Wednesday, July 1, 2009

HP Mini 5101: Business cocktail


On what used to be targeted towards the schoolgrader market via the inception of OLPC, netbooks swoop the market with staggering might, like a digital Thor smashing the cold and conventions of an already established low cost PC market.

And just as we thought that netbooks are only a hybrid device of a student and a professional, here comes the business-centric netbook that might just changed the way we think of netbooks. 

HP Mini 5101, packed with a rugged anodized aluminum display enclosure with a black, brushed metal finish and a magnesium alloy chassis, is here to invade the passive, plasticky feel of most netbooks. Sure enough, this isn't the first time HP release an aluminum based netbook, but what makes this one stunningly different is its black glossy exterior that defines elegance and sophistication.

Due to its "squared" design philosophy, one may mistook this to that of an IBM Thinkpad or a pint-sized HP ProBook, both known to be business handicrafts. 

Just like the Toshiba NB200, HP Mini 5101 also features HP 3D DriveGuard, which offers a three-axis digital accelerometer chip that sends a signal to shut down the hard drive upon sudden movement or shock. In additon to that, the HP Panel Protection System also includes a scratch-resistant acrylic LCD cover and magnesium hinge bracket for added durability.

Deriving the HP ProBook design elements, the HP Mini 5101 has a newly designed, spill-resistant keyboard that is 95 percent of a full-size QWERTY keyboard. The keys are nice and large with significant spacing in between each key to prevent typos. The individual keys have "HP DuraKeys" coating which HP claims makes the keyboard 50 times more resistant to visible wear than keyboards without it. In addition, the mouse buttons are located in the traditional space below the touchpad, making for a familiar user experience. 

Other rafts of oustanding features include 2MP integrated webcam and stereo microphones, 160/250/320 GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard (supported on Windows models only); 80 GB Solid State Drive, 10.1-inch diagonal LED-backlit WSVGA (1024 x 600) / 10.1-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD (1366 x 768), 4-cell (29 WHr) or 6-cell (55 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W Smart AC Adapter, and since I am always at coffee shops, pne delight for me is the Kensington lock slot. 

Price starts at $499, so I dread it might be around Php24grand here. 

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