Netbook ACE

HPs latest netbook still starts at under $500.

Gallery

Specifications

Processor: Intel Atom Processor (1.6GHz)
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows XP Home, SUSE Linux, or FreeDOS

Memory: 1 GB - 2 GB
Hard Drive: 80 GB - 160 GB, SSD/SATA (Based on size)
Display: 10.1" Illumni-Lite LED
Battery: 3-cell 28 WHr/6-cell 55 Whr Li-Ion
Maximum Battery Life: Up to 4 hours
Boot Time: 57 seconds
Camera: Integrated VGA camera
Speakers: Integrated Hi-Def Audio
Removable Media: 1 Express Card, 1 Secure Digital Card, Optional optical drives via external multibay

Ports: 2 USB 2.0, Integrated 10/100 LAN, 15-pin VGA video connector, Line-out audio jack, Mic-in audio jack, AC adapter connector
Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0

Width: 10.3"
Depth: 6.5"
Height: 1.05"
Weight: Starting at 2.6 lbs.

Pros

• Large keyboard for touch typists
• Slick design
• Fast recharging times
  

Cons

• Subpar battery life
• Small text can be difficult to read
  

Editorial Reviews

The HP Mini 2140, the latest entry in Hewlett-Packards 2100 series of netbooks, is what the companys Mini 1000 aspires to be when it grows up. But it carries a grown-up price as well: $529 for our test units midlevel configuration.
-PC World, [xrr rating=4.20/5]

HP offers a premium version of its plastic Mini 1000 while keeping the price down, making the Mini 2140 the Netbook to beat.
-CNET, [xrr rating=4/5]

The newly minted HP Mini 2140 ($500 street) replaces the older parts with faster and more energy-efficient ones from the Intel Atom platform while keeping the impeccably fresh design intact. Its basically a business and education version of the HP Mini 1000.
-PC Magazine, [xrr rating=4/5]

The HP Mini 2140 proves HP can make a serious netbook for business professionals and students alike. Unfortunately for HP, the amazing design and solid range of features are diminished by a low-resolution screen. That said, there is a silver lining to this stormy cloud. HP informs us that the 2140 will be offered with a higher resolution screen (1366 x 768) later in 2009 for a modest price increase, and were glad to hear that.
-Notebook Review, [xrr rating= ]

While HP claims that the Mini 2140 is partially aimed at the education market, its design will surely appeal to business travelers.
-Laptop Magazine, [xrr rating=4/5]