How would you change HP's Mini 1000 Mi?

Judging by recent PC shipment reports, HP's had a pretty good run in Q1, and we fully suspect that a good chunk of those sales are in the netbook category. The outfit's Mini 1000 Mi was highly anticipated and chock full of promise, though we're not totally convinced the whole Mi interface lived up to the mile-high hype. So, now's your chance to tell us -- did it? Are you pleased with the software? Do you feel the user interface attracts or detracts? Could the hardware use a retooling? Are you totally looking forward to the 2000 Mi (or 1000 Mii, whatever HP settles on)? Feel free to blast our your really real opinions in comments below -- we'll be listening.

[Hunter @ Apr 17th 2009 10:50PM]

Needs a biometric scanner, definitely.... and some lasers. OOOOh, how about an iphone dock.... and maybe mac it a mac.... too far?

[BigDaddyM @ Apr 17th 2009 10:51PM]

HP 2140?
Then add ION

[Richard Glitter @ Apr 17th 2009 10:56PM]

Don't forget that vaporous 1366 resolution that was promised when the 2140 came out!

[Dave Chappelle @ Apr 17th 2009 11:33PM]

make it exactly like a Vaio P, but cheaper....

[gareth @ Apr 17th 2009 11:55PM]

Richard, that resolution has been released! rejoice!

seriously, a resolution of 1024 x 600 is just awful for todays modern applications, I would probably just increase all these netbooks to at least 1280 x XXXX.

[BigDaddyM @ Apr 18th 2009 12:45AM]

@ Dave Chappelle
I do not want a Vaio P.
M

[decapitor @ Apr 17th 2009 10:52PM]

I wish we could know how many people bought the Mi version just to save the cash because they were going to put bootleg windows on it.

[ethana2 @ Apr 18th 2009 12:13AM]

I wish we could know how many people bought a Windows computer before just to save the cash because they were going to put OS X or a linux based operating system on it. I'm betting it's a much larger number. My Ubuntu Dell would have been cheaper, I think, had I opted for Windows instead at the time of purchase. You don't, as the consumer, magically save money by not getting Windows.

[ethana2 @ Apr 18th 2009 12:16AM]

Ah, in this case there is a $20 difference.
I never found Windows piracy convenient enough to bother. I wish there was a site people could go to to give away Windows licenses that came with machines they just got to run other OSes on. I guess Craigslist'll have to do.

I'd say someone who took the course of action you described over $20 is... I mean, Windows takes a bit more than two hours to get basically functional, and I'd rather flip burgers than set it up myself..

[Paulo E. Loch @ Apr 18th 2009 12:48AM]

Ethan, you clearly don't know how to pirate correctly, judging from the fact you believe it to be an "inconvenience", when its easy as 1, & 2. Yea, when you get the hang of it, its just that easy.

Regardless, who's to say its any different for those who pirate OSX, i guess it really makes no difference. Then again the average Jane and Joe aren't going to have the know hows on how to pirate efficiently and productively, so your case in point is still valid, for someone who is unknowledgeable in that field.

[Lazarpandar @ Apr 18th 2009 2:45AM]

I always reinstall the operating system anyway to get bloatware off, now I save some money in the process :)

[RioRyan @ Apr 17th 2009 10:53PM]

I'm looking at buying a netbook in the next month and I've been looking around, but I think I'm going to have to go with the 8.9" Acer Aspire One. It's got twice the ram of this and a 160GB hard drive for $50 cheaper.

[JimboJones @ Apr 17th 2009 11:36PM]

anything smaller than 10'' is pretty hard to read, really what is $50? 3 corona 12packs

[sp00nz @ Apr 18th 2009 12:59AM]

I bought a HP mini 1035nr a few weeks ago and I love it. The keyboard is where it really shines. I looked at those acer aspires but the keyboard is just too cramped. I got the version with xp home installed. Runs like a champ. I had 2 3 hour flights from Atlanta to Portland the other day and I played Half-Life with steam and Vice City the whole way back.

[chuuchdizzle @ Apr 17th 2009 10:54PM]

price, damn, all netbooks should start at 200 dollars, this was gonna be my perfect netbook, but Dell managed to do the $200 thing first, so i went with them. this should be a huge priority to these companies, it is the essence of the netbook.

plus you can get a decent(albeit old) laptop for less than 500 dollars.

[Luke @ Apr 17th 2009 10:56PM]

normal buttons, a nub, or hell even a macbook-esque trackpad please?

[The Dude @ Apr 17th 2009 11:00PM]

Yeah, there's totally enough room for a trackpad like that on a netbook.

