Hewlett-Packard announced the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC today. Previously revealed by some leaks, it mark’s HP’s first foray into the low-cost PC market that exploded with the introduction late last year of the ASUS Eee PC. Interestingly, HP is marketing it at the education market with its first press release.
The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC will come in a number of different configurations. All will feature an 8.9-inch WXGA display (1280×768 resolution), a spill-proof QWERTY keyboard that is nearly full-size (only about 8 percent than those of full-sized notebooks), Wi-Fi, USB ports, an Express card slot, and a anodized aluminum shell. It will weigh about 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds). For USD$499, you will get a configuration that includes a 1GHz Via C7-M processor, 512MB RAM, SUSE Linux and a 4GB SSD. More expensive models will offer faster processors, up to 2GB RAM, hard drives up to 160GB or SSDs that top out at 64GB, choice of Linux, Windows XP or Windows Vista, optional Bluetooth, an optional webcam and an optional six-cell battery (instead of the standard three-cell one). At the top end of the scale, a fully configured Mini-Note will top over USD$1,000.
The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC should be available later this month.