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HP has just formally announced the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC and we are already seeing quite a few hands on reviews coming in. Judging from what is being written the Mini-Note is going to be a solid force in the UMPC market. As we mentioned earlier today, the Mini-Note PC will be priced (starting) at $499 and be available later in the month.

Lets get on with the reviews…

Notebooks.com:
Aside from a few minor issues the review was overall very positive. The few cons that were noted were in regards to the heat and fan noise, and that the display did not tilt back far enough. As someone considering the Mini-Note as a replacement for an upgrade to the Eee or Cloudbook that may be an issue depending on your style of use, for those who want an ultra-portable to sit back on the couch and surf, the display could become an issue, or more accurately a pain in the neck.

“The HP 2133 blew away my expectations and I’d be comfortable relying on the HP 2133 while on short business trips or on vacation.”

“The HP 2133 Mini-Note is not the cheapest compact notebook you can buy, but it is the best value hands down. While other notebooks in this category look and feel like they should be sold at Toys R Us, the 2133 comes across as a serious business computer at a price that’s unbelievable.”

jkOnTheRun:
Once again it seems to be an overall positive review, something to note is that they mentioned Vista Business ran well without any performance issues but pointed out they had a notebook with 2GB of RAM and would not feel as confident with only 1GB. Otherwise the keyboard had “good travel depth” while the keyboard and trackpad were “delightful.”

“I think HP has a real winner on their hands with the Mini.  I find it to be a capable notebook computer that is highly portable and the build quality is outstanding.  I also find it impressive that the total price swing from entry level (with Linux) to fully loaded is only $250 and there is no question in my mind that the Mini is the best built UMPC at this price level.”

PCMag.com:
In what seems to be a pattern forming, PC Mag also gave the Mini-Note and overall positive review, giving it a 4-out-of-5 or Very Good rating. They pointed out the HP 2133 offers an “Apple-like design” which comes (at least in my oninion) as a compliment. They also had similar comments as the other reviews, noting that the keyboard was comfortable and that the 7,200 RPM hard drive was very hot. They concluded with a unique take as their Bottom Line:

“The HP Mini-Note is not quite an Eee PC killer, but it’s a super-sleek ultra-mobile PC that will sell out as quickly as the Eee PC did.”

NotebookReview.com:
In keeping with the patterns we have seen so far NotebookReview had some similar likes and dislikes about the Mini-Note PC. They noted the keyboard quality, build quality, multiple configuration options and mentioned that it was the “most attractive 8.9-inch notebook we’ve ever seen.” Their cons once again focused on the Via processor and the fact that Vista may require a little too much power, however they also disliked the placement of the touchpad buttons and felt the screen was a little too reflective.

“The HP 2133 Mini-Note is one of the most impressive subnotebooks we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, the amazing design and solid range of features are diminished by a sub-par processor and a price tag that places this notebook dangerously close to far superior 12-inch notebooks such as the HP tx2000.

HP managed to create the single most impressive ultraportable notebook on the market ... and then decided to put a lackluster processor inside.

Despite the poor processor performance, the HP 2133 Mini-Note is a remarkably solid machine that could be a perfect fit for students, teachers, or mobile business professionals. If HP decides to replace the VIA processors with the new Intel Atom processors or alternative processors from Intel, the Mini-Note would become the undisputed champion of the subnotebook market.”

And finally a nice video walkthrough, and possibly what convinced my to seriously consider picking up a Mini-Note of my own, courtesy of Notebooks.com:

Product [HP]

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