[tingrin87 @ Apr 19th 2009 2:18PM]

that's my biggest complaint about the netbooks right now, i can't have the mouse buttons on the left and right, they need to be below the touchpad.

[ethana2 @ Apr 18th 2009 12:17AM]

There is always room for less discrete buttons.

[Poo_and_Wee @ Apr 17th 2009 10:57PM]

Change those AWFUL lmb and rmb placements. Maybe give it a nipple like the Vaio. I do love it though, the keyboard on it in particular is great.

[Brian @ Apr 17th 2009 10:57PM]

Include a 6-cell battery or GTFO.

I was ready to buy the HP Mini 1000, but I had to go with an Acer Aspire One because no 6-cell (included) Mini was available.

[timbemo @ Apr 18th 2009 1:01AM]

You can pick up a HP Mini 2140 w/ HD screen, 6-cell battery, and 160GB hard drive for $480.
http://h71016.www7.hp.com/dstore/ctoBases.asp?oi=E9CED&BEID=19701&SBLID=&ProductLineId=539&FamilyId=2965&LowBaseId=29203&LowPrice=$449.00

[TDOGDFW @ Apr 17th 2009 11:02PM]

I bought it for the 2GB of memory and lower price... I immediately took the worthless linux crap off it and put Win 7 on it. VERY NICE.

[ethana2 @ Apr 18th 2009 12:10AM]

If you're going to install an OS as helpless out of the box as Windows on your brand new Ubuntu netbook, you may as well hackintosh the sucker.

[ethana2 @ Apr 18th 2009 12:10AM]

Oh wait, forgot, this wasn't the Mini 9. The mini 9 is great for OS X, this may not be..

[Byrdman @ Apr 18th 2009 1:40AM]

Windows 7 on the Mini 1000 is awesome. I run it on mine and it works like a champ. Yeah the linux is Ubuntu, but the MI interface kinda restricts the computer as opposed to a full out Ubuntu install.

[TDOGDFW @ Apr 18th 2009 1:38PM]

Ethan - you are obviously a LInux troll... please save your fanboy comments for yourself. Honestly, Linux is nothing more than a hobbyists OS or if you want a cheap way to run a web server. There's no real use for a consumer since there's nothing that runs on it. Ohh yea, I could put OpenOffice or Star Office and use a much more inferior product than Office 2007 which I'm not willing to do. Go look around anyk store that sells software - the damn candy section is bigger than the section that sells Linux software. Now go along Nathan, don't you need to get to study for your high school exams now?

[kidcanuck @ Apr 18th 2009 4:11PM]

@TDOGDFW: "Go look around anyk store that sells software - the damn candy section is bigger than the section that sells Linux software."

Isn't that the purpose of linux?

[MBS @ Apr 19th 2009 2:52PM]

@TDOG... That's rich, you're accusing ethan of being a "linux troll". You're not only obviously a microsoft fanboi, you're also a troll and not a little bit of an idot too.
Office 2007 is superior?
Interesting how the bet products out of microsoft is a 10 year old OS or a beta product that's a little revealing isn't it.

[icet @ Apr 17th 2009 11:13PM]

Edge to edge glass, touch screen, a hinge that allows it to fold around the back like a book and be used as a tablet and still keep the price down. Dream world 1. Real world 0.

[Ray @ Apr 17th 2009 10:59PM]

For the love of God give it

-normal trackpad buttons!
-more RAM!
-Windows 7!
-Raised keys!
-Lower price!
-3G!
-More colors!
-fingerprint scanner!

...etc, etc...

[TruthBringer @ Apr 18th 2009 12:51AM]

Heck yeah, Windows 7!!

[Metkis @ Apr 17th 2009 10:59PM]

I would be thoroughly impressed if I ever saw a Mac come standard with a biometric scanner, none-the-less cost $279.99 for base configuration.

[dbayliss @ Apr 17th 2009 10:59PM]

I guess it may not count, but I am really happy with my Mini 1000 XP. No, it doesn't have the best battery life, but it is's really compact size makes up for it. The only thing I would have changed is letting it use a 2.5" drive, rather than the 1.8"..

[louden @ Apr 18th 2009 10:36AM]

Or at least make the 1.8 inch drive SATA based over ZIF/PATA

[blankhorizons @ Apr 19th 2009 12:10AM]

And what do you gain from switching from ZIF/PATA to SATA besides the higher power consumption that SATA brings? The drives don't spin fast enough for the interface to matter.

