HP has just released an update for their Windows 7 based slate tablet.  The newer Slate 2 has a faster Atom processor at 1.5 GHz, Swype input support and 32GB SSD to start.  They also changed the backing of their Slate 2 to be flat instead of the diamond style they had in the previous model.  Still no integrated stylus slot and you’re still stuck with a disappointing 3 MP rear facing camera.  On the upside, HP has lowered the starting price to $699.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables, News

Tagged: HP, slate, Tablet

HP updates the Slate 500 and names it Slate 2 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 3, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

Well, it appears that someone in the tablet industry watched what happened last month with the HP TouchPad and may have taken notes. Engadget is reporting, and Fusion Garage has confirmed, that the Grid10′s previously announced prices of $499 for their 16-gigabyte WiFi model, and $599 for the 16-gigabyte 3G/WiFi models were reduced to $299 and $399 respectively. Reportedly, pre-orders placed before the price decrease have been adjusted accordingly. On the bad news side the shipping date was pushed back to October 1 from September 15.

Some of you will remember the unique ad campaign that Fusion Garage ran prior to their product announcement on August 16.

I’m hoping this is a sign that some of these tablet manufacturers are beginning to understand the current tablet marketplace. Apple has the brand, marketing and reputations for quality to allow it to charge top-tier pricing for devices like its iPad. Newcomers to the market need to either launch with a product that is demonstratively superior to the iPad or at a significant discount. I believe the TouchPad would have sold considerably better if HP had priced it at $299 and would be on its way to building a user base and developer interest in webOS.

All that being said, a spokesperson for Fusion Garage told Engadget that they had intended to launch at the reduced price all along and had announced the higher pricing because of business negotiations. Let’s hope they’re better at building a tablet than they are at spinning a news story.

Filed in categories: News, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Apple, Fusion Garage, Grid10, HP, iPad, TabCo, tablets

Fusion Garage Drops Price of Grid10 by $200 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

Lately, most of the tablet talk has centered on HP and the TouchPad/webOS soap opera. The drama continued today when various tech news outlets reported that HP may be making as many as 1,000,000 more TouchPads to fulfill commitments with their supply-side vendors. At an estimated loss of almost $200 per unit I’ve got to believe that those vendor contracts must have had some significant penalty clauses. In any event, in just a few weeks everyone’s $99 TouchPad dreams may be answered and the eBay scalpers may be facing a bit of a nightmare.

With TouchPad fans now in a waiting game, and Apple not introducing a new iPad until sometime in 2012, tablet fans turned their attention towards Germany and IFA 2011 (a super-sized version of the Consumer Electronics Show). Everyone is chasing after the iPad and using different methods of attack. Google’s Android OS is the base for at least three major manufacturers to launch tablets of different sizes, shapes, designs and price points.

Sony entered the tablet wars with a couple of devices; a standard full-sized slate (SonyTablet S) and an interesting clam-shell design (Sony Tablet P). Toshiba added a second tablet to its lineup, joining the “Thrive” is the super-slim (.3-inch) Toshiba AT200. Toshiba has always been great at making computing devices smaller, lighter and thinner. I expect their latest handiwork will be well received. Lenovo, who already has two full-sized and priced tablets on the market appears to be trying to garner some of the low-priced TouchPad interest with its announcement of the 7-inch IdeaPad A1 priced at $199.

Then it was Samsung’s turn…and today they decided to go small rolling out a new Samsung Galaxy Tab at 7 inches and a 5.3-inch little gem called the ”Galaxy Note” that made my heart flutter.

The Galaxy Note is a 5.3-inch phone/tablet that includes all of the usual top-of-the-line bells and whistles; HD Super AMOLED display, 1.4ghz dual-core processor, and dual cameras (8mp and 2mp). The big difference though is a real, honest-to-goodness stylus. You can use the stylus or your fingers interchangeably throughout the UI and it includes handwriting recognition capabilities.

Yes, I know that Steve Jobs has declared the stylus a sign of device design failure, but for those of us that need to input text or are sick of pressing the wrong link or are just tired of carrying screen cloths everywhere we go the stylus is a wonderful implement. Hey, Steve, we all finger-painted at one time, but most of us progressed to crayons and then pens and pencils.

My first tablet was the Apple Newton MessagePad. I purchased it back in 1993. While it took Apple a few revisions to get it right the Newton 2100 became my constant business companion. It was the right size for taking notes in a meetings, reading and composing emails, looking at websites without having to scroll side-to-side or zoom in and it could easily be held in one hand. While writing by hand isn’t nearly as fast as typing on a full-sized keyboard it sure beats pecking away on glass or, even worse, the thumb stretch we’re all trying to do with our iPads, TouchPads, etc.

