BEST TOP 10 NETBOOK
HP Mini 1000
The first HP netbook, the 2133 Mini-Note, wasn’t particularly impressive, so we weren’t expecting much from the Mini 1000. Fortunately, HP has learned from its mistakes (wrong CPU, rubbish storage, wrong operating system) and created the Mini 1000.
Design and usability
A relatively large chassis gives the Mini 1000 a keyboard that’s more comfortable than the Vaio P series, and indeed many of its rivals in this list. The mouse trackpad is something of a joke, however. Its selector buttons live to the left and right of the trackpad instead of directly below it, so it’ll take some getting used to. The glossy screen is annoying, too, as it renders the laptop virtually unusable in direct sunlight. That’s a real shame, as outside is exactly where you’d want to show this thing off — particularly in its gorgeous Vivienne Tam livery.
Connectivity
We’re not sure what HP was smoking during its design meetings, but connectivity on the Mini 1000 is bizarre, at best. It has just two USB ports — one fewer than you get on most netbooks — and has one shared audio jack that supports either a mic or headphones, but not both simultaneously. If that wasn’t weird enough, HP’s included a proprietary (recessed USB) port designed to work only with the HP Mini Mobile Drive — basically an elongated memory key. There’s no VGA video output port, either, so you’ll need a USB to VGA adaptor for that.
Performance and battery life
The Mini 1000 delivers far better performance than the 2133. Its Intel Atom N270 CPU is the same as the vast majority of the netbooks in our top ten, however, so it’s not significantly better or worse than the competition in everyday use. Battery life is pretty average, though. It lasted 2 hours 44 minutes in our video playback test.
Should I buy it?
HP’s made some strange decisions with the Mini 1000 — the lack of an integrated VGA output port, not enough USBs, a strange mouse and a glossy screen being just four of them. There are better netbooks available, but it’s still worth considering for its great looks and fantastic keyboard.
Places to buy: AMAZON.COM
By Cnet.co.uk
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