Note to HP: The Mini-Note PC rocks!

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 08 April 2008 09:31

Opinion and Analysis

The base configuration has 512MB of memory, but a 1GB model is available, too. The weight starts at only 2.6 pounds – or 1.17 kilograms – with an aluminium case (not plastic) and comes with either SuSE Linux or Windows, and apparently it’s good enough to run Vista, not just XP.

Now here’s one extra very cool thing about the 8.9-inch screen of the Mini-Note PC. It has a WXGA resolution of 1280x768! That is seriously good for today’s world. No more struggling with 800x480, although lower resolutions are certainly better for those whose eyesight isn’t perfect.

The HP Mini-Note PC is set to retail from US $499 for the 4GB SSD, 1.0Ghz processor, SuSE Linux, 512MB RAM equipped version, but this can go all the way up to US $1200 if you are wanting a 160GB hard drive, a 1.6Ghz, Windows Vista, 1GB RAM version.

Converted into Australian dollars at today’s exchange rate (US 92.7c for every AUD $1), that’s AUD $538 all the way through to AUD $1293, but given the propensity for companies to charge significantly more to anyone who isn’t a US citizen, there can be no doubt that the actual Australian retail prices will be a bit higher – let’s hope by only a little bit.

Now, while I love the ASUS Eee PC, the HP Mini-Note PC is definitely a sub-notebook I’d love to try. Unlike Lenovo’s recent U1100 sub-notebook, this one doesn’t cost $3000+ either, which is an absolute relief.

Of course, Lenovo’s U1100 is still far more powerful than either the HP Mini-Note PC or the ASUS Eee PC, but the trend to small – and inexpensive – is unstoppable – from a whole range of manufacturers, not just the ones listed in this article.

Nicholas Negroponte may like to imagine that he’s responsible for the cheap laptop revolution, but it was clearly going to happen no matter what. Bring it on!

And HP - please bring it to Australia - soon!