CNET Editor's rating: 7.5 out of 10
Reviewed by
Dan Ackerman
Review date: 04/08/08
Release date: 04/08/08
The good: Inexpensive; solid construction; stylish design belies its budget price; nearly full-size keyboard.
The bad: Weak performance; unimpressive battery life; tiny touch pad; misses out on new Intel Atom CPUs.
The bottom line: Despite an underpowered CPU, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC offers the best balance of small size, comfort, and functionality we've seen in a mininotebook, making it fast a favorite for on-the-go use.
While the Asus Eee PC and Intel's Classmate and Netbook platforms have convinced us that low-cost, low-power laptops can be genuinely useful, we still long for something a little more upscale than the plastic construction of those systems. HP's bold entry into the mininotebook market comes in the form of the 2133 Mini-Note PC, a 9-inch laptop with a tailored look and magnesium alloy chassis that starts at $599 for Windows (or $499 for Linux) and tops out at $749 with extras including Bluetooth, a Webcam, a 7,200rpm hard drive, and 2GB of RAM.
The 2133's greatest asset is its unique keyboard, which manages to fit in full-size keys by eliminating dead space on the keyboard tray, but we're less enamored of the pokey Via processor, especially when Intel's Atom CPUs, seemingly designed specifically for systems like this, are right around the corner. Still, the HP 2133 Mini-Note works well enough for basic Web surfing and office productivity tasks, and it's quickly become our new favorite pick-up-and-go laptop.
Based on our initial impression of the 2133 Mini-Note, which we first saw under wraps at a New York steakhouse several weeks ago, we expected a much more expensive machine. Compared with most laptops in this price range, the 2133 looks as if it should cost a good deal more, with a solid brushed aluminum lid and a magnesium-alloy chassis. The system weighs a bit less than three pounds, but due to its small size, feels heavier than you would expect. The 7-inch Asus Eee PC has a slightly smaller footprint and weighs less, but its plastic construction feels positively toylike compared with that of the 2133.
The 2133's biggest selling point is its fantastic keyboard, which HP claims is 92 percent of the size of a full-size laptop keyboard. Both inexpensive mini-notebooks and high-priced UMPCs have been plagued by tiny Chicklet-like keys, which make typing a pain and typos plentiful. By expanding the keyboard right to the edges of the system, HP was able to fit bigger keys into the tray. The result is a comfortable typing experience. It also presents a unique, eye-catching look.
The touch pad also has an unusual shape, stretched into a letterbox-like wide rectangle. The touch surface is a little small, and the mouse buttons have been moved to the left and right sides of the touch pad, but this permits the system to have a minimal amount of wasted wrist rest space, and seems to be a fair trade-off, even if it takes some getting used to. There are no quick-launch or media control buttons, but a Webcam and speakers are mounted around the screen.
We felt constrained by the Eee PC's 800x400 resolution, so the 2133 Mini-Note's 1,280x768 resolution felt positively spacious in comparison, and is very close to the 1,280x800 resolution found on many 15-inch mainstream laptops. Text and images may be a bit small for your taste at this resolution on a 9-inch screen, but we found it acceptable. The screen also has a scratch-resistant finish, which was very glossy and susceptible to glare and reflections. We generally prefer matte screens.
HP 2133 Mini-Note PC
Average for category [ultraportable]
Video
VGA-out
VGA-out
Audio
Headphone/microphone jacks
Headphone/microphone jacks
Data
Two USB 2.0, SD card reader
Two USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD or multiformat memory card reader
While the 2133 lacks some high-end extras, such as optional mobile broadband or 801.11n Wi-Fi, it does have a welcome ExpressCard slot, so adding an after-market mobile broadband card from your favorite provider is a possibility. It also shows that you can add a decent number of connections without sacrificing portability, something we hope Apple will note in the next-gen MacBook Air.
While we looked at the highest-end $749 configuration, with 2GB of RAM, Vista Business, and a 120GB 7,200rpm hard drive, there are three less-expensive configurations available. For $599, you get bumped down to 1GB of RAM, Vista Home Basic, and a 120GB 5,400rpm hard drive, while the $549 version is the same, but with Linux substituted for Windows Vista. The cheapest version, at $499, has Linux and drops the hard drive completely for a 4GB SSD unit, similar to what's in the Asus Eee PC. A version with Windows XP, which requires less computing overhead than Vista, might be a good idea. Barring that, running Vista Basic would also help with performance.
