The Thick-Skinned HP Mini 5101

 

HP today showed off its new Mini 5101 netbook that it claims is “hard-as-nails” but just as stylish. The magnesium alloy coated netbook is aimed at on-the-go professionals who demand performance with style.

 

Encased in a “sturdy, lightweight anodized aluminium” frame and fitted with a magnesium hinge, the Mini 5101 notebook is undoubtedly a tough cookie. The bottom of the system is also coated with the same magnesium alloy to increase the overall durability of the netbook.

 

And the toughness does not end here; the keys too are coated with a clear solution, making them spill resistant and 50 times more resistant to wear and tear compared to traditional keyboards. Phew! That definitely is a lot of coating on one small netbook.

 

The ultra-portable also has it going on the performance features with an Intel Atom N280 processor on a Mobile Intel 945GSE Express chipset and 2GB of 533MHz DDR2 RAM. Customers can choose between a backlit HD and LED WSVGA display for the 10.1in screen that offers a 1,366×768 resolution.

 

On the storage side, the 5101 comes equipped with 160GB, 250GB and 320GB options, while the more performance conscious customers can also opt for an 80GB or 120GB SSD at an additional cost. Also embedded into the system is a 2MP camera and stereo microphones, though an optical drive is sadly missing.

 

On the connectivity side of things too, the netbook is a bit short with just Gigabit Ethernet LAN provided. There are two options available for wireless connectivity in the form of the HP un2400 EV-DO/HSPA Mobile Broadband Module or Intel or Broadband 802.11 a/b/g/draft-n. Bluetooth too is optional and at an additional cost.

 

One good feature that has been included by HP in the netbook is the three-axis digital accelerometer chip that has been embedded into the system to shut down the HDD in case of sudden movements or shocks.

 

Though the netbook sounds nicely featured, it might not be a sweet deal as the expected street price for the system is a hefty $449. The actual response though remains to be seen as the HP Mini 5101 will become available only from late July.

 

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