HP Mini 5101 netbook unveiled

It is aimed at business professionals

HP Mini 5101

HP has launched the Mini 5101, a netbook aimed at the mobile professional. Since, it is being targeted at users who are always on the move the exterior of this netbook is quite sturdy. It comes with a tough aluminum casing around the display while the rest of the body is made of a magnesium alloy. The Mini 5101 uses a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor which has been paired with 2GB of DDR2 RAM and 320GB HDD or an 80GB SSD.

The users get a choice between a 10.1-inch standard 1024 x 600 display or a 10.1-inch HD-capable 1366 x 768 16:9 display. There is no dedicated GPU on this machine and the graphics are provided by the Intel GMA 950 chipset. The touchpad has been modified and the mouse buttons have been moved below the trackpad, rather than being at the sides of the trackpad which was somewhat inconvenient. This model also has a much larger keyboard (95% size of normal keyboard) with chicklet keys which allow for easy of typing and improve typing accuracy.

There is also an option for the Gobi module that will eliminate the need to purchase an external wireless broadband modem because Gobi chip is compatible with virtually every mobile network in the U.S. For connectivity HP has added WiFi-N which is faster than the WiFi-G. Other features include:

·         Three USB 2.0 ports

·         VGA port

·         Ethernet 

·         Audio in/out

·         SD/MMC card reader

·         WiFi a/b/g/n

·         Optional Bluetooth 2.0

·         Optional EVDO/HSPA WWAN

·         2-megapixel webcam

·         Built-in stereo microphones

The Mini 5101 weighs 2.64 pounds and measures 10.3 x 7.09 x 0.91 inches. The users have an option to choose between a 4-cell Li-Ion battery or a 6-cell battery (which HP claims can run for 8 hours). This device is being offered with either Windows XP Home, SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 or FreeDOS. It has been priced at $449 and will be available from July onwards.