HP extends its Mini PC family

Those on the go who like to do it in style will be pleased to hear that HP has added three new models to its popular HP Mini companion PC range. The new editions offer a host of customizable designs and configurations, all in a small package that’s light on weight but heavy on features.

HP Mini PCs have traditionally aimed for those who use their laptops to "snack" on information, rather than a PC with the needed grunt to create a whole lot of multimedia stuff or heavy-duty project work.

The HP Mini 110, available with either Microsoft XP or Mobile Internet (Mi), is aimed at the internet-savvy user. The HP Mini 1101 is geared more towards small business and frequent travelers. The Mini 110 goes for style with a choice of swirling finishes in black, white or, for the more outrageous, pink.

Just over an inch thick and weighing a little more than 2lbs, the new Mini models offer users a host of customizable features. The Mini has a 10.1-inch diagonal LED display as standard but an HD LED widescreen is available as an option. It also supports solid state drives up to 250GB. As with previous HP Mini releases, they are powered by Intel Atom processors and two battery options are available: a 3-cell or 6-cell option for double the battery life.

Other features include a built-in webcam, microphone and VGA port to connect to an external monitor. The HP Mini 110 XP has the option of WWAN connectivity, with an enhanced video accelerator offering 1080-pixel high definition expected to be released soon.

The HP Mini 110 Mi edition runs on a Linux operating system while the Mini 1101 offers Windows XP and Vista. Also expected to be released shortly is a USB Port Replicator, enabling users to attach external PCs with a single connection.

Available this month, the Mini XP is expected to retail for about USD$330 and the Mini Mi edition for about USD$280. The Mini 1101 starts at about USD$330.

For a closer look, visit the HP website.

Mick Webb