The market is now flooded with netbooks, the new type of ultraportable notebook computer, the little brother to the laptop.
With its Mini Note 2140 HP has managed to sacrifice very little in terms of performance when compared to the larger notebook range. Designed for professionals who need a small portable machine which can deliver a good experience, this model meets the needs of those who really need to keep going while on the road, and yet don't want to carry a bulky machine.
i-Tech tested this model for a few weeks and the impression it left was quite positive.
The model had the standard 10.1 inch diagonal glossy HP Illumi-Lite LED display in standard definition (1,024 x 576), a 92 per cent of full-size QWERTY keyboard, the Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 Gb of RAM, a 160 Gb SATA hard drive, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, an integrated VGA webcam, Windows XP Home and Microsoft Office 2007 - all in a sleek aluminium case that weighs a little more than one kilo.
Other configuration options available from HP include Windows Vista, up to 2 Gb of RAM and an 80 Gb solid-state drive.
The Mini 2140 breaks with the past in the sense that it sports the Intel Atom processor found in almost all other competing netbooks and not the Via processor on earlier models of the Mini.
The combination of the Atom, together with the lightweight XP operating system and 1 Gb of RAM made the use of the Mini 2140 a pleasure. We used it practically everywhere, from the office to the home, on the Gozo ferry and in open spaces with a Wi-Fi hotspot.
The screen, though an LED, is less bright than the previous model of the Mini but still provides a good picture. The secret of 2140 is the keyboard. At 92 per cent, the actual difference from a full-size keyboard or a 17-inch laptop is not felt and productivity was very good as a result. However the track pad with the side buttons does not perform as efficiently. The side scrolling with the finger was not responsive as we would have liked and we kept over scrolling without control most of the time. Attaching an external USB mouse solved the problem, and with two USB ports, we still had one left, though this meant carrying extra weight around.
Battery life was very good even when constantly using Wi-Fi which drains battery life rapidly. It gave us three hours solid when surfing internet and doing limited multi-tasking. This netbook makes few compromises in terms of performance, allowing for a very lightweight workhorse that is easy to carry around.