OK, I'm going to stop writing about the HP 2133/Mini-Note/Mini or whatever it's officially called soon. I promise. But in the meantime, check out James Kendrick's excellent review at jkOnTheRun. What sets this review apart from the PC World and Laptop Magazine reviews is that's it's clear James has spent some time using this mini laptop in real world conditions.
My one complaint with all of these articles is that HP seems to be giving all reviewers the top of the line $750 model with 2GB of RAM, Vista Business Edition, and all the extras. At $750, this computer is a great alternative to ultraportables of days gone by. But it's really not fair to compares it to an Eee PC which you can pick up for as little as $299. What I'd really like to know is how the $499 base unit with 1GB of RAM and SUSE Linux stacks up against the $399 Eee PC 4G, or better yet the upcoming Eee PC 900 which will feature a similar sized screen and may cost about the same price.
I highly recommend checking out James's complete writeup. But if you've got a half hour to spare, you can also watch his comprehensive video review below.
Word on the street was that HP would be launching its Asus Eee-PC competitor today. But the HP 2133 is nowhere to be found on the HP website, or at Newegg, TigerDirect, or a handful of other online stores i checked. But if the HP 2133 isn't available today, it looks like it will be soon. PC World got a chance to check out a review unit, and they deem it to be a sort of Eee PC for grownups.
It's a little bigger than the Eee PC, and weighs a bit more (it's almost 3 pounds, while the Eee PC is just 2). But it packs an attractive 8.9 inch, 1280 x 768 pixel screen, which is something that even the upcoming Eee PC 900 won't boast (it'll have a 1024 x 600 pixel display on its 8.9 inch screen).
Like the Eee PC, the HP 2133 has 3 USB slots, WiFi, Ethernet, an SD card slot, a Webcam, and VGA output. But it also adds a PC Express card slot.
The HP 2133 will come in several configurations, ranging from a $499 model with a 1GHz CPU and Linux to a $749 version with a 1.6GHz processor and Vista Business Edition. PC World says you can also order a unit with Windows XP if you're not feeling Vista.
Part of the appeal of the Eee PC is its low price and extremely low weight. But the difference between 2 and 3 pounds isn't all that great, and I would love to get my hands on an ultraportable with a super-sharp screen like the HP 2133. I've already decided I'm going to pick up something with a better screen than my Eee PC 4G. I was pretty sure I was going to go with the Eee PC 900, but now HP's making my decision a little bit tougher.
