New HP Mini 1000 vs. HP Mini-Note 2133 – major improvements, minor flaws

Daniel Long | Nov 3, 2008 4:01 PM
Move over Eee PC, the new HP Mini 1000 reminds us all again why bigger keyboards still rock our world. This could of been the 'mini' notebook to beat all others, except for a few glaring omissions.
Okay, we’ll admit it. The last ‘netbook’ from HP should of been four flavours of awesome, but it ultimately rated as a considerable let-down on closer inspection. We got a quick look at the latest mini from HP and felt a little more confident with the new offering.

HP’s first attempt at taking on the Eee PC: a look back

Our first look review of the original HP Mini-Note 2133 wasn’t exactly ecstatic; we described it with all the enthusiasm of an over-heated waterbottle, with the potential to render mankind sterile. It was that hot. Just ask our editor William Maher about its unique “groin-endangering” capabilities.

Though it did have some nice things going for it: a lovely metallic design, a rigid, solid hinge system and a relatively small, versatile outer shell. Judging by a PC by its cover, the Mini-note 2133 seemed like a real winner, until you started it up. It performed rather sluggishly under our tests and barely managed to function efficiently under the memory sucking power of Windows Vista.

It wasn’t just slow, it was also very expensive. It was so steeply priced upon release (at around the $899 - $999 mark), that it did little to persuade potential customers how it would be better value than the cheaper alternatives such as the Eee PC’s, Acer One or MSI Wind. Still, the 2133 was the first netbook to feature an gorilla-sized keyboard that didn’t require rodent paws to operate - and ironically, that has remained its legacy.

Rember the 2133? It looked nice, but failed to perform
Rember the 2133? It looked nice, but failed to perform
 


HP Mini-note 2133 vs. HP Mini 1000

Mini 1000 Pros:

Bigger Screen: At 10.2 inches and a full extra inch of screen size over the 2133, it’s definitely easier on the eyes and more suited to a larger range of visual based applications. The Mini 1000 appears a little thinner and the solid bolt-style hinge system of old remains in place, while the entire unit feels well constructed and capable of minor knocks.

Keyboard and weight: The Mini 1000 is a touch lighter (1.1kg vs. 1.2kg on the 2133) and the 92% scale-full size keyboard (which could be its greatest asset) appears to be a tad bigger than the 2133 model too. Indeed, as much as the Eee PC brigade prefer to ignore their painful cramped keyboards – we still believe that a larger keyboard can make all the difference, particularly if you’re planning on long-term usability.

Better OS: The arrival of XP is like embracing a long-lost friend. We definitely won’t be missing Vista anytime soon.

Processor: The new Intel Atom 1.6Ghz processor is a major step forward over the 2133’s 1.2 GHz Via C-7M chip, and as a result of this change, the Atom should make good use of the XP architecture.

(Continued on next page - pros and cons of the Mini 1000)

The new Mini 1000 is a big improvement over the previous Mini-note 2133
The new Mini 1000 is a big improvement over the previous Mini-note 2133
 

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.