In case you’re wondering why a Mac girl is writing about an HP product, there’s a perfectly good explanation… In November, the Social Media Breakfast movement kicked off here in Des Moines at Mars Cafe. Verizon Wireless sponsored the event, and the topic of the day was the future of mobile technology. Dennis Dohrmann, manager of data sales for Verizon Wireless in Iowa was on hand to contribute to the conversation, and in line with the conversation, Verizon brought a few phones and gadgets with them for the SMBDM group to demo and check out.
One of the gadgets was the HP Mini Netbook. I’ve heard a lot about Netbooks recently, so I was curious to find out what these little “laptots” were all about. Thanks to Karen Smith, Public Relations Manager at Verizon Wireless for the Great Plains Region, I was able to check one out for a few days to give it a test drive. She had a few models available, including the HP 311 with Windows 7.0 and the Gateway XP Home Edition (smallest of the 3), but I chose the HP Mini 110-1046 with Windows XP.
The first thing I noticed about the HP Mini was how lightweight and portable it is. The HP Mini 110-1046 is 10.3″ (length) x 6.77″ (depth) x 1.04-1.29″ (height) and 2.57 lbs. The Mini’s compact size and versatility make it the perfect mobile/travel companion. It can easily fit in your purse, briefcase or backpack, which means you can simplify your life and even eliminate a carry on if traveling by plane.
It should be noted that upon its arrival, I gave my loaner HP Mini a nickname: Atom. It seemed fitting considering the Powered by energy-efficient Intel Atom processors decal was the first thing I noticed when I opened the laptop. According to my research, the Intel Atom Processor is Intel’s smallest and lowest power processor, designed for a new generation of energy efficient “companion devices,” including smaller/lower-cost PC’s. Speaking of lower cost PC’s, the HP Mini is very affordable - It sells for just $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a Mobile Broadband plan. Customers can select from various price plans for their Mobile Broadband access:
- $39.99 monthly access for 250 MB monthly allowance $0.10/MB overage
- $59.99 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance $0.05/MB overage
Here’s a quick video I made while checking out the HP Mini 110:
Music via Rumblefish: Girls On Film “Love Robot”
After test driving the HP Mini, I would say it’s like a cross between a notebook and a super-smartphone. Some of the features that I really like are the built in Webcam, 92% keyboard (largest in this category), and up to 8 hours of battery life. If you use a lot of creative applications or programs that require a great deal of memory and a large viewing screen, this isn’t the ideal laptop for you, but it’s a great device for anyone on the go who uses document creation programs/Internet and needs to stay productive, in touch and connected.
Summary of important features:
Operating system: Genuine Windows (R) XP Home Edition
10.1″ diagonal SD LED anti-glare widescreen display (1024 x 576)
Windows Media Player 11
Audio: HD audio, stereo speakers and integrated microphone
Processor: Intel Atom Processor N270
Processor Speed: 1.60 GHz
System memory: 1 GB RAM
Storage hard drive: 160 GB
HP Webcam with integrated microphone
Integrated 5-in-1 digital media reader for SD, MultiMedia cards, memory stick, Memory Stick Pro, or XD Picture Cards
External ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 RJ-45 (LAN), 1 VGA (15-pin)
Power: 30 W AC Adapter; 3-cell lithium-ion battery (usage up to 3.5 hours with Windows XP, 3.75 hours with starter)
For more info about the HP Mini 110, visit: verizonwireless.com.
Netbook owners, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how your Netbook is working out for you. If you’re thinking about purchasing a Netbook, what features are most important to you? Feel free to leave a comment!