There are an increasing number of options available for small laptop CPUs, including Intel's standard ULV chips (as seen in the Fujitsu LifeBook P1620), Celeron M chips (as in the Intel Classmate PC), the MacBook Air's custom version of the standard Intel Core 2 Duo, and the smartphone-based Intel A110 (as seen in the HTC Shift). Intel is also readying a new line of CPUs for low-power devices, named Atom, which should be debuting in products very shortly. The 2133 Mini-Note uses none of these, choosing instead to go for a 1.6GHz Via C7-M. We won't kid you--this CPU did not perform well at all on our standard benchmarking tests, coming in well behind even the HTC Shift, which we blasted for its own slow performance. We can't say we're surprised; we've found similarly underwhelming performance on UMPCs that utilize the Via C7-M chips, including the OQO Model 02 and WiBrain B1.
Having said that, when surfing the Web and working on office documents, we found the 2133 Mini-Note to be perform at an acceptable level, thanks in part to its 2GB of RAM and faster-than-usual 7,200rpm hard drive. Try doing very much more than that, or open too many windows at once, and things will start to bog down. We also ran into a few bugs with the system, such as when it would occasionally "recognize" a new display or optical drive, when, in fact, nothing was connected to it.
The 2133 Mini-Note ran for 1 hour and 31 minutes on our video battery drain test, using the included three-cell battery. That battery sits flush with the system, but the high-end configuration also comes with a six-cell battery. That battery is as large as two of the 3-cell models stacked together, and it raised the bottom of the system off our desk by nearly 1.5 inches. In anecdotal use, we got close to two hours of use from the 3-cell battery and around 4 hours from the 6-cell version, which is merely average.
HP includes an industry-standard, one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line or via HP's Web site, which features an online knowledge base and driver downloads.
Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds) (Shorter bars indicate better performance)
HP 2133 Mini-Note PC
Windows Vista Business Edition; 1.6GHz VIA C7-M Ultra Low Voltage; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; --MB VIA/SG3 UniChrome Pro II IGP; 120GB Seagate 7,200rpm
HTC Shift
Windows Vista Business Edition; 800MHz Intel A110; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Mobile Intel 945GM/GU Express; 40GB Toshiba 4,200rpm
Sony Vaio UX390N
Windows Vista Business Edition; 1.33GHz Intel Core Solo U1500; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express; 32GB NAND Flash Memory
Fujitsu LifeBook U810
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 800MHz Intel A110; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 64MB Mobile Intel 945GM/GU Express; 40GB Toshiba 4,200rpm
Fujitsu LifeBook P1620
Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage U7600; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 945GMS Express; 80GB Toshiba 4200rpm
Intro:
This configuration of the HP 2133 is a 2.6-pound, ultra compact notebook computer.Compared to other ultra compact notebooks on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $780.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.
Noteworthy Features:
Has only a 2.6-pound weight, which is considerably lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.In fact, the average cost of a product with this light a weight is $1,820.Also, this notebook has 2.0 GB RAM, which is more than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this ample a RAM is $1,585.
Weaker Features:
Only has a C7-M processor.This is not out of line with the product's price, but is less efficient than the average notebook on the market today.
Suitability:
A ultra light notebook, suited for traveling light.Comes with advanced word processing software; it comes with plenty of features for most document authors.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.
Value:
In view of its very inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.Generally, this economy-class model lacks curb appeal, but budget-minded consumers will like the low price.
Suggestions:
(1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) For help in deciding if this is the right notebook for you, see CNET's buying guide for notebooks.
7 out of 10 - Very good Why I think twice before buying - An ambivalent reaction to a device with obvious compromises.
First let me say I am an EEE 701 (4G) owner and much of my opinion is formed on a ...
First let me say I am an EEE 701 (4G) owner and much of my opinion is formed on a comparison between the HP Mini and the EEE. Since I cannot do a formal review (I have never seen an HP Mini in person), take my words with a grain of salt. HOWEVER, I sure have read a lot of reviews on the HP Mini and I feel my opinion is well-informed.
Overall, my suggestion is to wait before buying the HP Mini. HP crippled this laptop by incorporating that VIA C7-M processor. This is the very same crap CPU that is in a Cloudbook and in various other UMPCs with extremely sluggish, weak, miserable CPU performance. Furthermore the onboard VIA Chrome GPU (graphics) blows; this is quite evident in numerous reviews, wherein I read the HP Mini CANNOT support video SKYPE calls. That's pretty miserable. I seriously wonder if there is video conferencing potential for this device, with such poor performance as that.
