HP unveils the Mini 5101 – makes the Netbook look all grown up

HP is on a roll this month – just 2 weeks after adding 3 new machines to their Mini PC lineup, they just announced the Mini 5101.

The new Mini 5101 weighs in at just 2.6 pounds, and comes with the usual Intel Atom processor. The machine features the awesome 95% full keyboard found on their other popular Netbook sized machines, though they have moved to a “chiclet” style keyboard – something I really like.

The base model ships with a 7200rpm hard drive, but 80 and 128GB SSD drives are available as optional extras.

Since this machine is aimed at business users, you’ll get the HP 3D DriveGuard protection system and their DuraKeys keyboard coating. These technologies also make the Mini 5101 perfect for travelers who need a durable machine capable of being dragged around the world.

Battery life depends on the choice of either a 4-cell pack or a larger 6-cell pack. The 6 cell battery will keep the Mini 5101 going for up to 8 hours.

The Mini 5101 is available with either a standard WSGA screen, or a high-definition screen. Other options include Bluetooth and mobile broadband wireless interfaces as well as a new lineup of portable accessories.

Expect to find the machine available for orders towards the end of July, the expected retail price is $449.

HP unveils the Mini 1101, 110 XP and 110 Mi Netbooks – pretty and powerful

There is no denying it – the Netbook is here to stay. If you need any proof of its success, just check out these three new machines announced by HP. Their new Mini 1101 offers a 92% full size keyboard (like featured on the HP Mini 2133 we reviewed back in August of last year). It is powered by an Intel Atom processor, and comes with 1GB of memory and a 160GB HDD.

The new Mini 110 takes that Netbook experience one step further, by finally adding an (optional) HD video accelerator. This means you’ll be able to load its 160GB HDD (or 32GB SSD) with some HD content, and watch it without any stuttering or dropped frames. Other options include a WWAN (wireless broadband) adapter and a higher resolution display.

The Mini 110 will be available with Windows XP, or the HP developed Mi (Mobile Internet) Linux based operating system. All three of these machines will come with a 10.1″ LED backlit display, WiFi, webcam and a VGA connector, for hooking the machine up to a monitor, projector or hotel TV (the current generation HP Mini requires a small dongle to connect to a VGA device).

In the final portion of good news coming from HP, all these machines will feature a new synchronization software package, which will help share content between your desktop and laptop computer. With this new application, you’ll always have access to the same multimedia content on the road, as you have at home.

Best of all, you won’t have to wait too long for these new machines – the Mini 1101 will be available on June 1st for just $329 (you read that right!), the Mini 110 will be available 10 days later (in black) and on July 8th in “Pink Chic” and “White Swirl”. The 110 Mi will start at just $279 and the Mi with Windows XP will retail for $329.

What all this means to us Netbook users, is that the Netbook has evolved from a toy, into a very affordable and very powerful computer. The addition of HD video support is very welcome, and I can’t wait to see if it lives up to its promise.