HP mulling lower cost Mini-Note laptop

It was inevitable, was it not? With the success of HP's 2133 Mini-Note, it was pretty obvious that the outfit would be working up a second edition, and according to Jerel Chong, HP Australia's Market Development Manager for Notebook PCs, it's already "looking at a similar device but at a lower cost." Reportedly, the lower cost low-cost laptop will be ready for budget-conscience consumers sometime before 2009, though we have no idea what corners will be cut in order to hack down the price. Mr. Chong did mention that the cheaper edition would be less "durable," but considering that we never viewed the original as a Toughbook replacement, we're not so sure what he's really getting at. Nevertheless, those looking seriously at the more business-minded 2133 may want to hold off, but good luck suppressing that insatiable desire to be instantly gratified.

[Via TheGadgetSite]

[retro77 @ Jul 24th 2008 5:13PM]

Remember when we had to wait like 18 months for our hardware to get outdated.....now its like 2 months.

[Andrew @ Jul 24th 2008 5:30PM]

It's not really 'outdated' per se.. Both hardwares would still run the same OS', programs, etc but just changes to the hardware.. Back when things got 'outdated' in 18 months, they really did - likely moreso. Jumping from a 486 to a 586/pentium made a huge difference in what a computer could and could not run. Today, jumping from a dual core to quad core still lets you run the same programs, just more at once...

[retro77 @ Jul 24th 2008 5:34PM]

Thank you for the education, Andrew.

[OnlyShawn @ Jul 24th 2008 6:35PM]

Be a smartass all you want, but your usage of "outdated" doesn't make any damn sense, as Andrew tried to kindly point out. Just because there's something newer available doesn't make your older technology outdated.

[retro77 @ Jul 24th 2008 7:03PM]

Thank you, Shawn.

Did everyone on Engadget loose their sense of humor? Can I get a cookie?

[OnlyShawn @ Jul 24th 2008 7:12PM]

I may lose it. Not sure how I'd loose it.

And...isn't it convenient that you can make snarky comments, and then when you get called out on them, just say that "it was a joke." Andrew made a valid point. Your comment was...well...stupid, and definitely not "funny," so I don't really know what was the point.

[retro77 @ Jul 24th 2008 7:18PM]

Welcome to the Internet.

[roro2210 @ Jul 24th 2008 7:21PM]

Cant we all just get along:(

[David D @ Jul 24th 2008 7:32PM]

It may be "outdated" once a newer version comes out, but as long as they're still selling the one you have, it's obviously not THAT bad. So yes, hardware is outdated every couple of months, but if it's alive on the shelves, it's fine!

[Nightmare @ Jul 24th 2008 8:42PM]

@ retro77

DONT FEED THE TROLLS.

Dude was joking, ctfd(calm the f*ck down) not literally 2mo. you as*holes.

Sorry dude just ignore the trolls, they dont have girls, er they wouldnt care. "oh busting people on engadget is my life" trolls stay under the bridge unless you have something productive to say, please

[AC @ Jul 24th 2008 5:24PM]

Lower Price?

I am very interested in this.

[Mike Cerm @ Jul 24th 2008 6:50PM]

I wouldn't say that it's overpriced now. It does have a better screen and keyboard than any other "netbook" out there.

However, if they do the same, put an Atom in there, and charge $399 for it, they might have a shot at selling a few, if they can get it out there before Dell releases their little notebook (rumored to be as early as next month).

[LarryLarryLarry @ Jul 24th 2008 6:53PM]

It's certainly near the top of the netbooks in "Bezel Ranking".

[lowdef @ Jul 24th 2008 5:32PM]

budget-conscious***

[Podaman @ Jul 24th 2008 5:33PM]

Asus should be taking notes

[Mike Cerm @ Jul 24th 2008 6:54PM]

Asus should be taking cyanide! They basically created a whole new market segment and, in less than a year, they let it slip away entirely.

[Jason @ Jul 24th 2008 7:01PM]

Taking notes on what? Producing a mini notebook that's cheaper (and probably less durable, but who knows why they left it out of the ad copy) than the 2133? I think they wrote the book.

[David D @ Jul 24th 2008 5:35PM]

I really think that this could have a chance, if they don't dilute it like ASUS did with the EEE. I might even buy one if it weren't too much "less durable".

[gmoran125 @ Jul 24th 2008 5:41PM]

replace the bad processor with Atom, remove the glossy screen, make a 6 cell battery thats flush with the back, and lower the price by 200 bucks and you got yourself a deal HP.

[David D @ Jul 24th 2008 5:51PM]

Putting an Atom in there would be a deal breaker for me. The Atom performs about as well as a (newer) Celeron of the same clock speed. It can only use half the energy because it has about half of the power.

[Benson @ Jul 24th 2008 7:07PM]

Yes, replace the bad processor with the worse processor... or not.

[David D @ Jul 24th 2008 7:29PM]

Correction: The Atom performs HALF as well as a Celeron of equal clock speed.

[dcm @ Jul 24th 2008 5:49PM]

Isn't it bad business to say their product is "less durable"?

Doesn't seem very smart to me.

[OneLove @ Jul 24th 2008 6:09PM]

Honesty is bad? You must be in the GOP.

[sracer @ Jul 24th 2008 6:23PM]

When HP states that they are going to produce a LESS durable product... run... run away... fast. Is it even possible for HP to produce less durable notebooks than they already do and still function on day-1?

I was quite disappointed at how quickly my dv-9000 notebook died. It was an absolutely beautiful battleship notebook. Great performance and great features. Terrible quality.

[OneLove @ Jul 24th 2008 6:25PM]

You have to raise your statisfaction level with your stuff you just bought and tell yourself its ok not to have the new hotness.

