HP's new business Netbook: the Mini 5101

(Credit: HP)

One of our all-ime favorite Netbooks is the HP Mini 2140, a brushed-metal system from HP's business line that's a cousin to the consumer-focused Mini 1000. Interestingly, it's one of your favorites, too, as the Mini 2140 is the fourth most-viewed laptop review on CNET.

The revamped, and actually quite different, Mini 5101 trades the silver metal look, with a slight curve to the lid, for a more squared-off design in black brushed aluminum. HP's Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, calls it, "truly a work of art, a sophisticated companion PC crafted for the trend-savvy mobile professional who needs functionally, durability and style." We're not sure we'd go that far, but it is a pretty slick looking Netbook.

We always liked the HP Mini 2140 for it's solid construction and high-end extras, such as an ExpressCard slot. The new version loses the ExpressCard, but adds a default 7200rpm hard drive and an optional higher-resolution 1,366x768 display. An optional, integrated Gobi-powered HP Mobile Broadband module will also be offered, along with some custom syncing software for organizing files between desktop PCs and portable Netbooks (and HP has promised us it will work better than the broken version of the same software found in the recent HP Mini 110 Netbook).

The other thing we're a little concerned about is changes to the Mini's keyboard -- one of our favorite features. The wide, flat, closely spaced keys have been tweaked to look and feel a little more like the keys on a MacBook or Sony Vaio laptop, with a good amount of space between them. We'll have to play around with the system a bit more to decide if we like the new layout better. One positive change -- the touchpad's mouse buttons have been moved to a more traditional spot below the touchpad, rather than on either side.

The inevitable catch is that the HP Mini 5101 starts at $449, which is at odds with much of the Netbook marketplace, where entry level systems are $299, and higher-end ones are $399. The HP Mini 5101 is expected to be available in late July.

(Credit: HP)

[ednerdtheonly]

At least the styling is now more in line with their elitebooks, I'm actually surprised that they took so long. I assume that they were waiting to make sure that netbooks would be well received before commiting this look to them, as Dell has done with their Latitude netbook. That said, why doesn't this come with the Nvidia Ion chipset instead?

[Jayayess1190]

I love this netbook, except for the bezel.

[Massracin]

Looks like a DEC Highnote Ultra to me...........16 years later! They were ahead of their time :^)

[FiKill]

Looks like ZX Spectrum with LCD :o)

[sherbisness]

The new HP Mini 5101, looks very nice, well thought out design, I am so thankful that this is a move away from shiny black hardware. I hope that all hardware manufactures get my message "shiny black is so yesterday, should have never been used, shiny black was just a bad impractical fashion statement".

[q335r49]

Craaaave ...

I think the next phase in design should be the 'militant'. People have been throwing functionality, or rather, the appearance of functionality, out the window. Macbooks mostly cater to wussy art school students and teenagers. When they come out with a 'militant' looking laptop, something that just screams simplicity mixed with functionality and efficiency ... like the one above, but more so ... i would be just as spellbound.

"Militant" is just the next phase, after "business". You hear me, HP?

[cafemobility]

oh yes, it's july now and yet nowhere can we see any shadows of HP Mini 5101 in the retail sheleves. do we have the new REVISED release date on this?

[yeomanrycavalry]

Not yet at least. This is the business model netbook and so you won't see these particular models flood the shelves at your local Best Buy or Fry's. You have to either order through Amazon or HP itself. Given the popularity of this netbook I would expect to see more in the coming months.

[yeomanrycavalry]

I purchased mine about 3 weeks ago and love how it weighs less than my previous HP netbook and it looks much nicer than the lesser home versions of the netbook with its ruggedized design per se. What I don't like is the lack of being able to playback realplayer and especially iTunes video files without clipping. Given that netbooks have been out for a while I am really disappointed with video playback even on the most advanced netbooks available. It's really pathetic when a Smartphone can playback the exact video with no problems and yet a newer netbook chokes on it.