HP Mini 2140 lands for £379 next month

After the launch of the consumer-focussed Compaq Mini 700 and HP Mini 1000 three months ago, we were still left itching for an update to HP's solid, yet underpowered, business machine, the 2133 Mini-Note. And, lo, at CES, we got one, the HP Mini 2140 - and now we've got a UK price and launch date too.

Arriving next month it'll go on sale for £379 - a premium price for a netbook, but not considering its pin-strip pedigree and fabulous keyboard. From the outside it shares the 2133's aluminium body - maintaining the same depth and 27mm thickness but stretching the width by 6mm to accommodate the larger 10.1in 1,024x576 or optional "high-definition" 1,366x768 screen. Inside, though, it's a different story.

Gone is the weedy 1.2GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor and in its place a now standard 1.6GHz Atom. The rest looks suspiciously like the HP Mini 1000's innards with up to 2GB RAM and 160GB hard drive or 80GB SSD, although there is, of course, that rather handy Express Card slot borrowed from the 2133 to mark it out from the rest of the netbook crowd.

New too, is the option of a six cell battery, which will please road warriors, although the switch to the Atom and some other design tweaks mean even the three-cell battery should now last four hours - up from two hours 15 minutes on the 2133. If you do go for the six-cell, HP claims a full eight hours of battery life will be yours. Watch out for a full hands-on and review as soon as ours arrives.

Press Release:

HP Advances Mini PC for On-the-go Professionals

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2009

Building on its award-winning portfolio of Mini products, HP today unveiled a new HP Mini designed for mobile professionals that require a rich computing experience in a small, portable package.

The HP Mini 2140 Notebook PC features a simple, refined all-aluminum case for a sleek yet lightweight design. Starting at 2.6 pounds,(1) the fully functional and durable HP Mini 2140 is an ideal companion PC for the on-the-go professional.

It features a large 10.1-inch diagonal scratch-resistant HP Illumi-Lite LED display available in either standard or high-definition(2) resolutions, a user-friendly 92 percent of full-size QWERTY keyboard, and a range of hard-drive options including an optional high-capacity 80-gigabyte (GB)(3) solid-state drive.

“HP continues to enhance its portfolio of Mini products to ensure we offer customers choices that meet their personal performance and style needs,” said Dan Forlenza, vice president, Business Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “The sturdy, lightweight HP Mini 2140 integrates innovative functionality to keep on-the-move executives connected without weighing them down.”

The HP Mini 2140 keeps mobile professionals ultra-productive by including a small, low-power Intel® Atom processor to enable the unit to run cooler, use less power and improve battery life. It includes a suite of wireless technologies such as integrated Wi-Fi Certified WLAN(2) and optional Bluetooth® 2.0, allowing a variety of ways to access the Internet for email, instant messaging (IM), chat and blogging. An integrated VGA webcam allows for easy still-image capture, web-conferencing or video-enhanced IM(4) with no additional hardware to buy or carry.

The HP Mini 2140 is also a great tool for the classroom. The suite of wireless,(5) multimedia and security capabilities allows students to learn wherever they have Wi-Fi access – from the classroom, to the library, to their homes. The HP Mini 2140 can change how students learn today and is the practical answer to providing each student continuous access to a notebook in one-to-one computing.

To meet the needs of both mobile professionals and students, the HP Mini 2140 underwent the HP Total Test Process, which included more than 95,000 hours of extensive testing and product validation to ensure designs, materials and components meet the highest standards.

The product is packed with a combination of innovative features to boost productivity and improve the overall mobile experience, including:

    * A large 10.1-inch diagonal LED display with 16:9 aspect ratio available in either standard-definition (1,024 x 576) or high-definition (1,366 x 768) resolutions.
    * User-friendly 92 percent of full-size QWERTY keyboard and a touchpad.
    * HP DuraKeys, featuring a clear coating applied over the notebook keyboard that protects the finish and printed letters and characters. HP DuraKeys offers 50 times more resistance to visible wear than keyboards without it.
    * HP 3D DriveGuard, featuring a three-axis digital accelerometer chip that sends a signal to shut down the hard drive upon sudden movement or shock.
    * HP Panel Protection System with a scratch-resistant acrylic LCD cover and magnesium hinge bracket for added durability in demanding environments.
    * Ability to view video, still-image capture, web conferencing or video-enhanced IM with no additional hardware to buy or carry. The integrated VGA webcam enables video and still-image capture to allow the addition of photos and video clips to presentations, documents and email.(4)
    * Two battery solutions – three-cell for lightest-weight configurations or six-cell lithium-ion battery for longer life.(6)
    * Optional Absolute Software’s Computrace,(7) which allows IT professionals to work with local law enforcement to track and help recover stolen or missing computers, inventory computers district wide, and detect changes in hardware and software.

New accessories designed for the Mini include an HP USB Docking Station, USB-powered HP Mobile Audio Speakers and HP USB optical disk drive that can read and write CD and DVD formats, as well as offer HP LightScribe capability to burn content directly onto discs. A lightweight, functional messenger bag designed specifically for the HP or a neoprene slip case offer added protection for professionals while on the go.

More information on HP Mini 2140 product specifications, images and other HP mobility solutions is available in an online press kit at http://www.hp.com/go/ces2009press or at http://www.hp.com/personal.

Pricing and availability

The HP Mini 2140 starts at $499(8) and is expected to be available later this month.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) Weight will vary by configuration.
(2) HD content required to view HD images.
(3) 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less. Up to 8 GB (for XP and XP Pro) and up to 10 GB (for Windows Vista®) is reserved for system recovery software.
(4) Internet access required.
(5) Wireless access point required and is not included. Availability of public wireless access points limited. Wireless Internet use requires separately purchased Internet service contract.
(6) Sold separately or as an add-on feature.
(7) The Computrace agent is shipped turned off and must be activated by customers when they purchase a subscription. Subscriptions can be purchased for terms ranging from one to four years. Available in the United States only.
(8) Estimated U.S. street price. Actual price may vary.

 

Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie
© Dennis Publishing

 

 

 

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