[JohnTitor @ Apr 17th 2009 11:00PM]

I haven't tried it on the Mini itself, but on the Wind, the MIE launcher over Ubuntu runs really heavy, almost like vista but without the lag, I'm talking 50% on your good old Atom

[HyroProtaganist @ Apr 17th 2009 11:02PM]

I got Mi because I wanted to support Linux and didn't want a Windows netbook. The default version of Ubuntu they put on there is heavily nerfed and they should have just gone ahead and put 8.10 on there. I did this and it worked perfectly. The goofy 1024x576 resolution insted of the netbook standard of 1024x600 is annoying too. I've seen other vendors do this and it must knock like 2 bucks off the price. Just charge me those two bucks, I want my software to work. Came to this from a eee 700 series. Obviously a performance upgrade but that was to be expected. Didn't come with a 32 or 64gb SSD option like the dell mini

Over all it's a great netbook, the keyboard is awesome, the speakers are amazing, and while the resolution is annoying everything else about the screen is great. Would recommend it to anyone that doesn't want to pay for Windows. Additionally, check Logic buy for deals on these, they come up all the time.

[TDOGDFW @ Apr 17th 2009 11:06PM]

Ohh - I would also put a SATA interface in for the hard drive so that I can take out the crap drive and put in an Intel X-25M.

The machine has a ZIF interface for the SSD which makes it impossible to upgrade the hard drive.

[ryan @ Apr 18th 2009 12:02AM]

Runcore makes ZIF drives for the Mini 1000

[ethana2 @ Apr 18th 2009 12:24AM]

With SSDs, it seems to me the vendor makes ALL the difference right now. Basically, the only ones I'd bother with are the Intel X-25M's.
Besides that, I'd just take a good old mechanical hard drive.

[Art @ Apr 17th 2009 11:07PM]

I love my hp 1000 but i mean a better job with the camera wouldnt hurt.
For god sakes HP remember to take the cover off of the camera before you place it into the computer

[samuelkogan @ Apr 17th 2009 11:10PM]

Gimmee Battery Life, and give me 2.5 inch HD/ faster ssd

[alexanderblake @ Apr 17th 2009 11:16PM]

I bought two of these at the same time at best buy and recieved different screens.. It pissed me off.
One was 1024x600 and one was 1024x576, one was 10.2 and the other 10.1 respectively, but they were being sold as the same device;Seems small but the difference in screens was very noticeable..
They both had the same model number and UPC.

This really pissed me off... BEWARE...

I returned the one with the smaller screen.

Other than that I love it.

[vonchuck @ Apr 17th 2009 11:17PM]

I don't understand why all netbooks don't have a TrackPoint (aka nipple) control. The size of the netbook trackpads are ridiculous.

The TrackPoint nipple lets you cover the entire screen without lifting up your finger, and since it's pressure sensitive you can be very accurate. In fact despite using Photoshop and Illustrator extensively, I put off the purchase of an external mouse for my laptop for over a year-- simply because I wasn't really missing anything.

And while I'm on the topic of "awesome IBM inventions", doesn't anyone here remember the Butterfly keyboard from about 10 years ago? Seems like that would be a great solution to the problems of the tiny netbook keyboards.

[JimboJones @ Apr 17th 2009 11:41PM]

I'm big fan if big red nipple on my Lenovo T43, I love nipples

[louden @ Apr 18th 2009 10:48AM]

I love nipples as much as the next guy, but not on a keyboard. They just get greasy and wear out. They're probably unsanitary too, with all the texture they need.

I'd much rather have a better trackpad on a netbook. I'll just tweak my nipples elsewhere...

[Jakjak9210 @ Apr 18th 2009 1:44PM]

I really dont mind the side buttons on the trackpad of my aspire one, i just set tap to click on the trackpad, i hardly ever use the buttons, the only time i do is if i need to right click on something.

[scobb00 @ Apr 19th 2009 10:06AM]

I've never liked the nipple thing - on a laptop. It just doesn't work for me. I know some people love it. I suppose its a Vi vs Emacs thing :-)

My favorite solution for small format netbook was used by the Compaq Aero - quite a while back. I think it had a 12 inch screen. They used a track marble in the lower right front corner. The two buttons we actually on the side of the laptop. You manipulate the marble with your thumb.

I thought it worked perfectly. However, if you are a lefty, you are SOL. Many lefties used it with little effort.

[John @ Apr 18th 2009 9:52AM]

How would I change the Mini mi?

Well I allready have an HP mini 1000. I love it.

1. Get rid of linux! The software I need to run can't run on linux anyways.

2. Add built in GPS.

3. Include a 128gb SSD

4. Include eSata/firewire interface

5. Put the mouse buttons on the bottom of the mouse pad.

6. MAKE THE MOUSE PAD ADA compliant! For people that have artifical silicon/metal fingers MOUSE PADS DON'T WORK!

TGC