The HP Mini 1000 is the first consumer focused netbook from HP and enters a market that is becoming more and more crowded by the day.  I recently reviewed the Acer Aspire One netbook to take a look at the feasibility of using it as a student notebook and here we are today taking a look at the 10.2″ screen HP Mini 1000 to see how it stacks up for such usage.

The Mini 1000 is a follow-up to the successful HP Mini 2133, the major difference is that the Mini 1000 is sold through the HP Home Store while the Mini-Note 2133 is sold via the HP Small Business and Education channel.  The Mini 2133 also starts at a price of $499 while the Mini 1000 starts at $399.  Here’s a comparison of basic internal spec differences between these HP netbooks:

The main draw for the HP 2133 is a more durable build, higher resolution screen and higher capacity storage options.  The Mini 1000 has the advantage of a faster Intel Atom processor, lighter weight and cheaper price.

The specs for the HP Mini 1000 being reviewed are as follows:

• Processor: Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.60GHz)
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• OS: Genuine Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3
• Screen: 10.2″ diagonal WSVGA HP LED Brightview Infinity Display (1024 x 600)
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 System Memory
• 60GB 4200RPM PATA Hard Drive
• Wireless-G Card
• 3 Cell Lithium Polymer Battery

Here’s the box the Mini 1000 comes in and then everything you get inside

Build and Design

One advantage the Mini 1000 has over the Acer Aspire One is the fact you can configure it with a larger 10.2″ screen.  The Aspire One had a smaller 8.9″ screen.  The HP also comes in being thinner and lighter, despite the fact it has an overall larger footprint which equates to a fuller sized keyboard.  The weight of the Mini 1000 without the power brick and cord is 2.5lbs and the total travel weight with the power cord and brick comes to 3.25lbs (3lbs 4 oz).

HP Mini 1000 weigh-in with and without the power adapter and cord

The Mini 1000 is solidly built, certainly superior in construction to the Asus Eee PC which feels like a kids toy with its thin plastic case.  The Mini 1000 also brings good looks to go with its solid build.  I think most will agree that the black glossy finish with subtle swirl patterns is attractive.  The only issue at hand with the glossy finish is that you’ll have to constantly be wiping off fingerprints if you are a stickler for cleanliness.  For those that would prefer something a little more edgy and loud in terms of design, HP will be releasing the Vivienne Tam edition red finish and flower patterns sometime in the next couple of months.

Below is a size comparison of the Mini 1000 to a DVD

Below is a size comparison of the Mini 1000 comparison to Aluminum 13.3″ MacBook

Aluminum MacBook next to HP Mini 1000

Keyboard

The keyboard for the Mini 1000 is a standout in the world of netbooks.  The keyboard is spacious for such a size notebook, though it is still not full-size (it’s 92% full-size) so you will still have to adjust to the smaller keys and travel range.  This is just part of the territory with netbooks.  One thing that’s really great about the Mini 1000 keyboard is the textured keys that provide a nice feel while typing.  The touchpad is responsive and well placed, it’s wider than it is tall to match the widescreen layout.  The mouse buttons are reactive and springy to the touch with nice feedback, though the downside is they rest flush along the left and right side of the touchpad making for a somewhat awkward control experience.

Performance

The performance of the Atom processor is very good when compared to the paltry performance seen in the Mini 2133 that uses a VIA processor.  The Atom N270 running at 1.60GHz provides a very responsive experience when performing tasks such as e-mail, web browsing, typing papers or simple games.  Video playback and audio playback via iTunes or Windows Media Player is very good, but when it comes to more demanding tasks such as video encoding or multimedia editing the processor will show its weakness and take a long time to perform such tasks.

Storage

HP offers several options for storage on the Mini 1000.  You can either go with a traditional larger sized hard drive, such as the 60GB on this review model, or a smaller but faster SSD that can be had in either 8GB or 16GB varieties.  I would recommend most go with the larger 60GB drive if you have any intention of storing media or a lot of work documents on the Mini 1000 — even large PowerPoint presentations and PDF files can start to eat up storage space fast these days.  The 60GB hard drive upgrade will cost an extra $50, but if you’ve got 4-years of school ahead of you then chances are you’ll end up with several Gigabytes of work and notes.