[Andrew @ Jul 24th 2008 6:28PM]

I assume they mean it's going to be plastic instead of aluminum.

[Bill @ Jul 24th 2008 6:36PM]

Obviously, it's not going to have a pretty aluminum case anymore. They're switching to plastic, which they think people will see as less durable. Personally, I think the plastic is probably more durable, but definitely less attractive.
The only reason I didn't buy one of these is that stinky Via CPU. If it used a faster CPU, I would already have one. Instead, I have an Eee 900. Sure, make it cheaper without the aluminum, but put a decent CPU in it this time around and you'll sell a lot more Mr. HP.

[Jack @ Aug 30th 2008 11:26PM]

So...you complain about a bad processor yet you bought a netbook with a Celeron? Smart.

[Tim @ Jul 24th 2008 6:49PM]

My mini-note is awesome, I take it to school every day and it works fine and does what I need it to do, It's also stylish and feels very sturdy unlike the eee. This is what i think there getting at. The current mini-note is very sturdy with the hard alluminium to protect its inner shizz and dura-key keyboard to make sure they don't damage.

[OnlyShawn @ Jul 24th 2008 7:12PM]

...glad to hear from someone who's using it. That's the first thing HP's put out in years that I'm nominally interested in.

[lukas88 @ Jul 24th 2008 6:58PM]

Seeing as how the last one was made with an aluminum casing, reports of reduced durability probably indicate another material for the newer one.

There goes my dream of a bullet proof netbook...

[Benson @ Jul 24th 2008 7:21PM]

So... it was Aluminum, and you wanted bulletproof. (Which thin Aluminum isn't.) Now they're changing it for a cheaper mat'l (which steel is), and you're complaining? Right now, chances of seeing a bulletproof netbook are looking better than ever...


(Well, "reduced durability" _could_ mean "it rusts"...)

[Qsat @ Jul 24th 2008 6:59PM]

I have a 2133 for 3 weeks now and it suck, it's overheating, the via processor is very slow, even under XP and the battery is already becoming to fade. I should have go with a real laptop, 800$ to the trash can.

[aardvark sandwich @ Jul 24th 2008 7:16PM]

I've had my 2133 for a while now and its as good as the day I bought it. That is to say its a great Internet/email/music computer, thats a little on the sluggish side.

Were you expecting the single processor to compete with dual core/quad core computers?

[merino @ Jul 24th 2008 10:10PM]

Yes - it is definitely a space heater, but you can lessen the heat by removing the plastic wire mesh located just inside the heat vent near the monitor out port...

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jul 24th 2008 7:47PM]

Get rid of Via please and at least put in an Atom.

Otherwise, its one of the best netbooks and I don't mind paying the higher price with it offering an Expresscard slot and 1280x768 resolution screen, but no Via!

[giuliop @ Jul 24th 2008 7:47PM]

Just give me a flippin' pointing stick.

[Andrew Kim @ Jul 24th 2008 8:45PM]

i believe that even though it is a race to the bottom right now, this is looking out for the consumer, rather than the corporation.

Soon the race HAS to end with who can make the cheaper product with the best possible specs. Since consumers will buy, corporations will also win.

As for Sony... OBVIOUSLY they do not look out for their consumers. They just crap on them.

[bob e @ Jul 24th 2008 8:59PM]

I had a Mini-Note ands sold it for $5 less than I paid for it a month later.

Nice PC except very slow and the trackpad and surrounding buttons are terrible.

[BOGRASH @ Jul 24th 2008 10:27PM]

hp managed to ruin a nice piece of design with bafflingly lame execution, and now they want to try and claw back some kind of support by messing with the package in an even more pointless way. is the main requirement of any netbook developmnet team that they must be able to miss the bleeding obvious and handicap every product in some very annoying way? fucking wankers

[edward @ Jul 25th 2008 1:26AM]

Dude I think I'm in, damm this is soo hard!

[KC @ Jul 25th 2008 2:19AM]

I think they are just going to use less packaging to reduce cost and hence "less durable".

Anyway, it's amazing to see how a company can design, test, certify and mass manufacture a product line in such a short time. By the end of 2009? That would be a cool xmas present for some of us.

[Corsair @ Jul 25th 2008 2:31AM]

I was (I still am) expecting HP to announce a newer version of Mininote with the Via Nano or Atom, not an "el cheapo" version of 2133. Lets hope that they will introduce a new CPU even for the cheap version.

Come on HP, I need to get rid of my Asus 900...

[mark @ Jul 25th 2008 2:34AM]

less durable,for hp? is that even possible ? hps bigger and more expensive lappys are shit i wont get into specfics but i used to fix them and they are all junk

[Bob @ Jul 25th 2008 7:52AM]

Is HP 2133 available in stores? If yes, where?

[Eraxes @ Jul 25th 2008 8:18AM]

Replace the piece of shit VIA processor with ATOM Mr. HP. We don't want to price cut. The just and the only reason that I never buoght the mini note is the trash-ish Via processor.

[Jash Sayani @ Jul 25th 2008 8:48AM]

For a UMPC, I would definitely go for Macbook Air rather than the low-priced ones like HP 2113 or MSI Wind. Quality is what matters....

[tanooki2003 @ Jul 25th 2008 9:07AM]

Dude. Seriously you need to get bent with your Macbook Air BS.

Nobody here cares for it

[chefgon_ign @ Jul 25th 2008 9:39AM]

The Air is hardly an "ultra portable" machine, it takes up the same amount of space as a regular notebook. It is also extremely expensive compared to a traditional laptop, whereas netbooks are cheaper. They really aren't comparable products in any way.