Product Listing

The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Unveiled

By Aloysius Low - 8 Apr 2008

But will it Blend?

But will it Blend?

As a portable device, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC stands out for its affordable pricing and features. With its beautiful design and aluminum finishing, the Mini-Note comes across as an elegant solution for the needs of our fast paced social environment. The low price point of the Mini-Note will definitely be attractive to users looking for mobility on the go, while its offerings of different hardware configurations and operating systems will appeal to both casual and business users alike.

Though it does not hold up to our more stringent benchmark tests, it's hard to fault a machine of this class for its relatively decent performance for its intended usage. The only problem we noted while testing it during the short span of time we were endowed with was the amount of heat generated through normal usage. For a machine that you'll be taking everywhere you go, and placing it on your lap while you work or watch movies, the Mini-Note was uncomfortably hot. The fact that we even noticed the heat issue in our frigid workplace was something we had to highlight. HP did mention during our meeting with them that the Mini-Note would generate a tolerable amount of heat as they wanted the Mini-Note to be used in a close and comfortable setting such as lying on a bed or placing it on the lap. This was obviously not the case in our experience with the Mini-Note, so that's something to take note of. While this observation holds true for the US$749 variant that we tested, the US$599 version with a lower processor grade could fare better with regards to the heat generated.

Otherwise, the Mini-Note remained pretty much a marvel of design and engineering that will be sufficient for most users' needs on-the-go. While we do not envision playing the latest 3D games on the Mini-Note (or even World of Warcraft), the Mini-Note's processing power should be more than sufficient for running simple productivity/collaborative tools/applications, 'abandonware' and old school games. Having said that, as mentioned earlier, we were also unable to get any details from HP on whether they will be utilizing the new Intel Atom chips for the Mini-Note in the near future, and HP has declined to comment on this issue and is choosing to play their cards close to their hearts.

This is the actual retail shot from HP, though as you can see from here that the build we got is pretty much the same apart from some minor cosmetic changes.

With the current crop of Netbook devices in the market similar to the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, the consumer is spoilt for choice and it remains to be seen whether the Mini-Note will ultimately succeed. One thing in their favor though, is that unlike its competitors, the Mini-Note will be offered with different pre-installed operating systems. Users can choose from Windows Vista, FreeDOS and SuSE Enterprise Desktop 10, all with different price points and configurations of course (the most expensive being the US$749 version we reviewed). Windows XP Professional will also be available from June/July onwards, so Vista haters have something to look forward to. Having already given the Mini-Note a whirl, we're pretty convinced that HP has something good going for them with the Mini-Note and as always, the HP brand is one that can be relied on for excellent and well designed products.

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