HP Mini 1000 Review
HP was one of the first companies to get into the netbook game. And while its first offering was aimed at the corporate and commercial end, its latest offerings have been directed squarely at the consumer end, most notably the HP Mini 1000.
Design
The design of the HP Mini 1000 mimics that of the HP Mini-Note 2133. Starting off the feature list is a 10 inch display that gives 16:9 viewing aspect ratio. The edge to edge screen is glossy which gives the system a sophisticated look as well as a little glare. But most users won’t notice this unless the screen comes in contact with direct light.
HP nailed the design keyboard on its previous netbooks and decided to bring that to the Mini 1000. The edge to edge keyboard provides comfortable typing with few compromises. Thanks to the well placed keys it’s just as easy to type on this one as it were on a regular notebook or desktop system.
On the other hand the touchpad is a little awkward. Since most of the space is taken up by the keyboard HP had to place the left and right mouse buttons on the side of the touchpad instead of below it as is normally done. This does require a little learning curve but we much rather this than having a cramped keyboard.
Under the hood is an Atom 1.6GHz CPU with 1GB DDR2 RAM standard and the option for 2GB DDR2 RAM. There is also the option for a 3G modem and the system can be modded with GPS and such units though you should note that this will undoubtedly void the warranty.
Performance
This system is a nebook and so you should expect such performance from it. Basic tasks such as web browsing, emailing, word processing, photo viewing etc are all acceptable and certain multimedia features do such as YouTube and Hulu work fine without any system lag.
Battery performance is not that grand as the system pulled in only 2 hours and 40 minutes out of a full charge on most of our tests. That is 20 minutes below the average for this category which is 3 hours. HP does allow one to purchase a 6 cell battery that can easily pull 5 hours plus out of the battery, but be prepared to spend a little more money for that option.
The screen provides enough space for viewing web pages and internet videos. Images are crisp and the colors are not distorted. As mentioned before, the glossy screen might pose a problem for users who frequent the outdoors with their system.
As for wireless you get 802.11b/g WiFi as well as Bluetooth and the option for a 3G broadband modem. Wireless performance is good and at 50 feet away from the router we were able to maintain a steady connection to view all our favorite Hulu and YouTube videos.
Conclusion
There is little to disappoint with this system. And since it provides basic computing you shouldn’t have a problem with its performance. The only major drawback is the touchpad and the glossy screen. But if you’re able to get around those two problems you’ll have a solid little system to carry wherever you go.