HP needs to jump board to a better processor immediately if they expect to command a lead in this particular niche in the laptop industry. I will never commit any of my money toward the purchase on a device with a VIA C7-m powering it. Trust me, you want Intel-brand quality.
The best comment that I've seen that pretty much sums it up is a comment I read on the eeeuser.com forums: HP has pretty much released a nice, sleek corvette-class laptop, and then ruined it by using a lawnmower engine under the hood.
For the "premium" version at $750, you are not getting your money's worth with that CPU powering the device. If you doubt that statement, then you probably aren't aware that Dell was selling its D420-series laptop (12", ultraportable, slightly larger/heavier but otherwise superior in every aspect) at just $699 a couple weeks ago. Yeah... and that was for a Intel Dual or Single Core ULV Centrino.
Do the smart thing, wait and demand a better CPU chipset. Intel Atom or better. None of this VIA garbage.
(PS the other thing that drives me wild is the big, fat, obtuse bezel... they could have easily slipped in a larger, 10 or 11" LCD in there, and then Sony would REALLY have something to sweat over.)
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by qldk (see profile) -
April 8, 2008
4 out of 10 - Mediocre A Beautiful Disaster. Paralyzing Performance.
i was really disappointed when this thing was coming with a via cpu. the 2gb ram is nice to have, ...
i was really disappointed when this thing was coming with a via cpu. the 2gb ram is nice to have, but the via cpu cripples the performance. im sorry to say, but when using the computer, the last thing i care about is the appearance of the casing. the most important thing is what is on the display and how long you have to wait till progress appears. the $500 price tag is reasonable to start with, but to add windows and 2gb ram bumping up the price to almost 800 is absurd! i might as well carry a used 13 inch xps for that price!
the only choice for a true bargain sub-notebook at around $500-$700 is the 9 inch eee. better performance, cheaper price.
if HP upgrades the cpu to actually become useable, i'll reconsider. till then, this is just another rotten apple sprayed with air freshener.
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by silvershox (see profile) -
April 17, 2008
7 out of 10 - Very good Think Isaiah before leaping in
Via has started to sample their Isaiah processor, which is drop in replacement to the C7. I'll wait for ...
Via has started to sample their Isaiah processor, which is drop in replacement to the C7. I'll wait for that model to show up before purchasing the 2133. This will make it at par with Intel Atom, and increase the battery life
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by JCR66 (see profile) -
April 8, 2008
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great Portable laptop! WINDOX XP is a must
I have had the HP2133 for 3 days and have loved every minute of it...once I had installed XP ...
I have had the HP2133 for 3 days and have loved every minute of it...once I had installed XP instead of Vista. There is no doubt this little computer runs 200 times better running XP. If you are looking for a great portable laptop this is the one, especially for the price.
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by craigasian (see profile) -
April 30, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great notebook for what it is supposed to be
I actually own one of these. This is not a knock on some of the other reviews but, in my ...
I actually own one of these. This is not a knock on some of the other reviews but, in my opinion, it's tough to accurately review a product by reading the specs. I bought the $750 version because I wanted bluetooth. After setting up Vista, I replaced the hard drive with a 250gb drive and installed Windows XP. Sound was an issue but a little bit of searching uncovered a fix.
I got the thing for its portability, not its performance so the processor wasn't a big issue. What I wanted was a highly portable notebook capable of basic word processing and getting online. I can play games at home.
I do have a couple of issues with the notebook. I don't care for the awkward battery. HP isn't selling the 3-cell battery at this time. When transporting the notebook, it sits on the back side. I hope the shape of the 6-cell battery doesn't put too much of a strain on the latch holding the battery in place. The only other issue is the heat. After a while, this thing gets pretty hot. The shape of the 6-cell battery helps with air flow.
I really like that the notebook is soundly constructed, from the metal exterior to the screen covering to protect the display. I don't mind the bezel around the screen because it allows for a larger keyboard.
Despite the battery and the heat, I would recommend this notebook to anyone looking for a basic notebook that is highly portable.
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by Sapper19 (see profile) -
April 24, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Pretty weak
I pre ordered one of these bad boys and am very glad that I did, I love it! I got ...
