Video: HP Compaq Mini 700 unboxed

After it went on sale in Europe yesterday, we figured that it could only be a matter of minutes before someone got their hands on one of HP's Compaq Mini 700s. Netbook News has gotten the job done and they've kindly filmed the proceedings. In case you've forgotten, the £399 ($594) netbook is the same as the Mini 1000 sold Stateside, boasting 1.6GHz Atom CPU and a 10.2-inch 1024 x 600 panel. Take a peek at the exciting video after the break and hit the read links for further impressions and photos.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Read - Compac Mini 700 video unboxing
Read - Compaq Mini 700 review

[breeman @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:44AM]

And I was thinking to myself, I'd love one of these if they only had a "slightly bigger" screen ....

[josh @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:47AM]

now lets see it with ubuntu, and leopard!

[KAIKAI @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:47AM]

soo umm ....whats so "different" about this one ?

[renai @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:31PM]

Its black, its cheap...

and for once, it actually fits in your hand...

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 23rd 2008 3:48PM]

@ renai

That's what she said!

[Levi @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:25PM]

hahaha that was a really great that's what she said

[DssTrainer @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:47AM]

nice to see they didn't waste as much bezel and plastic space on this one like some others do.

[Eric @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:48AM]

I see engadget hasn't walked into their local Best Buy, but if you want the HP Mini 1000 with a 10.2" screen, it's already there:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9125653&type=product&id=1218028867515

$400 with the Atom, 1 GB, 16 GB SSD.

[Levi @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:31PM]

Good.. when I read that article I was surprised to see the smaller, underpowered netbook was priced over $100 more than the 15" dual core Compaq laptop that Best Buy has. I understand that netbooks have a different market than laptops, but comon... they still shouldn't cost more than comparable laptops... My girlfriend got a Compaq laptop that looks just like this one, but with a 2.0GhZ (albeit single core) and 2GB of ram for $300 at Wal-Mart. The only thing I can see being more expensive to the manufacturer at this point is that maybe the smaller screens aren't in as mass production, therefore cost more..?

[Basic @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:57PM]

Also the BestBuy floor model (called the "N270") is the 10.2" screen and has the 802.11 b/g with bluetooth built-in.

Most certainly doesn't have HSDPA modem. You will just confuse the "geek squad" if you ask them about it.

I am quite offended at how much HP wants for the WWAN upgrade. External cards are almost universally under $150, and there's no way their driver suite is going to be better than the Option / AT&T interface that my network provider will tell me to use. On a $400 machine with required "upgrades" (no SSD for WWAN) it's stupid to charge more than $100 for the WWAN option (if that's cost, then you need to find a better part source).

[216 @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:48AM]

umm the mini 1000 that's sold in the us comes with a 10.2inch 1024x600 screen too....I would know this cuz I have one...
check the link
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9125653&st=1030&type=product&id=1218028867515
"10.2" TFT-LCD widescreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution"

[Basic @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:42PM]

Hey, I have a question for Mini 1000 owners. Have you upgraded to 2GB ram? Is there anything funky about the memory used with WWAN products? crucial.com lists a 2GB memory module for the HP Mini 1000 but it doesn't make a distinction between the 1000's with WWAN cards and the ones without.

[Tennisking112 @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:32PM]

typing this from my brand new mini 1000, i put 2gb ram in it from new egg the second i got it and it had to be one of the easiest ram installs on a laptop that i have ever done. Kudos to HP, i am very impressed with this product.

[n8 @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:48AM]

The HP Mini 1000, available in the US and abroad, already has a 10.2" screen as an option. Near as I can tell this is just a Compaq-branded netbook for markets that still care about the Compaq name.

[CJ @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:50AM]

It's rather eerie without sound, no?

Apart from that, looks good, and I'd love to get one of these, except that over here, we have the Mini 1000, and it cost signifigantly MORE than a base-model 15-inch HP laptop.

[htd @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:53AM]

anything special from this thing?

[Mr. Fingers @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:57AM]

I saw the USA version at BB yesterday. I must admit for a netbook
it was quite nice compared to the Acer Aspire One and a Asus eee
that were right next to it.

Build quality seemed much better than the other two and the keyboard
was really great. Quite usable really compared to the other two.

Geez, does this mean that an American company actually made a
laptop that competes with all the foreign companies' products and if
you're looking for one of these it stacks up quite favorably with the
competition from overseas.

GM, Ford & Chrysler take note this is how you do biz.

Now if BB lowered the price by another $50 they would sell out in a heartbeat
even in this lousy economy.

[Tricks. @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:03AM]

It looks like they have opened it already, then put everything back together in their little plastic bags to pretend it newly opened.

Why can't they break the seal on video so we can share the fun of a true first unboxing, not a "re-unbox". It just isn't the same lol.

