jkOnTheRun video- first look at the HP Mini-Note UMPC

The good folks at HP let me play with the brand new HP Mini UMPC.  It's been known as the HP UMPC, the 2133 and who knows what else but it's officially the HP Mini.  This video is longer than most we do because we wanted to give you the best look possible at this innovative mini-notebook.  The Mini will only set you back $499 for the entry level configuration but this video shows off the top-of-the-line model.  This one is only $749 so it's still a very good deal.  You'll see the HP Mini from every angle, see how well constructed it is and get a good look at how well the Via C7-M 1.6 GHz processor performs.  Take a look at the video and see what we think of the new HP Mini.

Comments

[John C.]

that looks delicious, but the video does ot appear to work

[Bryan]

When I click it to go to the video on the YouTube website, it gives me the following message: "This is a private video. If you have been sent this video, please make sure you accept the sender's friend request."

[SLMartin]

You Tube is killing me! Nice scoop JK. I will check back in the morning.

[James Kendrick]

Due to the embargo, we had to flag the video as "private" so it couldn't be accessed until we manually set it for public viewing. The area of YouTube where I set it for public viewing is down and I can't release it yet. I'm still trying.

[nomo]

To quote Mr. Tofel, "That's just so not right!"
The new HP video would wait one more night.

[Jelster]

Been watching out for this and have to say it looks mighty nice. My two quibbles thus far though.

$250 gets you HDD, 1G Ram upgrade and Windows. Seems a little steep to me and would have been much sweeter if the CPU was buffed along with perhaps an extended battery as standard.

Why no Touch and Swivel? I concede that perhaps it introduces design problems but it's such a useful feature from a consumer point of view.

Right now I'm torn between a "what the heck" get it attitude and a "patience young Skywalker" hope that Fujitsu will soon update the U810/U1010 with a slightly bigger form factor and general buffing up.

Sometimes I hate technology. :)

[James Kendrick]

Jelster, I believe the model I reviewed comes with the extended battery. Touch and swivel would have driven the cost up much higher and not what HP was trying to do. Most people don't care about that.

[Jelster]

It's good to hear the extended battery is likely.

I'm probably being a might bit selfish expecting the tablet functionality but I'll appeal to the fact that I just like the idea of compacting a device further by swiveling a screen when you're viewing/reading and in no need of a keyboard.

On a slight tangent I'd love for more of these devices to use the OLPC DLV screen tech. This is the kind of device I want out by the pool on a sunny day.

I suppose I should put up and shut up and just get the Fuji 1620 but hey, I can't justify those bones for what is going to be predominantly around the home, vacation device.

Anyway, excellent post and looking forward to that video! :)

[James Kendrick]

As I say in the video which you'll eventually be able to see, I could buy 3 of these top-of-the-line Minis for what I paid for the P1620. That's an expensive swivel screen.

[david]

how easy to change memory and put xp on the vista or linux machines?? THANKS

[jk viewer]

Youtube is still broken. Why don't you put the video on another site?

[bluemonq]

Over at TabletPCReview, there's an interestingly contrasting review. Basically, while they think it looks great and is solidly built, their opinion is that the VIA chip just isn't quite up to task, some thermal issues, the glossy extra layer on the display is somewhat aggravating, and the price is getting to be a bit much.

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1142

[khak]

Why dont you using mobypal.com ?

[Iron-Hide]

Any idea when this is going to hit the market?

[James Kendrick]

According to HP it will be available in just a few days.

[Boca]

What a great device. I am looking for something to replace by wife's Vaio... looks like I have it.

Maybe it was the lighting, but the screen appeared very reflective, esp when compared to the Fujitsu.

Have you tried this outside? Or did the embargo forbid you to take this to Starbucks!!!

[Mike Cane]

Given the YouTube problems that happened, I'm glad I was busy Zzzing instead of cursing at my screen last night!

[msikk]

Hi JK, what is the material of the palm rest? Is it plastic? They say that it also has magnesium parts. What parts are magnesium?

Thanks

[Mike Cane]

Someone will have to do the math for me. What if the basic Linux model is bought. How much to open it up and replace the guts with 2GB RAM and a speedy big HD? And then, of course, strip off the Linux and implant XP!

Ach. Thought just hit me: Still no Bluetooth or camera that way!

Always a frikkin catch somewhere!!

[Nate]

Do SD cards flush-mount on this machine?

[arit]

How noisy is the fan?

[Jelster]

Expensive indeed which is why it is all the more disappointing that in the $750-$1000 range we're not seeing such features being offered.

Not that I'm criticising the HP, it's quite clear it does what it's set out to do. I'm just feeling I'll be hangning on a little while longer, not so much for the technology to catch up but more so for a design that fits my needs to be put into production.

[younes]

availbillity in Europe?

[Travis]

What are the power requirements? VDC and amperage?

Thanks

[Travis]

Onother review I read mentioned that when the 6 cell battery is installed the lid/screen doesn't tilt back far enough for good viewing whithout the reviewer having to slouch down. Your thoughts?

