HP 2133 Mini-Note Combines Ultraportability with Affordability (
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The HP 2133 Mini-Note is a good portable machine, but doesn't solve enough problems.
For the past two weeks or so, I've been trying
out an HP
2133 Mini-Note PC, Hewlett-Packard's new entry into the "affordable
ultraportable" arena—Linux or Windows notebooks in the 2- to 3-pound
weight range with keyboards large enough for touch typing and screens in the 7- to
10-inch diagonal range ... and costing under $1,000 or even under $500.
HP's new 2133 Mini-Note PC puts a useful amount of power into a
well-built aluminum "clamshell" case.
My summary opinion: If you're looking for a 3-pound $500-$800 machine with a
good keyboard and great 8.9-inch screen, mostly for e-mail and Web tasks, the
2133 is worth looking at ... but I can't recommend it unreservedly. The battery
life is nowhere the near-full day something like this really needs, and the AC
adapter is large.
On my preproduction unit, running Vista Home on the midspeed chip with only
1GB of RAM, application performance was
reasonable but startup and task-switching were pokey. (None of the flash- or
hard drive-based Linux models, the XP Pro model, or the faster Via chip with
2GB RAM running Vista
were available at the time for me to try.)
However, I don't believe there is at this time a better alternative that
offers what the 2133 Mini-Note offers. Asustek Computer's new 9-inch-screen Asus
Eee 900, which should be available in the United
States starting mid-May, should be lighter
and possibly lower priced. For more power at this weight, you'll have to spend
$1,500 to $3,000; or you can get a heavier but decently powered machine in the
2133's price range.
'Affordable ultraportables'—between 'ultralights' and UMPCs
At roughly 3 pounds—about 3 ounces under with the three-cell battery, 3
ounces over with the six-cell—and starting at $499, HP's 2133 is somewhat
heavier and more expensive than the Asus Eee or Everex CloudBook 7-inch-screen
models, which are closer to 2 pounds and start at $299 and $399 respectively. (The
AC adapter comes in at 13 ounces.)
The display on the 2133 Mini-Note 1366 by 766 WXGA screen
is 8.9 inches—big enough to see a Web page all the way across, and work with e-mail
and documents ... although depending on your eyes and how far away you put the
machine, you may need to crank up the resolution, fonts or some other setting,
and the screen is hard to view in bright sunlight.
HP's 2133 has an 8.9-inch display and a 92 percent-of-full-size keyboard.
The display is crisp if not in direct sunlight.
At 10.04 by 6.5 by 1.05 inches, the 2133 Mini-Note is thicker than a Lenovo
ThinkPad X61s, closer to the Panasonic Toughbook W5, and about as wide as
these, but less deep. The 2133 Mini-Note is larger and bulkier than the Asus
Eee.
The 2133's keyboard, touch-pad and screen are far
superior to the Asus Eee's, in my opinion—as usable as those of the Panasonic
W5 Toughbook and close to the Lenovo ThinkPad X61. That's based on having tried
the Eee only briefly, not for long periods of time. One fellow journalist
reports he's worked on an Eee all day long successfully, although not on a
single battery charge.
The keyboard on the 2133 lends itself to easy
touch typing.
The 2133 fits into a briefcase, side bag or notebook-type case easily enough—a
lot better than a 5-plus-pound notebook, for sure. I could see toting this
around all day on a business trip or at a trade show without any problem. The
two semi-gotchas: 1) the six-cell battery sticks out at the bottom, possibly
making it a funkier fit with your other stuff, and 2) the comparatively short
battery life means you'd better pack the AC adapter and be prepared to use it
opportunistically to keep ahead of usage drain.
HP's initial target market for the 2133 is education, even
for students younger than junior high, hence some of the durability focus. HP
also sees the 2133 as suitable for executives and other mobile professionals
needing a secondary, smaller travel machine—the spiffy-looking anodized
aluminum case indeed makes it look professional and elegant—and consumers
looking for a small, affordable secondary machine.
The HP 2133 won't run as long with the three-cell battery, but lies flat and opens slightly more than with the six-cell battery.
The six-cell battery adds run-time and improves the keyboard angle, but at the expense of packing shape and how far back the screen will go.
Note the difference between the models with three-cell and six-cell batteries.
