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HP has officially unveiled the Mini 1000 netbook, which serves as a follow up to the Mini-Note 2133.  And a nice follow up it seems to be, based on the specs and available options for the Mini 1000 it seems HP has taken some of the disappointing factors from their original 2133 netbook and made some notable improvements.

To begin with, the Mini 1000 will eventually be available in three models: you have the Windows XP based model that will start at $399, the Ubuntu-based Mobile Internet Experience (“MIE”) model that will start at $379, and the limited edition Vivian Tam model which will start at $699.  As of now, the Windows XP model is available for purchase, while the MIE model is expected in early January.  The limited edition Vivian Tam model will be available “in time for the holidays.“

The Mini 1000 features a plastic outer shell as opposed to the aluminum casing found on the 2133, which may make it slightly less durable, but should also save some weight.  The Mini 1000 weighs in at a nice lightweight 2.25 pounds.

Otherwise a few of the other big changes will be found with the display, the Mini 1000 will be available with either an 8.9 or 10-inch display.  The 10-inch option is a nice addition, however the display resolution is now 1024 x 600 as opposed to the 1280 x 768 found on the 2133.  The 1024 x 600 is pretty standard with netbooks, but as someone who has used the 2133 pretty regularly, the 1280 x 768 will be missed, especially on the 10-inch model.  The display for both sizes will be LED backlit and made of flush glass.

Another change found in the Mini 1000 will be in the processor, gone is the VIA processor, and as you can most likely guess, HP has decided to use the more netbook-familiar Intel Atom processor, which clocks in at 1.6GHz.

The Mini 1000 comes standard with 512MB of RAM, with an option to upgrade to 1GB in the Windows XP model and 2GB in the Mobile Internet Experience model.  As for storage, you will have the option of either an 8GB SSD, 16GB SSD, or 4200RPM 60GB hard drive.  Additionally you can also add some secondary storage which includes either a 2, 4 or 8GB “HP Mini Mobile Drive.“  The HP Mini Mobile Drive is a removable USB drive that sits flush in the netbook.

The Mini 1000 also features an SD card reader, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, built-in webcam, Ethernet, two USB ports and the option to add Bluetooth.  Unfortunately the VGA out seems to have been left off.  Initially, the Mini 1000 will be shipping only with a 3-cell battery, however the 6-cell is expected to come as an option beginning in January.

Finally, and perhaps one of the most important features of the netbook—the keyboard.  HP has retained the very nice keyboard found in the original Mini-Note 2133, which means it is a nearly full size (92 percent) keyboard with a nice protective coating finish.

Product [HP Mini 1000]

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