[Bill @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:14AM]

It is 329£ not 399£. It might be 399€ though in the rest of europe

[M. @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:16AM]

why is this thing so much more expensive in the UK than on EU mainland. £399 compared to €399 say in the Netherlands.
I got mine yesterday and I must say I really have to adjust to the large downshift in power compared to my macbook pro. These netbooks really aren't very capable of anything more than surfing and occasional non-HD movie.

Ps. The trackpad on this thing kinda sucks.

[Bill @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:05PM]

It is not 399£ Engadget keeps misreporting this, it is up on the UK HP site for preorder at 329£. Someone said on another article about it that it can be found in the UK for 299£ - haven't found that price. With these prices it is the Europeans that get ripped as 1£ right now just about buys you 1€...

[Zakk @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:24AM]

I would definitely go for it if not for the stupid trackpad buttons location.

[Tben @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:28AM]

no VGA port !!!!

[doug @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:01PM]

There is a VGA adapter available that I think runs $30, so if you plan to run with an external display, you have to add that to your total cost.

[jon @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:59AM]

So what's with the different number in the naming? Did they convert it to metric for the EU or something?

[Riccardo @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:07PM]

Hi,
the unbox video of Compaq Mini 700 is from my website (netbooknews.it) and not notebookitalia.it (another italian website); the hands and the netbook you can see in the video, is my hands and my netbook.

Can you correct the link?

Thanks,
Riccardo

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:06PM]

Wow dude, nice chains...

[theefman @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:23PM]

I still wonder, why buy an obviously underpowered device like this when a full fledged laptop can be had for not much more and gives you so much more functionality? Spending all that money just for a smaller footprint and web browsing doesnt seem to be the most effective use of your spending power.

[Flying @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:11PM]

Portability. Thats the onle reason im not gunna buy a full sized compaq. Ive seen the Mini 1000 in person and its just so small and looks better than any $400 laptop. plus Nvidias Ion is coming out which improves a netbooks performance by 1000%. The line is getting pretty blurry....

[Ian @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:42PM]

It is if you want something small.

For the person who wants portability, how is buying a big 15" p.o.s. laptop going to satisfy their needs?

[Basic @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:27PM]

I already have a gigantic Sager... I want something tiny that I can use in the car, on a bus, or in an airplane.

That Nvidia Ion stuff is HOT... can't wait... +1 to you sir. Sorry HP, make an NV Ion platform Mini and don't charge me 2-3x as much as you should be for the HSDPA card.

[radarskiy @ Dec 23rd 2008 4:15PM]

Shorter theefman: If I ignore all of the pros, all I am left with are cons.

[Adam @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:36PM]

I loved my top-spec'd Mini 1000 aside from the performance of the webcam and the audio output, both of which were bad enough to make me return it. This probably fares similarly.

[D.S = digtal shit @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:44PM]

I have been reading articles about the mini laptops, but I never realized how small these thing are. Yesterday I went to Costco and I saw one of those mini laptops I thought about buying one and my first reaction is "whole SHIT that thing is tiny". I tried typing on it after 3 minutes firger craping.

The point these things are WAY to small to type on or do anything productive.

[D.S = digtal shit @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:46PM]

Damn it i
meant fingers start craming
and
"wholy SHIT that thing is tiny".

[terry @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:10PM]

Mr fingers, you sound so fuck ass stupid!!
We have Apple and it is American and it is the GOLD standard by which computers are measured. Oh, and by the way, 98% of the computers live by the breath of MS' OS, an American company. Get your head out your ass, kid!
Check Mate!!!



PS
And the world's computers run on Intel's chips. An American company.
Where you been? Didn't get the memo?

[2getornot2get @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:46PM]

HEY thats my computers case except downsized . EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME except mine's 15.4" and roomy

[BrettA @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:09PM]

Sooo, the Mini 1000 (or at least its 1035 derivative) renders evreything OK at 1024, but if you set wifth to 800, it very noticably 'widens' graphics, making a square photo clearly into a rectangle and all contents 'stretched' wide (also, text - I think). Does anyone if the 700 works properly at 800?

[Syliss @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:25PM]

So i was all for netbooks until i actually saw one, and omg they are just not my size. I was so hoping for the msi wind to take me away, but alas it sucked hardcore. I know 10.2" is the biggest people want for a netbook, but 12.1" would actually work for me. So i will be waiting to get a new macbook or depending on what dell comes out with to compete with the macbook air. So sad that i have to spend more money then $500 for light weight.

[zahid @ Dec 24th 2008 4:32AM]

Look good but sad that have to pay 500$ only for ligher weight.

http://www.zahipedia.com/2008/12/23/hp-compaq-notebook-mini-700-officially-out-for-sale/