Review: HP Mini Netbook 110 Series

Netbook is all the rage these days. Whats not to like: Cheap! Compact! Lightweight! and loaded with features. The perfect mobile experience! I'd even argue that with Intel's ATOM CPU clocked in at 1.6 GHz and 1GB of DDR2-6400 RAM, these things are often good enough to compete with a top of the line ultraportable laptops costing 6x as much from a year ago. Netbooks are making such a huge splash that electronics retailers have dedicated sections in store or on websites as well as seeing some of the best computer makers jumping into the scene (HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Asus, Acer, Dell and more...)

Yours truly got a hold of an HP Mini Netbook 110-1025DX which is sold for around $329 (Amazon $321). This Netbook happens to fit the exact bill for my purpose at the best price point. Depending on what you use your netbook for, you may want to consider all the options. To help you deicde, I will share with my requirement which is why I bought this unit:

Must have:
*CPU and RAM: Intel Atom CPU (N270 1.6GHz or faster), 1GB or higher
*I/O: Ethernet, WiFi, Webcam, Mic
*Screen: 10" screen with 1024 or higher resolution
*OS: Windows XP
Optional features (price influencers, 110-1025DX's features bolded):
*Storage: 16GBSSD, 32GB SSD, 160GB HDD or 250GB HDD (speed and battery life vs capacity)
*Battery: 3-cells vs. 6-cells (hours vs weight)

Overall, I was quite impressed with HP's Mini Netbooks 110 series. With the 3-cell battery, this netbook weights in around 2.6lbs and lasts for about 3 hours. HP did a great job with the keyboard design by giving you full size keys. The trackpad has a scroll bar built in with two buttons (one on each side) which takes a little while to get used to. Packed with 3 USB ports and 5-in-1 card reader, I had no problem connecting various accessories to this little powerhouse. I installed the usual set of utility software as my fullsize laptop and this little machine handled them just fine. Size wise, its about the size of a small text book and weights just a tad less than the MacBook Air. The AC/DC brick is even very small and light weight (about the size of a Snickers bar). I was really impressed with today's Netbook selections. Its cheesy to say this but "good things do come in small packages". HP Mini Netbook 110 series is definitely a cool mobile experience!