When the iPad came out,  Steve Jobs made a brilliant strategic move in downplaying a design decision Apple had made. Rather than be faced with the iPad as a finger only device and the others as the stylus UI he discredited the concept entirely. It worked, at least for a while; his competitors went along with the Jobs’ law of tablet input and created finger-only work-alike devices.

It’s my belief that there is a significant market for people that want a device that is smaller than carrying a “netbook-sized” screen around and larger than an iPhone-sized mobile phone. There was a time when almost every businessperson carried a calendar/notepad of sorts. Generally men carried them in the inner pocket of their suit jacket and women had them in their purse or business case. They were close by and allowed for notes to be quickly jotted down. In the early 90s companies tried to replace this item with the Personal Digital Assistant. It was a bit smaller, had a stylus for input and allowed for some form of handwriting recognition.

Then Handspring/Palm decided to insert a phone into the mix and created the Treo. Somewhere along the line the basic functions of taking notes, and real calendar functions got pushed into the background and gaming, video, and  internet/app use took over.

There’s nothing wrong with playing games, watching videos, running apps or reading the web, but as screen size has grown to accommodate those needs phones are becoming more and more cumbersome to carry. A mobile phone should be smaller, and meant for the quick retrieval of information, short text input and even an actual phone call or two. The smaller and lighter the phone is the more convenient it becomes.

When we’re going to be in a situation where we need more such as a business meeting few people are going to try and type notes on their phone…or pull out a full-sized tablet. That’s the time for what I hope devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note will become. Small and light enough to carry around regularly, but not all the time, fully stylus capable for relatively quick and accurate input and still large enough to allow it to make sense as a notepad, calendar, email client and even a semi-reasonable browser in landscape mode.

Hey, we know that all of this technology started with Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek…and Starfleet officers always carried a communicator (which got smaller as the series went on ) and a tricorder for gathering information and then when it was time to kick back with a video they pulled out their larger PADD. If they all could work in the 26^th century…I think they can work now.

Filed in categories: Android related, News, webOS

Tagged: Android, HP, IFA 2011, Lenovo, Newton, PDA, Samsung, Tablet, toshiba, webOS

Samsung Galaxy Note – Boldly Going Where Tablets Were Meant To Go originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

About a week ago when I wrote a review of the HP TouchPad I mentioned that while HP had positioned the tablet as a “professional” device it lacked the capability to edit Microsoft Office documents. Well, that appears to have been corrected as HP announced an update to Quickoffice that will allow for the editing of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel formatted documents. The update should be available now and best of all there’s reportedly no charge.

In other HP TouchPad news, for those of you who missed out on the first batch of six free apps, HP has made more available. There’s no guarantee of how long supplies will last though.

Filed in categories: News, webOS

Tagged: HP, Micorsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Quickoffice, TouchPad

HP TouchPad Now Edits Office Docs and More Free Apps originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2011 at 1:10 pm.

UPDATE: The HP App Catalog is reporting that the current inventory of free apps has been depleted.

Hewlett-Packard is offering six free apps to owners of its recently discontinued HP TouchPad. If you were lucky enough to grab one of the heavily discounted tablets you can now download the following apps at no charge from the HP App Catalog located on your device. To get the discount use the code within the parenthesis below.

• Glimpse (Inglorious Apps, $5, injoj55410gavxv): Amp up your TouchPad multitasking to 11 using this customizable and addictive split-screen interface.
• Kung Fu Panda 2 Storybook (zuuka, $2.99, eotss76676jjzqr): Enjoy images and voices from Kung Fu Panda 2 right on your TouchPad.
• Big Boss (Fair Play Labs, $1.99, vfimk09918lngoz): Design your “  Boss” – a gigantic monster – and attempt to defeat the brave heroes and powerful wizards of WackyLands.
• Sparkle HD (10tons Ltd., $4.99, pweuq32135vrbhx): Save Crowberry Woods in this TouchPad version of the popular desktop game.
• Camera for TouchPad (Keen Studios, $0.99, rijon62171nhvtu): Start snapping away, with options for managing your photos and using them with other TouchPad apps.
• Audubon Birds (Green Mountain Digital, $14.99, jjiox66488ddnik): This searchable digital field guide to North American birds offers stunning photography and thrilling (trilling?) bird songs.

The blog hints that there will be similar giveaways in the future. More information on the promotion is available here.

Filed in categories: News, webOS

Tagged: HP, TouchPad

HP Offering TouchPad Owners Six Free Apps originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2011 at 10:00 am.

As I finish this article I learned that Hewlett-Packard, Inc. has decided to discontinue operations for webOS devices specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. What this means for current owners has yet to be announced. It’s a shame that yet another nice operating system is going to end up in the tech graveyard, but while the timing of death is a bit of a shock the event isn’t. Yes, there’s some talk of HP licensing webOS to another company, but I don’t see that happening.

