Hewlett-Packard is the world’s largest computer company and as such ships more computers, laptops, and netbooks in than anyone else. Not to be outdone in the netbook race, they shipped a series of netbooks earlier this year and have since followed up with several versions in various colors and battery sizes, including the HP Mini 1140NR 10.2-Inch Netbook.
HP’s family of netbooks consists of several models which are very lightweight, have good performance, and feature non-glare screens for optimum outdoor viewing.
Each HP netbook is based on an architecture that optimizes internet access and basic communication, Intel® Atom processors and the latest offerings from AMD power the HP Mini’s reliable, energy-efficient performance. The LED anti-glare widescreen display reduces both system weight and reflections that can distract from the visual experience. The 92% of full-size keyboard also improves weight without sacrificing comfort. Integrated 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN enables wireless access within range of a hotspot.
One interest feature of the HP netbook is the use of a 1024×576 widescreen display. 1024 is good for web browsing but the 576 pixel dimension is smaller than its competition. The shorter display does not seem to impact HP mini owners who rave about the netbook’s keyboard and anti-glare display.
HP Mini 110 Netbook Features
- Intel Atom Processor N455 (1.66GHz, 512KB L2 Cache, 667Mhz Front Side Bus); 1GB DDR2 SDRAM memory (1 x 1GB) (Max Supported 1GB); 250GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard drive; Genuine Windows 7 Starter
- 10.1 Inch diagonal WSVGA HP Anti-glare LED Display (1024 x 600), Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 (shared) with up to 256MB Total Available Graphics Memory
- External Ports: 2-in-1 memory card reader; 3 USB 2.0; 1 VGA; 1 RJ-45 (LAN); 1 Headphone-out/Microphone-in combo jack (compatible with 3.5mm 4-conductor jack with stereo audio and mono mic)
- HD Audio; Integrated 10/100Base-T Ethernet LAN; Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN
- HP Mini Webcam with integrated digital microphone
Our own evaluation of the HP mini found the keyboard to be excellent and the 10.1″ screen much easier to read than other netbooks. This readability may have something to do with the size of the fonts displayed but we found it quite useable. Another unique feature. when equipped with a 6 hour battery, is that the battery extends downward, increasing the thickness of the netbook at one end. This actually tilts the keyboard slightly and we found it quite comfortable.
Customer Reviews
I picked up the HP Mini at a local electronics retailer several weeks back, and thus far I’ve been quite pleased with this little machine for what it is and how much it cost. In most aspects, this netbook isn’t unlike the slew of other netbooks swarming the market, like sharks in a frenzy (and you’re the chum). I also can’t say much for the style of this model, other than for its overall simplicity. Of course, it’s slim and light weight, and it performs much like any other netbook, but where it really shines is in the comfort, power and price departments.
Battery life tends to run a little shorter than the advertised 9.5 hour duration. With normal usage and WiFi enabled, you can expect to get somewhere between 7-8 hours of usage. This is still pretty decent, especially for netbooks, where 5 hours is often the average battery life for so many of them. Turning off WiFi when you’re not surfing the Web or aren’t near a hotspot will certainly help push the battery to its maximum life span though.