IT Spot

(Credit: Engadget)

If you’re not making a cheap and tiny laptop to compete with the Asus Eee PC, what are you doing? HP’s forthcoming mini-notebook will use Via processors (not Isiah, however) and start at $549, so says a spec sheet that Engadget got its hands on. The entry-level HP 2133 Mini-Note PC will use Linux (SuSE Enterprise) and feature a 1.2GHz Via C7-M processor, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, a 3-cell battery, and a 8.9-inch screen with a 1280×768 resolution. Another $50 nets you the same config with Vista Home Basic. A $749 model serves up a faster 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 7200rpm drive, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth, and Vista Business. We’re not sure what to make of the “Regional” model listed, which costs $849 for a weaker config than the $749 unit.

Engadget reports the Mini-Note PC will hit on April 7.

Don’t pay too close attention to the weights and measures listed on the spec sheet; they appear to be for the system and the box in which it ships. It’s a safe bet that the HP 2133 will weigh less than 5.26 pounds. A friend of Crave has seen the Mini-Note and says it looks and feels much more expensive than it is–very sturdy and less toy-like than the Asus Eee PC. He also said it felt a bit heavier than he expected.

(Credit: Engadget)

Features not found include solid-state hard drives, Draft N Wi-Fi, a touchscreen, and GPS. Also, we can’t help but be disappointed at the C7-M processor, which we’ve tested in the OQO Model 02 and the Wibrain B1 and have been less than impressed. Perhaps the first revision of the 2133 will bump it up to Via’s Isiah chips or introduce Intel’s Atom CPUs.