Thanks

[xatrixer]

Could you please SHOW the power adaptor of the Device .... I like to know the size and weight of it...

Thanks

[KG]

Great vid :)

I hope HP sent out some lower spec models and we'll soon see some reviews/Q&A about obvious mods. For my personal machine, I'd go for the 4gb model if installing xp, 2gb ram, and a 16gb sdhc resulted decent performance on the slower processor and big battery savings over the hd models.

I hadn't planned on spending more than $600-700 for a cheap laptop if the 2133 wasn't released now. I've delayed a laptop purchase for three weeks, so I'm going to try my best to find this thing in the SF Bayarea this weekend.

[Iron--Hide]

I have been looking hard at the HP tx2000z since it's release. It's price has now dropped to $899. That's a whole lot more computer for not much more money.
If they had gone with the Intel Atom or even the core solo, I would have closed my eyes & dropped my cash.....but, they didn't, so.....
Just curious, how would you rate the new Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium against this little number?
I know one is touch screen & the other is not, but if you had to choose, which would you go with?

[Chad]

*Apple fanboy rant*The Screen being flush with the table isn't really something new its about the like my macbook and your macbook pro and i believe they were like that on the ibook.*/Apple Fanboy rant*

[Chris K]

You are correct, Chad, but that's not all!

The keys are even laid out in a very Powerbook-like style, with the arrow keys made into half-height keys, and the right shift key going all the way to the edge.

It's not as clean and lovely as the 12" Powerbook, but it's definitely looking like a shrunken-down version of one!

Swap that Via out for an Atom, and I'll take it.

[Iron-Hide]

My thoughts exactly, Chris K! It needs an Atom badly! It would sell like crazy!

[VF]

I think the only interesting model is the low-end 1ghz version with a 4 gig flash drive. Install a Nlited XP and you'd have a true mobile system. (Not Foleo-class instant-on, but as close as we'll probably get.)

The 1 ghz C7 also draws less than half the power of the 1.6ghz chip. That should mean the low-end version will have the best battery life by far. (No hard disk and a lightweight OS should also help.)

I want to see the reviews of the low-end one...

[Mike Cane]

VF, those are very interesting points. I'm also reminded of what I've read from EeePC users. Just get an SDHC or even Flash keychain drive and have mucho storage.

You just might have created some enthusiasm in me now.

Thanks!

[Mark Smith]

Hi JK

Many thanks for the videos on the Mini and for your interesting blog.

Looking at the build and presentation of the Mini it certainly looks appealing. Another review on the web mentioned the very high temperatures attained while using the unit and the slow nature of the processor. Did you find this in your trial of the Mini?

Also did you find any compatibility problems due to the Via processor?

Saw the configurations on the HP site. Offering 512mb RAM with the 4GB SSD isn't very clever. 1gb Ram and a 8gb SSD would be much more preferable to ppl wanting an SSD only unit.

Many thanks.

[nomo]

Mark: James made the following comment in another thread: "It does get a little warm but not dangerously so." I suspect the fan vents can be easily obstructed because they are located on the bottom of the machine. Placing the computer on a soft surface like a sofa or the user's lap could quickly drive up internal temperature. The vent location is OK with the extended battery, but otherwise it's an odd design decision.

[VF]

@Mike Cane... yeah, plenty of storage available in flash if you don't need to truck around an entire MP3 library or something.

As for power, yes, if you want the best batt life in the 2133, the 1.0ghz model is the way to go now. But it might be worth waiting a little longer. I was just reading about the Intel Atom processor. That chip draws 1/3rd the power of the 1ghz C7! (Also 1/3 the power of the upcoming Via Isaiah chip) Put an Atom in the Mini-note, and I wonder if 6-8 hours might be possible.

Of course, HP is not saying for sure that they'll offer an Atom-based 2133. But the performance and low-power design of that chip would be a perfect fit, and they'd be dumb not to at least consider it.

And it looks like they are:
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9914927-1.html

For me, it's all about true mobile performance. HP nailed the form-factor, but they'll still kill themselves with crappy battery life and a bloated desktop OS. But things can change...

[Art]

I really am not excited nor interested in the new HP UMPC. To me it is not a UMPC but rather a low end laptop and at that a little pricey as I could buy many other laptops with better performance at the same or lower cost.

What I would rather see HP do is make a UMPC the size of their old Jornada 720 series clamshell handheld computers that they made many years ago. To me a UMPC should be small enough to carry in your coat pocket. That type of UMPC would solve the problem the market has had in creating a real value for many to buy. If they made a UMPC based on the 720 it would be the first true clamshell UMPC that provides a usable touch type keyboard and is small enough to carry everywhere. To me that is what the UMPC market needs; to give the maany of us normal computer users an coat size mini laptop that we can use as a primary computer on the go.

I think Dell and HP and any others should focus more on developing clamshell coat size UMPC's rather than making so called large UMPC's.