Battery

Battery life is a key factor with portable notebooks.  Unfortunately, what we’ve seen with most netbooks to date is middling battery life simply due to the fact you can only fit a small size lithium-ion battery into this small form factor.  Some netbooks have only been getting 2 hours of battery life per charge.  I was able to achieve 2 hours 45 minutes of battery life under light usage, screen at medium brightness and wireless on with the Mini 1000.  This is not bad at all, though not quite at the 3 hour battery life mark I’d like to see.  When using the Mini 1000 to play back music and video with the screen brightness at full the battery life dropped to 2 hours and 5 minutes.  The only option for the Mini 1000 at present is the included 3-cell battery, eventually a 6-cell battery should be offered by HP.  If you have a class that goes for longer than 3 hours, you should look either find a power outlet to plug into during the class or take necessary measures to preserve battery.  Unfortunately with the power manager settings HP includes there is no way to down clock the processor to a slower more battery friendly speed, so you’ll need to rely on dimming screen brightness and turning off wireless to conserve battery.

Screen

Below is a look at the HP Mini 1000 screen, notice how bright it appears in the dark

The Mini 1000 screen is yet another highlight of this notebook.  At full brightness the screen is blazing, so much so that you’ll want to stay at a mid-level setting to save both your eyes and the battery.  The horizontal viewing angles are good, while vertical viewing angles middling, which is typical of a notebook screen.  The glossy screen makes colors appear crisp and bold, but also means you’ll get some annoying reflection. The WSVGA resolution on the 10.2-inch screen ends up giving you a 1,024 x 600 pixel display.  Once again, as is the case with other netbooks, you’ll be strained to fit much on the screen and you’ll be doing a lot of vertical scrolling to get through web pages.  You can get a smaller 8.6-inch screen which saves you $50, but that means the cramped screen becomes even more of an issue.  It’s a shame HP did not go with a higher resolution screen such as the XGA found on the HP 2133.

Above is a screenshot of the typical amount you’ll be able to see on the Mini 1000 screen

Ports and Wireless

In terms of ports the HP Mini 1000 offers two USB ports, a headphone/mic jack, SD slot, Ethernet port, and mini-VGA monitor out (you’ll need to purchase an adapter to use this with a monitor).  The Mini 1000 has a VGA web-cam for those that want to partake in video chat or skype video calls.  In terms of wireless you get an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connection and option for Bluetooth 2.1.  Unfortunately there is no option for WWAN via providers such as Verizon or AT&T, nor is there an ExpressCard slot for those that have an existing wireless card modem that fits in that type of slot.

Right side view of HP Mini 1000 (SD / MMC card, Ethernet port)

Left side view of Mini 1000 (power jack, USB port, fan, mini-VGA out, microphone/headphone jack)

Front view of HP Mini 1000, power switch and wireless switch

Usage for School

One very good piece of news with the Mini 1000 is that it is relatively quiet, much more so than the Acer One netbook that I found to be exceedingly loud in quiet environments such as a classroom.  If you’re using the Mini 1000 in a classroom with ambient noise such as air conditioning or heat then it will be enough to blot out the noise produced by the Mini 1000.  However, if you’re in a room where a pin drop can be heard then certainly the Mini 1000 will be audible.  The keyboard is not overly noisy so no need to worry about that distracting others.

The best reason of course for using a Mini 1000 to take around campus is its small size and weight.  The footprint is small enough that it will easily fit on a desk.  The light weight and thin design of the Mini 1000 will ensure that you can easily put this device in  your backpack along with the other books you’ll need to carry.  It would of course be wise to get a sleeve to put the Mini 1000 in to prevent scratching and give a little extra cushioning from those heavy books you might also be carrying.

The major problem with the Mini 1000 for taking notes in class is of course the small screen size.  A notebook with a 13.3″ or 14.1″ screen and higher resolution display will make it far easier to see more of your notes at once, and probably make you more effective in taking notes.

Conclusion

In the world of netbooks the Mini 1000 deserves praise for its durable build, good keyboard and nice screen.  When you compare the Mini 1000 I got priced at $549 to larger notebooks you’ll of course find it’s a slower performer, has less storage space, has a restricted amount of viewing and the keyboard won’t be as easy to use as that of say a 14.1″ screen.  If you know a mini notebook fits your needs and you’re just looking for a companion web device to take on the go, the Mini 1000 is worth considering, if you have $500 - $600 to spend on a laptop for school then you’ll be better served by looking at a budget priced 14.1″ or 15.4″ screen notebook.

Pricing and Where to buy

The HP Pavilion Mini 1000 notebook is available configure to order at HP.com and varies in price depending on the promotions and marketing going on during any given week.  Right now the starting price is at $399.  Don’t forget the student discount that HP offers.  And if you liked this review and it was helpful to you, we’d really appreciate you using this sponsored link to click through and buy this HP notebook so that HP knows you were here and found the review helpful