D Driveguard goes one step further and protects the HD from any sudden drive shock.
Power consumption wise, we're expecting around 6 - 8 hours battery length on the 6 cell, due to the power saving LED screen which will help the battery along a great deal. For a lighter configuration, there's always the 3-cell option, but you'd have to be bonkers to accept anything less than a 6-cell these days, especially if you want to use your netbook for than 2 or 3 hours.
Of course, none of this is coming cheap. Whether it be the rising cost of production in china, or the badly performing Aussie dollar, the glory days of ultra-cheap netbooks look to be a thing of the past. The 2140 retails for $799 in its basic configuration (before SD and larger battery options are added), dangerously close to being considered overpriced for a netbook. But we'll forgive that if the product performs as well as it promises. We'll be sure to have a full review up soon. The Mini 2140 is available now.
Click on pics below for larger sizes:
