It may seem as if Hewlett-Packard is arriving somewhat late to the Netbook game with its HP Mini 1000 battery, but the company's business division has offered a similar system, the 2133 Mini-Note PC since the spring of this year. That model scored points with the best Netbook keyboard we've seen and a solid metal construction, but the wimpy VIA processor (and a higher price than other Netbooks) kept it from being a top contender.

We were certainly suitably impressed by HP's new Mini 1000 netbook when we got our hands on it earlier this week, and it looks like that may be the common sentiment about the device, at least if this first batch of reviews is any indication. Like us, other folks were especially impressed by the netbook's keyboard, with Computer Shopper, Laptop Magazine, and PC World each singling it out as one of the stand-out features, and CNET going so far as to declare it "the best netbook keyboard" they've seen. Each of the aforementioned sites also welcomed the step up to the now standard Atom processor and, of course, the cut in price compared to HP's more business-minded 2133 model. That's not to say the hp pavilion dv9000 series battery is without its drawbacks, however, with most complaining about the lackluster 3-cell battery (though that's due for an upgrade in January), as well as those unfortunately placed trackpad buttons and, last but not least, its glossy screen -- although, as is often the case, there's not exactly a consensus on that last point, and Laptop actually lists it as a plus. Still undecided? Then dig into the links below for plenty more details, pics, and benchmarks.

HP's second-generation foray into the mini-laptop space, also known as netbooks--the HP Mini 1000--has a couple of advantages over its predecessor (the HP 2133, which we reviewed back in early April). Gone is the Via C-7M processor; gone, too, is the pipe dream that any current netbook could handle Windows Vista (the Mini 1000 runs Windows XP). The dell inspiron 6400 battery that we received for testing packs Intel's 1.6-GHz Atom processor; 1GB of RAM; a 4200-rpm, 60GB PATA hard disk; and Windows XP. Translation: It falls in place with the rest of the current mini-notebook pack.

HP Mini 1000 specifications:

• Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor
• 60GB 4200 RPM PATA Hard Drive
• 1GB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz)
• Windows XP Home operating system
• 10.2" WSVGA LED-Backlit 1024 x 600 LCD
• Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone/mic jack, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Ethernet 10/100
• Webcam (1.3 MP)
• Battery: 11.1v 26Wh 3-cell battery
• Wireless: 802.11b/g, Bluetooth
• One-year warranty
• Size: 10.3 in (L) x 6.56 in (W) x 0.99 in (H)
• Weight: 2lbs 7.7oz, 3lbs 1.8oz with AC adapter
• Price as configured: $499
  

Mini 1000 battery life on this little guy is thankfully better than the MSI Wind. Both have a 3-cell battery, but the Wind is lucky to get 1 hr and 45 mins of use per charge. I was able to work an additional hour on the mini. I suppose 2hrs and 45 mins isn’t that bad. Of course, I wish it were longer.

The mini 1000 gets a little warm on the bottom after it’s been running for awhile. It’s not exactly hot, but it is warm enough to cause the internal fan to kick on. Fan = noise, which I’m not a big fan (ha!) of. I’m being really picky here, but hey, that’s just me. It’s definitely not a deal breaker…

On the front there are two slider buttons with a build-in led in the round part. The left slider button is to turn the acer aspire one battery on, and has a white LED embedded. Right next to the slider you can find an LED for showing harddisk-activity, and one LED which shows the if the HP Mini 1000 is connected to the power supply or not.

Furthermore you can find on the front edge the second slider button which is for control of the wireless connections Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With one sliding gesture you can turn these wireless radio’s on and off. The build-in LED shows blue light when the wireless radio’s are on and red light when the radio’s are turned off.

The reviewed 2.25-pound Mini 1000 features a 10.2-inch 1024×600 display, Intel’s Atom processor, 512MB or 1GB of DDR2 memory, up to 16GB of solid state drive storage or a 60GB hard drive, a built-in web camera, 3-cell battery, and Windows XP operating system. The notebook is also available with an 8.9″ screen.

HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Special Edition with Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor N270 (1.60GHz); 60GB 4200RPM PATA Hard Drive; FREE Upgrade to 1GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)!!; Genuine Windows XP Homewith Service Pack 3. Tired of sacrificing glamour for.

Performance, which is in line with other Atom-powered notebooks, is a huge step up from the Mini-Note 2133.Where the Mini-Note 2133 turned in a score of just 23 on Cinebench 9.5, the Mini 1000 scored 135 in the same test. Overall performance is very responsive for tasks like e-mail, Web browsing, writing, and light number-crunching, but as with all netbooks, it’s more suited for video and audio playback than it is for multimedia content editing and conversion. The dell latitude d600 series battery completed our Windows Media Encoder test in 27 minutes and 8 seconds, and our iTunes encoding test in 19 minutes and 24 seconds. That puts it in the same performance ballpark as other Atom-powered netbooks such as the $439 Lenovo IdeaPad S10, which earned 133 on Cinebench 9.5 and completed our Windows Media Encoder and iTunes tests in 24 minutes and 10 seconds and 20 minutes and 5 seconds, respectively.

The HP Mini 1000 Mi (pronounced "me") Edition uses the same design as the popular Mini 1000, but it runs HP's Mobile Internet (Mi) software rather than Windows--a simplified interface that is much better than those found on other Linux Netbooks, such as the original dell 1x793 battery and Asus Eee PC battery. The main feature of the interface is the convenience of HP's Home screen, which gives you access to e-mail, Web, music, photos, and a program launcher through multiple launch panels, rather than a traditional desktop. For an Internet appliance-style design, it's well done, but it will appeal to only a select audience. We suspect most will still want the flexibility and familiarity of Windows.

As a solid second act following the original Mini-Note, the HP Mini 1000 goes up against the Lenovo IdeaPad S10, the MSI Wind, and the Acer Aspire One—all of which have 10-inch screens, robust features, and run on the Intel Atom platform. Design is a huge win for the dell latitude c800 battery, as the flush screen, inlaid patterns, and large keyboard are superior to what its rivals offer. The drawbacks are its awkwardly placed mouse buttons and slow hard drive. Pricing is another uncertain area for HP. The base price starts at $399 for Windows XP, but as you tack on a spinning hard drive, the 10-inch screen, the six-cell battery, and WWAN, the 1000 becomes more expensive than the Wind and the S10.