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.
posted Apr 17th 2009 10:47PM
Needs a biometric scanner, definitely.... and some lasers. OOOOh, how about an iphone dock.... and maybe mac it a mac.... too far?
HP 2140?
Then add ION
Don't forget that vaporous 1366 resolution that was promised when the 2140 came out!
make it exactly like a Vaio P, but cheaper....
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.
@ Dave Chappelle
I do not want a Vaio P.
M
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.
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.
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..
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.
I always reinstall the operating system anyway to get bloatware off, now I save some money in the process :)
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.
anything smaller than 10'' is pretty hard to read, really what is $50? 3 corona 12packs
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.
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.
normal buttons, a nub, or hell even a macbook-esque trackpad please?
Yeah, there's totally enough room for a trackpad like that on a netbook.
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.
There is always room for less discrete buttons.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Oh wait, forgot, this wasn't the Mini 9. The mini 9 is great for OS X, this may not be..
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.
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?
@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?
@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.
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.
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...
Heck yeah, Windows 7!!
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.
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"..
Or at least make the 1.8 inch drive SATA based over ZIF/PATA
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.
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
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.
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.
Runcore makes ZIF drives for the Mini 1000
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.
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
Gimmee Battery Life, and give me 2.5 inch HD/ faster ssd
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.
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.
I'm big fan if big red nipple on my Lenovo T43, I love nipples
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...
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.
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.
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
What the hell you can get a version with XP. This is for people who want linux. If your teach savy enough to pick this you know what your doing. I mean i am just so mad right now. GAHH!
Make the webcam better, it always records too dark.
Battery life.
Different trackpad design.
With the Mi verion can you do word processing or run any programs? Also, are there many/any cases where websites will not display?
There are tons of programs that run on Linux. Out of the box the Mi will go to any web page and display about 98% of content. Out there in some website there are Windows specific things called Active X controllers. These tie into things in Windows that give web pages more power (I.E. running games that aren't flash based but something else).
Also standard is Open Office which will open/edit all MS word docs and more.
sound for osx
They should ensure their hardware has OS X drivers and EFI firmware available, even if they can't offer a preinstall.
Exactly... I'm sure Dell is scratching it's head wondering why they don't have more Dell Mini 10 sales...
internal sound/headphones is working with voodooHDA. look it up. this happened like a week ago. i bought an HP mini just because of it.
Some sort of responsive touch. either a passive touch screen or a capacitative touch. that dinky touch pad is useless almost. and along with that maybe a screen that can swivel in like a tablet. then we have a winner.
I would made the stupid camera work.
I was really impressed with the skinning job HP did on Ubuntu. It was quite thorough and pretty nice. A little too black, but at least well done and complete even after you left their weird little launcher/shell/homepage thing.
That being said, I wiped it pretty quick for a regular version of Ubuntu. The main reason was just that I found the launch panel of the HP Mobile Internet Experience to just not match up that well with my usage. At first glance it seems smart to focus on media, but this little laptop is not really going to hold any of my music nor photos, and there aren't any customization options if you don't like the default.
And yeah, the 3 cell battery is pretty short. The 6 cell is much better, but the design is kind of weird. I think it would have been more natural if the battery was nearer the hinge like many others. It's totally bearable though.
Ultimately I hope they sell a ton of them, most so Ubuntu Netbook Remix supports the audio better in a default install. Full Ubuntu handles it fine, but as of right now UNR takes some fiddling to enable audio.
I agree, I haven't wiped Mi yet, but it is annoying at times that I really don't use the launch pad interface. Really if HP were to just add a way to easily restore a normal desktop I would be satisfied.
I agree with other users about the fan sound too. Seems silly to have an SSD and no HD sound yet this very loud fan. I'm not sure if there is really much that can be done given the size and thermal profile of the Atom, but it would be nice.
I am quite disappointed in the inability to install bios updates, HP currently only offers Windows bios updates. Seems like a pretty big oversight to me.
Given the flaws, I still love the device and use it daily for exactly what I bought it for. A small lightweight, web browsing and light document editing laptop. Though honestly I may just throw Windows 7 on there if I get annoyed too much more.
My biggest problem with my HP Mini is it is LOUD.
The fan sounds like a jet.
Compared to the EEE which you can hardly hear or the mini 9 which has no fan
Its SOOO loud
and the 2 hour batt life is a bit of a drag. Because of that I use my 9cell m1210 a lot more
Why the heck are netbooks actively cooled? Put the heat generating components behind the screen and make it one big aluminum heatsink, use convection.