[Koz]

I bought this with 1.8 Ghz, 2Gig ram and 6 cell battery and after 2 day of using it tore out vista and installed xp-pro.
YES !! now it is a worthy companion and a good very sturdy minilaptop.
With Vista its a system hogger running on 100% processor capacity all the time getting so hot u would call it a lapcooker instead of a laptop.

Happy with it ?
Yes with xp-pro installed i'm a happy customer.

Koz, netherlands

[rodney]

how i the quality of the camera

[Luscious]

An Atom N270 would work great with the HP mininote, especially with Hyperthreading enabled, but I'm not too thrilled with the i945GSE chipset that's currently available for it. Intel really needs to develop a chipset to match the Atom for power, performance and design.

[Chip]

Can anyone suggest how to compensate for no disc drive? Workarounds?

Would this laptop handle Adobe CS3?

[Kevin C. Tofel]

Chip, with CD images you can use software to emulate an optical drive; we've covered those here before. A search for "virtual CD" should help.

I wouldn't recommend running Adobe CS3 on this or any other similar sub-note, simply based on the system requirements for the software. You're better off looking at a MacBook Air, Lenovo X300 or something else small, thin and in that price range.

[Chip]

@Kevin- Thanks for the virtual CD tip. I guess sub-notes are more or less for your getting admin stuff done on the go, eh? Too bad, the price is great.

[Janna]

So I want something like this for writing on the run, like during Capitol Hill hearings or conference events. And I don't want to feel like a draft animal lugging the machine, power cord and battery(ies). So what's the weight with the extended battery--and the length of a charge while the machine is in full operation? The 2.6 lb that HP brags about on its website is impressive (unless the battery adds another lb and the power cord comes in nearly as heavy. And of course HP's website doesn't answer these questions.

[James Kendrick]

Janna, the weight with the extended battery is a little over 3 lbs and the adapter is small and light.

[Hans Linkels]

I just wanted to know that the VGA resolution on the built-in screen is. As HP doesn't state it in the specs I hope I could find it in this Blog. But instead it... it was a video progressing with the speed of a snail. After 5 minutes I gave up. Thanks for making the video anyway.

[James Kendrick]

The screen resolution has been stated many times to be 1280x768.

[sakthi]

http://www.youtube.com/v/2NqV-ypOQRc&hl

[geofizz56]

I love mine, except it died in the first week while I was in SE Asia. Inconvenient, to say the least. However, HP Service was great - after suggesting a few things over the phone, they sent a prepaid box for overnight shipping to a repair station, and I had it back in under 2 weeks (apparently a main board fault). At my request they also re-imaged it with XP Pro instead of Vista. I can't tell if the improvement in performance is because of the repair or the OS, but either way it's now a very sweet machine.

[iShark]

the HP 2133 is a piece of shit. I got one to test for a school as we are moving to UMPC next year, however this machine only LOOKS good but when it came to turning it on, well I can only say that it was better off staying it the box, sold it on ebay for more than I bought it for and well, let someone else find the truth. HP should be shot, they put a VIA7 processor in a machine when the intel Atom was out? why?... this machine overheated so much, it was so hot you could have burned your hands on it. The machine was so hot that the keyboard was buckled to the extent that when you looked at the laptop, something didnt seem right! Put the Atom Chip in and make people happy, please!

[RalphR]

What you can't get from hp's specs is, what does a screen image look like? Your video was very helpful for this, and yes, you still get a full screen even on 8.9 inch display. I estimate that you may have to move your head forward about 14 inches for the screen to fill the same area of your field of vision as a 15 inch screen normally would.

One feature I like on hps is the ability to quickly switch off the touch pad. With a lot of typing, my thumb occasionally hits the touch pad and before I know it, my text is suddenly being entered on the document in the spot where the pointer was last parked (!).

[Hicap]

Hello,
You state in your review that the hp mini hard drive spins at 7200 rpm. I've searched the HP site and they only show 5400 rpm. What's up?

[James Kendrick]

The evaluation unit I was using had a 7200 rpm drive in it and you're right, it's not available any longer.

[LI]

I am desperately interested in this notebook, it's just that I'm concerned it doesn't have a CD/DVD drive. I think that this is still important for many people who are yet to transit from the 'old school'. I bet there would have been a space that can take a CD/DVD drive. Does any one know if I can request to have that added (as a custom order) from HP store/factory? How about basic free programs (eg. MS Office...free trial version), are they installed?,..or do you have to install from the scratch when you purchase this notebook?
thanks

[James Kendrick]

it is not an option. Very few notebooks smaller than 12" have a DVD drive.

[chris bell]

will the mini note be able to handle adobe premiere elements?

Please reply asap

[Anne Dixon]

How can I use the wireless from home. Are there wireless providers? I want to be able to use he wireless from home and when I am away from home.

[chris bell]

I believe you will have to get a broadbrand card with whatever cell service you have in order to get wireless away from home. I have one and it is actually very nice.

[Anne Dixon]

Thanks Chris I hope I can get one to work with this computer. Where do you connect the card?

[chris bell]

You can get one for the express card or a usb. who is you cellular carrier? (verizon? att?...)

[Anne]

My cellular carrier is Sprint.