HP announced the Mini 5101 back in late June and we just got one into the ‘Gear office for review. As John noted back when it was announced, the 5101 isn’t a netbook and it’s fallen into the relatively new category of ultralights. I really liked the Mini 1000 and 2140, but the 5101 might be my new favorite.
Here’s a quick rundown of the specs for the review unit we were sent:
• Windows XP
• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor (512KB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB)
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB HDD
• 10.1-inch LED WSVGA
• 6-cell battery
HP tells me this particular setup runs about $425 with the 6-cell battery, but I haven’t been able to replicate it on the HP site.
First Impressions
The all black magnesium and brushed aluminum shell is gorgeous. However, it appears to be prone to smudges so you’ll want to keep a cloth handy to wipe it down. The (almost) full sized keyboard is leaps and bounds better than the Mini 1000 or 2140. I love the keyboard. Love it. I dislike the trackpad at the moment. It’s a bit too sticky for my tastes, but better than other HP laptops that I’ve had in the past. Two quick launch buttons (Internet, E-mail) are located near the power button, which is now located above the keyboard.
So far, so good. The 5101 ultralight is a gorgeous little laptop. It’s lightweight despite the 6-cell battery and HP really nailed it in the looks department with this one. We’ll have a full review in a week or so.
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