Can't you just add in a better fan? Not ideal I know.
2 hour batt life?
I was looking at this thing until I read that post.
core 2 duo processor, discrete graphics
you utter idiot
MIT: Love it since I come from OSX
I actually had XP on it, but got rid of it after 2 days, too crappy after being used to OSX for 10 years.
Put the mouse buttons on the bottom and don't put a filter on the camera, then it's great!
I love the keyboard most, it's the best on all netbooks!
Put in a 2.5" hard drive, and I'd be sold.
I've got the 8.9" screen version (1110nr), running MiE (which i actually like, Synaptic is your friend)
Things i'd change:
Needs cooling for the RAM
SSD could be faster/bigger
Be able to test battery + flash bios from Linux or USB key
Remove or upgrade the webcam
wifi chipset other than broadcom 4312, open source driver would be nice
Ok, so first I'd like to comment that a lot of these posts don't seem to understand what the question is, the question was how could they improve the Mi version. Not get crappy linux off there and put windows 7 on there, which a handful of posts have. Thats not the point. Windows 7 has yet to impress me for the record, but regardless its not the question here.
I think that the Mi additions to Ubuntu LOOK very cool, from what I'm reading though its not all that practical. To be honest Mi seems like it would be more at home on their TouchScreen desktops than on a netbook, just my 2 cents there. Honestly, I think Ubuntu honestly is an OS that 95% of people at home could and/or should use over ANY version of Windows. It has the security of any *nix system, the low low cost of free, and it literally can do anything that anyone wants for their home use. Internet, email, chat, word processing, video and audio playback. If thats it, then more people should use it.
To that end what I think they need to do actually has nothing to do with the system .. they should market this and market it hard. I'm guessing the biggest reason that they don't is because anything they market for linux will piss of Microsoft who they need to make money, but thats another issue.
I'd have to agree with the comments on the screen though, go with the standard size people. Honestly too on the trackpad, I'm typing this to y'all on a new Macbook and I swear that I don't think after using the buttonless, multi-touch trackpad that I'll ever go back. I used my Dell work laptop w/out the mouse plugged in and with in less than a minute I was so frustrated that it was silly. It would be especially useful on a netbook with limited space to begin with. Or put the nipple on there at least so that is not a total waste.
Put the nvidia ion platform in it and change the clicky things from one on each side to regular one like a real laptop or make it like the makes when the touch pad clickes
You can increase the ram, give it a larger hard drive, give it NORMAL trackpad buttons etc but your still left with the fact that it runs a shitty operating system. windows sucks. ultimate fail.
nice job reading. this is about the Linux version.
I bought an MI HP mini.. The OS on it, sucks. It sucks *alot* It's all widgets. I played with it for about 20 mins, than put Kubuntu on there and it is fast as hell. I'd also add a bigger battery, give it wireless N, and sometype of display output.
I bought the Mini 1030NR with windoze xp in January and wiped it off and put HP's version of Ubuntu as soon as it was available from their website. Sooo worth it. Much faster all the applications I needed are included and a ton of free software from the Linux repository. I have not had one issue with spam, spyware, viruses etc that some how always managed to find their way in to windows no matter what countermeasures I had in place. What would I change on this computer for one is a VGA out instead of whatever the hell that port is on the left side of my computer. I havnt found one accessory that uses it WTF. The 16 gig SSD is fine for me because I have an external USB drive for carrying around and sharing my bootlegz. Also whats the deal with HPs proprietary internal USB drive. I like the face that it came with something to stick in their but I would have appreciated something bigger than 2 gigs. Also an express card slot would have been nice. The screen is great. Battery life sucks ass. Keyboard awsome, Built in webcam sucks cant see anything unless you have a one million candle power spot light over you. Although this computer is more than I wanted to pay for it I dont regret purchasing it and will be hanging on to it for a long time
Your VGA cable for the Mini-
HP-Mini VAG cable - http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/computer/categories/mini/1/accessories/FY828AA
That's what the port is on the side
Why not get rid of that proprietary VGA port?
My wife has one, its left click is annoying, it should be placed in the normal position. I need to use two hands or get a usb mouse when i use it cuz its in an awkward spot.
This is a great machine but it has its drawbacks, first of all the battery, it could have been much better with a 6 cell battery even if it had to be thicker. Second the proprietary video connector, please use plain old vga even if it means you don't get to sell these overpriced connectors (if you could provide them at all). Two usb ports is one less then other netbooks. I'd group them all together so you don't get random bumps in the structure but only 1 longer one per side, it would keep the design cleaner. No glossy surfaces, i prefer an opaque finish, it doesn't get fingerprints and it looks way better I think.
