HP Debuts Mini 110 and Mini 1101 Netbooks
Whoever said the netbook craze was coming to an end was badly misinformed. Within the past week, we've seen new machines from Sotec, Lenovo and Asus -- oh, and now HP. Expanding on the company's heralded Mini line, the HP Mini 110 XP Edition and the HP Mini 110 Mobile Internet (Mi) Edition have been launched. Both machines were obviously designed for Internet-savvy consumers who spend a good deal of time on the go, and they both boast stylish casings for those who want something more than just a flat color option.
Unlike most companies, HP isn't making any bones about the limitations associated with its newest notebooks. To quote: "HP Mini PCs are geared toward information “snacking” and content access, versus the rich content-creation capabilities found in fully functional notebook PCs. They are a complement to HP’s award-winning families of notebook and desktop PCs." We hate to read between the lines too much, but basically that translates into "don't expect our netbooks to encode 1080p video or handle other heavy duty tasks." Hey, we appreciate the honesty!
The new Minis start at 2.33lbs. and measure just over 1" thick; they also pack a 10.1" LCD (an optional "HD LED widescreen" panel is available) as well as a keyboard that's 92% as large as a standard keyboard. Not surprisingly, HP has also included a webcam and microphone, hard drive options as large as 250GB, VGA output, a 5 in 1 multi-media card reader, Intel's Atom N270 or N280 processor, 1GB of memory and an optional 32GB solid state drive. The HP Mini 110 XP Edition and the Mini 110 with Mi are expected to be available in Black Swirl in the United States on June 10 with a starting price of $329.99 and 279.99, respectively; the HP Mini 110 XP is expected to be available in Pink Chic and White Swirl in the United States on July 8 with pricing TBD. Finally, the HP Mini 1101 in high-gloss black starts at $329 and is expected to be available June 1.
The three series are as follows:
Mini accessories
Unlike most companies, HP isn't making any bones about the limitations associated with its newest notebooks. To quote: "HP Mini PCs are geared toward information “snacking” and content access, versus the rich content-creation capabilities found in fully functional notebook PCs. They are a complement to HP’s award-winning families of notebook and desktop PCs." We hate to read between the lines too much, but basically that translates into "don't expect our netbooks to encode 1080p video or handle other heavy duty tasks." Hey, we appreciate the honesty!
The new Minis start at 2.33lbs. and measure just over 1" thick; they also pack a 10.1" LCD (an optional "HD LED widescreen" panel is available) as well as a keyboard that's 92% as large as a standard keyboard. Not surprisingly, HP has also included a webcam and microphone, hard drive options as large as 250GB, VGA output, a 5 in 1 multi-media card reader, Intel's Atom N270 or N280 processor, 1GB of memory and an optional 32GB solid state drive. The HP Mini 110 XP Edition and the Mini 110 with Mi are expected to be available in Black Swirl in the United States on June 10 with a starting price of $329.99 and 279.99, respectively; the HP Mini 110 XP is expected to be available in Pink Chic and White Swirl in the United States on July 8 with pricing TBD. Finally, the HP Mini 1101 in high-gloss black starts at $329 and is expected to be available June 1.
The three series are as follows:
- The HP Mini 110 XP Edition supports up to 1 GB of memory and either a 32 GB solid-state drive or 160 GB hard drive, as well as optional WWAN. An optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator is expected to be available in July and will allow users to enjoy 1080p high-definition content.
- The HP Mini 110 Mi Edition is a simple-to-use mobile companion with an HP-developed interface. The Mini 110 Mi comes with applications that enable web browsing, email and online video from the Mi dashboard, minimizing startup time. Favorite websites, photos and music that are added to the dashboard stay live, and the taskbar makes it easy to switch between programs. The Mini 110 with Mi runs on a Linux operating system and supports up to 2 GB memory and up to 250 GB of hard drive storage.
- The HP Mini 1101 offers a wide range of operating systems including Windows XP Home, XP Pro and Windows Vista. The Mini 1101 offers two optional batteries: a 3-cell option for the lightest weight configuration or a 6-cell option for battery power that lasts up to twice as long. In addition, the optional integrated HP Mobile Broadband allows users to conveniently access the Internet, corporate intranet, email and mission-critical information around the world
- HP Mini 110 models include the Syncables™ Desktop solution, which provides effortless, automatic synchronization of music, pictures, videos and other files between an HP Mini and a primary notebook or desktop PC.
Mini accessories
- With up to six hours of battery life, the HP BX06 Mini Battery allows users to maintain an ultra-mobile lifestyle and work, play and surf longer without losing power. The battery is expected to be available as a $40 upgrade option while configuring on www.hpdirect.com starting June 10.
- Protective and stylish Mini Series Sleeves in Pink Chic and Black Swirl protect the Mini from dust. The slim design allows easy transport by hand and can fit nicely into a bag. The black Mini Series Sleeve is currently available for purchase; the Pink Chic sleeve is expected to be available on June 30. Both Mini Series Sleeves are priced at $19.99.
- The HP Essential USB Port Replicator allows customers to attach external PC devices with a single connection and is expected to be available in the United States this summer for $79.99.