I pre ordered one of these bad boys and am very glad that I did, I love it! I got the one for 550 that came with Linux, Linux would not work with wireless for whatever and now I am using Vista Business SP1. Everything works great, I trimmed down some fat within Vista and disabled Aero and achieved a score of 1.7 with the CPU being the weak point, everything was 2.4 or higher besides the CPU.
I would really like to see something other than the crumby VIA in these things off the bat, its not horrible like everyone says (im used to using an Dell X300 1.2 Pent. III and it is a bit faster) but is by no means quick.
it takes an insane amount of time to load up Apps such as Word, and find connecting to my works terminal server and using word remotley to be quicker in the long run. I will be adding 1 GB of ram, maybe that will help a bit.
The MiniNote has a neat HDD sensor that detects bumps and free falls and parks the disk and shines an orange light to let you know it is working, but I often find it staying stopped even several seconds after the bump, causing the system to pause for a bit and wasting my time.
the LCD, Great though it may be, is too small for the bezel. they could have EASILY stuck a 10.2 or so sized LCD in there with the same resoloution (which is the highest in its class BTW [compare the mini notes 1280x768 to the EEE 9's 1024x600...]) and would have caused less squinting.
by far the worst part about the computer is the support for it. HP has no clue about this thing, asks me if its a Pavilion or Presario even though it is neither and provides no help at all. some of the specs on HPs site are wrong and they seem to not give a damn about my one loose hinge or stuck pixels.
overall, this is a GREAT laptop for anyone who wants to be connected to the internets all the time, as it offers an express card slot for mobile broad band cards and TONS of other accessories that many other tiny-books dont offer. the two USB ports is somewhat weak, and I would prefer HDMI out over the VGA, but you get what you get.
at time of writing, the XP driver support is poor and it left me without sound, proper video and a few other things: LAN and Wireless were found through XPs driver grabber
im starting to babble... Buy one of these over the EEE, you will not be sorry you did, I just typed up this entire thing on my Mini and have made only a few backspace strokes, where as the EEE has a miserable keyboard...
SUMMARY:
*ALMOST* Full keyboard good speakers VGA webcam nice touch pad Apple Esque hinges runs Vista without a hitch capacious HDD
super, super hot tiny LCD in huge bezel, looks like EEE, has "Ears" webcam sux, is useless stereo mic? why HP, why? no mini firewire not enough USB bluetooth not standard no included ExpressCard cards: card reader would be great and would free up room for another RAM slot maybe... NIC not G/bit LED indicators not consistand color... weird did I mention it gets HOT!?!?!
10 out of 10 - Perfect THIS HP2133 ROCKS
i have just received mine and i love it i have set it up for marketing many of my web ...
i have just received mine and i love it i have set it up for marketing many of my web sites and running ibppro i live in tonga hot wet and remote my wireless sat com work great with this and the blue tooth is great for video feed i fly between tonga us and new zealand weekly so it takes the abuse like a old pair of shoes the more it works the better it feels it can only get better i run two mac book pros for editing film this is so much nicer for travel and leave the big macs at home did i say the price what a great deal take a look at www.resolveillness.com i built this site all on my 2133 on my way to la not bad and who said it was slow anyway if you need more info e-mail me at Dave@resolvearthritis.com enjoy
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by resolveherpes (see profile) -
June 15, 2008
10 out of 10 - Perfect Perfect with Windows XP
Install windows XP and you have a perfect machine for the road.
Install windows XP and you have a perfect machine for the road.
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by rnnice32 (see profile) -
May 30, 2008
7 out of 10 - Very good So close, yet so far
I'm not an Owner (yet). This is just my opinion after months of research. HP will sell a lot ...
I'm not an Owner (yet). This is just my opinion after months of research. HP will sell a lot of these until Asus hits the street with their 8.9" version. And will lose further ground when Atom-equipped competitors appear. Via was a bad choice. Other than that, it's freakin' gorgeous but a bit heavy. All of these type units will come down to very specific User needs IMHO. Weight? This one won't win. OS? It should've been outfitted with XP -- the boot time is unacceptable. Design? Very nice -- just wrong-headed thinking on the CPU and OS. Price? They're getting too close to a real notebook on the beefier configurations -- sub $500 is the max; around $400 is perfect.
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by Guy Owen (see profile) -
April 13, 2008
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