HP announced the Mini 5101 back in late June and we just got one into the ‘Gear office for review. As John noted back when it was announced, the 5101 isn’t a netbook and it’s fallen into the relatively new category of ultralights. I really liked the Mini 1000 and 2140, but the 5101 might be my new favorite.
Here’s a quick rundown of the specs for the review unit we were sent:
• Windows XP
• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor (512KB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB)
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB HDD
• 10.1-inch LED WSVGA
• 6-cell battery
HP tells me this particular setup runs about $425 with the 6-cell battery, but I haven’t been able to replicate it on the HP site.
First Impressions
The all black magnesium and brushed aluminum shell is gorgeous. However, it appears to be prone to smudges so you’ll want to keep a cloth handy to wipe it down. The (almost) full sized keyboard is leaps and bounds better than the Mini 1000 or 2140. I love the keyboard. Love it. I dislike the trackpad at the moment. It’s a bit too sticky for my tastes, but better than other HP laptops that I’ve had in the past. Two quick launch buttons (Internet, E-mail) are located near the power button, which is now located above the keyboard.
So far, so good. The 5101 ultralight is a gorgeous little laptop. It’s lightweight despite the 6-cell battery and HP really nailed it in the looks department with this one. We’ll have a full review in a week or so.
Photo Gallery by Picturesurf
1GB of RAM; please tell us if you can upgrade with more RAM. 1GB isn’t going to cut it.
Really? Its a netbook. Do you really need more than 1GB? In any case, you can always upgrade to two gigs. Its just harder sometimes, like when they don’t include memory slot access.
1. Yes, two gigs of RAM do in fact make netbooks run more swiftly. That’s why so many users upgrade. 2. The degree of difficulty you’re referring to is the point. If you’ve got virtually any Samsung, then upgrading is easy. If you’ve got the wrong model by Asus, then no.
Fortunately, I can answer this one. Yes, the HP is easily upgradable. I saw a vid showing how it’s done: You pop off the battery, press a single button and you’re in. Replace cover, replace battery, done. No reason to let HP overcharge for memory.
The 1G is a limit imposed by Microsoft, namely for XP Home licensing. I think once Windows 7 is fully released, 2GB will be more commonplace.
This is definitely a netbook, not an ultralight or whatever they told you. This has the exact specs as my EeePC 1000HE NETBOOK. Show me the difference, HP.
Big bezel on that display there. Given the number of netbooks HP has release in the last 12 months, I am betting the next one will be a sibling to the 5101, but with an 11.6″ dislplay – and the name will be —- “Mini 5116!”
The Atom 270/280 has got to be the most overused processor ever made.
Does it use the craptastic gma950 for video?
I had a similar HP Netbook, I upgraded to 2GB of RAM and it ran great. The issue for me was I missed my larger laptop screen and ended up going back to it instead.
But as far as Netbooks go, it was decent. The 6 cell battery will be a huge help on this one with the LED screen too.
I only had a 3 cell battery and it would last a couple hours if you were lucky.
what about the temperature. is it overheating at the bottom? is it alarming?