HP Launches Premium-looking Mini 5101 Netbook

By Jane McEntegart
published

HP today announced the HP Mini 5101, which might actually be the nicest looking netbook we've ever seen, even if it is a bit pricey.

With its aluminum and magnesium chassis, the Mini 5101 looks a little more professional than your average netbook; and with it packing Windows Vista Home Basic it's definitely another netbook dancing on the blurry line of "is it a netbook or is it a notebook?"

Specswise you’re looking at the usual Atom processor, a 10.1-inch WSVGA screen, 2 GB of DDR2, a choice of either a 4-cell of 6-cell battery (the latter promising “up to” eight hours), a standard 7200 RPM hard drive (complete with accelerometer for sudden motion protection) or alternatively, the option for either an 80 GB or 128 GB SSD.

Starting at $449, we’d be all for this machine, but the price could quickly rise with the optional USB 2.0 docking station, port replicator, as well as an external optical drive. Availability is pegged for late July. Check out some live pictures over at Engadget.

Jane McEntegart
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Regulas
    OK but Gateway has a 11.2" one coming out that is nicer.
    Reply
  • warezme
    That screen is strictly low res? I have yet to see a netbook and most notebooks with a screen that actually fits the lid. All of them have this huge thick border that makes them look cheap.
    Reply
  • aspireonelover
    How big is the HDD, you've only mentioned the RPM of the hard drive, but you didn't mention the size :S
    What is the point in having premium looking netbooks? is there any point in that at all? Cause so far we all know that it's used for the internet and a few word documents. we don't need something THAT fancy for everyday tasks, eh? (my thought)
    Reply
  • tomtom_32
    Yeah, Not that hot. I think i'd go with the Gateway LT.
    Reply
  • Luscious
    full specs at jkontherun.com

    The Toshiba NB200 looks nicer IMO.
    Reply
  • frozenlead
    I agree, the screen border is annoying.

    The aluminum from the back of the screen looks exactly like that on the back of my Sager. And what's with everyone making the keys split up on the keyboard like a Mac? It's dumb, and it wastes space for better things...like bigger keys.
    Reply
  • TTF
    The 5101 does indeed feature an HD screen option. It also features an extra USB port over its predecessor. It can be configured with a variety of OS' including VB with XP Pro custom installed, XP Home or Suse Linux. The keyboard and trackpad have been changed slightly from its predecessor, the 2140. The keyboard is now 95% full-size. Also features either Broadcom or Intel a/b/g/n wireless (or none at all) and also optional integrated GOBI broadband. It's a well-built netbook that should be perfect for long-term deployments whereas the cheapo netbooks out there are built like toys...and should last about as long. The HD option goes up to 320GB 7200RPM....there is not a 5400rpm drive option for this model. In terms of price, yes, it's more than the plastic toys on the market, but if you're buying quantity (hundreds), HP has been known to offer special pricing.
    Reply
  • They should create all netbooks with dockingstations!
    If it where possible, it'd be nice to see it boost the performance of the netbook and make it powerful enough to be a desktop replacement...

    They could make netbooks even smaller like that, removing the VGA port, LAN port, phone/fax plug, by putting it all in the docking station.

    In fact, if it where possible, why not create a docking station port under the netbook, and equip the dockingstation with an extension RAM slot, better video card, DVI, SVGA plug, a DVD/Blueray player/recorder, USB hub, ...?
    It'd be a perfect companion to the netbook.
    Reply
  • TTFThe 5101 does indeed feature an HD screen option. It also features an extra USB port over its predecessor. It can be configured with a variety of OS' including VB with XP Pro custom installed, XP Home or Suse Linux. The keyboard and trackpad have been changed slightly from its predecessor, the 2140. The keyboard is now 95% full-size. Also features either Broadcom or Intel a/b/g/n wireless (or none at all) and also optional integrated GOBI broadband. It's a well-built netbook that should be perfect for long-term deployments whereas the cheapo netbooks out there are built like toys...and should last about as long. The HD option goes up to 320GB 7200RPM....there is not a 5400rpm drive option for this model. In terms of price, yes, it's more than the plastic toys on the market, but if you're buying quantity (hundreds), HP has been known to offer special pricing.
    - 1024x600 isn't even reaching the HD resolution of 720p!!

    - 3 USB ports on netbooks are standard these days.

    - Multi OS is also standard on many netbooks (choice between windows or Linux, and Vista on an Atom netbook is just a bad choice!
    Sure, in the beginning it will work acceptable, but wait until 20 to 50 programs are installed! (over a periode of 3 years I generally tend to install between 120 to 150 programs, after which XP will not work fine anymore, and needs to be reinstalled). Vista's file fragmentation will make this netbook worthless in 6 months!

    - I personally prefer the keyboard of the EeeePc701 and 901 series! It's smaller, and has a toy feeling to it! I like that! That's why the Eeepc became popular, because it's just that; an expensive looking toy!
    And that's also why the EeePc1000 series and above had less attraction, and sold less devices, because they where too expensive for netbooks, and where no longer considered toys.

    - A netbook is not meant to last. I have brought my EeePc701 through hell and back, and it's still alive! Opened it multiple times, installed and soldered loads of stuff only to remove them later on. My EeePc is about 1,5 years old, and I estimate it'll at least do another 1,5 years. In that time there have been 2 other generations of netbooks out. It's no use of buying a 'durable' netbook, that will be outdated 2 years from now (and won't even run Vista well).
    I'm putting my hopes on the newer generation Atoms, that will have IGP on chip and memory controller on chip. Not so much in performance, but in battery saving!

    -With a 7200rpm HD it is highly questionable if the netbook would even get close to 6 or 7 hours of battery life, less 8!
    Perhaps measurements where done on standby or something? I mean seriously, An EeePc with same hardware and an SSD can only last upto 8 hours! What makes you think a performance notebook HD with rotating platter would outlast an SSD in battery life?

    - And a last thing, who the hell buys netbooks in quantities of hundreds? This is an end user forum! I'm sure the marketing guys and sales people and stores do deals behind the counters we don't know of! Many products get sold cheaper with larger quantities! But what I care about is how much will it sell in the store?
    No amount of $450 per 100 laptops is going to convince me if in the store I need to add to the price like taxes and so, and get to pay something like $600 for one!

    - And lastly, sorry to say, but the netbook in the picture (don't know if it's the one of the article) just looks too plain!
    There could be done some serious improvements in looks! There's no way I'm going to buy something like this, when the 'plastic' counterparts just look 10 times better!
    No room for detail on that one!
    Reply
  • aspireonelover
    Honestly, in my opinion, I think the 8.9" Aspire One's screen bezel (the border) looked a lot better.
    Reply