Advertisement

Home > Netbook Reviews > HP Mini 2140

HP Mini 2140

Editor's rating (1-5):
Discuss this product
Where to Buy

What's hot: LED backlit display, metal casing, large keyboard.

What's not: A tad heavier than some other netbooks and pricier than some.

Reviewed May 15, 2009 by Lisa Gade, Editor in Chief

The HP Mini 2140 is HP's "business" and education netbook, while their Mini 1000 series targets consumers. The 2140 is the update to the first generation 2133, and there's significant improvement in the 2140. The VIA CPU in the 2133 has been banished and replaced by the ubiquitous Intel Atom N270 running at 1.6GHz. While the VIA was sluggish, hot and battery-eating, the Atom is cool, frugal and fast for a budget ultraportable processor. HP has kept our and everyone else's favorite: the 92 percent of full-sized notebook keyboard that even large-fisted men can hunker down with. HP was the first to understand that a large netbook keyboard is a must, and thus extended the keyboard area to the very edges of the notebook's chassis. Dell's Mini and Sony with their Vaio P followed suit, and we hope that all netbook manufacturers will jump on the bandwagon.

The trackpad on the other hand, is a little funky. Similar to the Acer Aspire One's, the right and left mouse buttons sit beside the trackpad rather than below it. That makes them un-ergonomic, though it does allow for a smaller wrist rest area.

HP's netbooks, especially the business line, cost more than the budget Asus Eee PC, Acer Aspire One and HP's own Mini 1000 line. If saving money is the reason you're shopping for a netbook, the HP 2140, currently starting at $449 on an HP promotion, and running up to $599 off-promotion, might stretch your budget. But the 2140 does add several features that are worth the money, including a brushed aluminum casing, hard drive protection (head-parking during sudden movement), an ExpressCard/54 slot, Bluetooth (generally absent on low end netbooks) and WiFi with draft-N support (most netbooks offer 802.11b/g).

The Mini has a 10.1" HP Illumi-Lite LED backlit display with a glossy finish and flush design. The resolution is 1024 x 576, a little lower than the more common 1024 x 600 netbook resolution. Those 600 pixels are annoying enough because dialog boxes and preference settings run off the bottom of the display, and you just might reach that OK or cancel button by dragging the window to the very top of the display. With 576 pixels, there's no hope, so you'll have to hit the enter button for OK (praying that OK is the default) and escape to cancel. HP has recently released a 1366 x 768 version for as little as $30 more and we highly recommend that option.

The 8.9" Acer Aspire One and 10.1" HP Mini 2140.

The display is very nice, especially for a budget-oriented product. LED backlighting uses less power and makes for a bright display with richer colors. The display has vibrant colors and is plenty bright. While the high gloss surface increases contrast and makes blacks look deeper, it also picks up plenty of glare (the same is true of most glossy displays). Text is crisp and easy to read, even at small sizes and photos and videos look lovely.

The Acer Aspire One, HP Mini 2140 and Sony Vaio P.

Conclusion

Netbooks aren't the bastion of quality and high end features. Sony's Vaio P caters to those who want little compromise in a tiny package, but at a higher price ($899 to $1,199). The HP Mini 2140 sits in between: it's closer to budget netbooks in size and price but adds key features like an aluminum casing for rigidity and good looks, WiFi draft N for faster wireless, Bluetooth (very handy if you wish to use your mobile phone as a modem for the Mini or just want to use a Bluetooth mouse) and an ExpressCard/54 slot. The construction is excellent, the machine looks good and that metal casing adds weight but it's still fairly light at 2.6 lbs. with the 3 cell battery. HP's software support is good, and they release easily installable drivers and firmware updates which is an advantage over the Eee PC and Acer netbooks. Acer's firmware updates require technical prowess while HP's are painless and it's maddening to upgrade RAM on the Acer (it requires complete disassembly).

Pro: Excellent keyboard, fast WiFi draft N with good range and throughput, Bluetooth, easy to upgrade memory and hard drive

Con: Pricier than some netbooks, but you do get what you pay for.

Price: Pre-configured models currently run from $449 to $599. As tested: our unit sells for $449. Build-to-order models range from $497 to over $1,000 dollars.

Web Site: www.hp.com

PriceGrabber Comparison Shopping: Where to Buy