The screen is too small, I'd have used a 4:3 screen, obviously without a glossy finish, so I can use it ouside.
6 cell or new chipset - Intel is supposed to have low power Atom soc's this fall. I'd like 8-10 hours use from my netbook...
My dream Hp mini
-Full Windows 7 (Not the limited version)
-No Mi interface
-Stylish with variable colors
-More juice(battery) wats the essence of a notebook if it can't last half a day.
-Better resolution
-More Ram
-and let the price range be around $200 - $299 nothing more nothing less.
If this thing can't connect to a 30-inch screen over DVI and run Crysis with at least 60 frames per second then its gargbage.
-Crippled Vista support. (Audio drivers)
-Built in mic doesn't work on Vista
-Camera is crap
-STILL NO VGA adapter cable available from HP (just put on a standard VGA jack already, duh!)
It has a "combined" in/out audio jack (meaning there is only one). For a while I thought this was bad .. until I realized I can plug in my iphone headset and make skype calls through that! That's neat.
Man Darren, ur frackkin awesome, that last phrase...
It is like we care about the thousand LCD product lines Sony has in the market, that 6 month lead time for another iteration of the same model that adds a functionality that should be there in the first place... those things that remind me of Apple a bit
It is like one a former attacker Samsung sells cheaper products of the same arguable quality (o man, another past JV!)
It is like you have been dethroned from portable players, it is like you have been dethroned from videogames, what to say about your media business that've put your electronics division to the ropes
We used to love you, but you are a dying elephant... those good ol' days in which everything of quality entering the house was Sony.
Does anybody feel the same?
errr, i would probably upgrade to those 2ghz intel atom processor or probs those ION things. i dont understand why you need good graphics for a netbook but yeah, guess it cant hurt. also more ram and DEFINETELY more energy efficient and higher capacity battery.
Remove the "1000" in the product name
Specs:
-nVidia ION
-Atom 330 (dualcore ftw!)
-HDMI
-1366x768 screen with LED backlight
-2xUSB
-an eSATA and USB combined port
-2GB RAM
-Fanless
-+3 hours of battery life
-32GB SSD or a 160GB 5400RPM HDD (maybe Hybrid?)
-keyboard like the macbooks!
finally, an intelligent comment
The Mi software blows. It is extremely slow, particularly the web browser. When I bought it I had full intentions of leaving the Mi software on it. I had originally thought the performance was low due to the atom platform. But upon installing Windows 7 it is a completely different machine. With 2GB of memory installed it is a very usable platform(if it would do hulu worth a flip I could use it as an everyday machine). Yes I tried Mi with 2GB's as well.
cons
- the combined audio in/out is a annoying as hell
- the proprietary video out is stupid
- the webcam is fine n daylight but awful with just normal night time lighting
- 3 cell battery
pros
- fantastic keyboard when compared to the tiny little keys on the aao
- nice bright screen if a little shiny
- 2gb upgrade takes 30 seconds or less to do
- windows 7 loves this machine
so fix the cons and it would be a great machine rather than just a good machine.
I want to see a mini DVI or mini display port, rather than their custom VGA rubbish. And before you ask, the normal VGA port is too bulky and would increase its thickness.
Also, make it fan-less.
you want your laptop to explode? Or do you just want to cook an egg on it
Bought the HP Mini 1030NR. We removed XP and loaded the Linux Mi. It was horrible. Email notification on the home screen was broken, so was the date at the top (you had to log off for it to update). Tech support was non-existent and had to rely on forums. Decided to try OSX and all I can say is "WOW". Amazing. Running 10.5.6.
Wish it had a number lock light. May seem silly but this is something which is needed when using these for Windows Remote Desktop, especially when entering passwords.
Firewire for video editing.
The design is top notch, in my opinion the best looking of all the netbooks. However, to really seal the deal on the Linux version, they need to trash their slow and un-customizable MIE interface and just ship the thing with Ubuntu Netbook Remix. I don't understand why they'd waste all the resources developing a netbook centric UI when a better one already existed.
Put Web OS on there!
Higher resolution (720p) and a POINTING STICK. Why oh why can't any manufacturers get it through their heads that at netbook sizes it just doesn't make sense to have a teeny wimpy touchpad? Not a single one has even tried producing a netbook with a pointing stick. It'd be a good way to differentiate your product from all the other scores of almost-identical netbooks out there.