All that being said…here’s what I was working on prior to the announcement. It’s possible that HP will try to sell out its existing inventory at very low prices and for some it may not be a bad purchase.

I’m going to attempt to give you my thoughts on the TouchPad’s chance of success and a bit of a review along the way. I’ll probably not get anywhere close to the detail provided by the team of great reviewers that grace the-gadgeteer.com.  At the very least, reading this may save you your nightly dose of Ambien.

When Palm, Inc. belatedly realized that their PalmOS operating system was long past due for an overhaul they created a team to build the next generation of mobile operating system.  They were looking for something that would vault them back ahead of RIM’s Blackberry in the enterprise marketplace and also compete on the consumer side with Apple’s iOS powered iPhone.

In mid-2009, amid much fanfare, the Palm “Pre” smartphone was launched on Sprint and we all got our first look at webOS. Unfortunately, the hardware wrapped around webOS 1.x was underpowered and flawed, the OS also had more than a few bugs and the consumer experience wasn’t great. By the time the financially strained Palm released a hardware upgrade (Pre Plus) the phone had lost momentum and their new partner Verizon was focusing on Google’s Android OS-based Motorola Droid. While webOS generally got positive reviews the Pre/Pre Plus faded to the background of the smartphone market.

Palm continued to struggle and was purchased by HP for $1.2 billion in mid-2010. A few announcements, press releases and rumors later and in HP released a tiny webOS 2.1-based smartphone named “Veer” and a few months later a webOS 3.0 powered TouchPad. Priced and sized to compete with the market-leading Apple iPad 2 that had been released a few months earlier. webOS fans rejoiced, but thus far the Veer and TouchPad have met with so-so 3^rd party developer support, sales and mediocre reviews.

TouchPad side view

The TouchPad is roughly the same length and width as the iPad 2, but it’s thicker, and weighs more. The back is a plastic or polymer of some sort, gently curved.  It has a solid feel (doesn’t creak) and is easier and more comfortable than the original iPad and much more comfortable to hold than the Asus eee Transformer. It is noticeably heavier and thicker than the iPad 2.

Tablets seem to be coming with two screen types lately, the leading Android tablets like the Motorola Xoom, Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Acer’s Iconia  use the HD-style aspect ratio, 16:10, while the TouchPad has a 4:3 aspect ratio the same as the iPad. While, at first glance, you wouldn’t think that it would make that much of a difference it really does. The 16:10 tablets are much better used in landscape mode while the 4:3 aspect devices are better in portrait. I find it easier to hold a tablet in portrait mode for most functions…and tend to shift to holding it in landscape for watching videos or websites that are very wide.

The TouchPad is also much like the iPad when it comes to expansion ports…there are none other than the power/sync micro-USB port on the bottom. While, like the iPad, it won’t really charge when plugged into a computer  I will give HP credit for using a standard USB 2.0 cable rather than forcing their customers to carry a proprietary cable. The rest of the device has a power button, volume rocker, headphone jack and a microphone. There’s also a rear facing camera for use during video calls or staring at oneself. In my case, I’ve found it best to cover the camera with masking or electrical tape to prevent a nasty scare.

The processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 ghz dual core) seems adequate, but it’s not lightning fast. It’s more like the original iPad speed wise. Battery life is good, but not quite up to that of the iPad. Still recent tests provided at tomshardware.com have shown that you’ll get at least 5 ½ hours when continuously playing full-screen video at max brightness.  The iPad 2 is the category leader clocking in with close to 9 hours. Our personal results with normal to heavy usage including video playback, music playback, browsing the internet, email, facebook, twitter, etc. with brightness set to “auto” showed no problem in making it a full day on a charge with plenty to spare. Watching video on the TouchPad is a pleasure as like its competitors the screen, an IPS display, is quite nice.

TouchPad's home screen with setting menu pulled down.

While there is nothing in the TouchPad’s hardware to really differentiate it (positively or negatively) from its competitors the interface and operating system are a different story. WebOS is the nicest mobile operating system I’ve used since Apple’s NewtonOS. The user interface is very easy to learn and just makes sense. There are a few gestures, but none that will require some of the cartilage and ligament stretching exercises that are becoming the norm for Apple devices. Basically, if you can touch, tap, pinch, and swipe up and to the side you’re good to go. When you touch the screen and lift your finger you’ll also see an effect similar to what would occur if you gently touched a placid pool of water…although the “ripple” is contained to about the size of your fingertip.

When you start the device you’re faced with a pretty standard lock-screen. WebOS allows you to opt to have calendar alerts, current song, and other notifications to appear on this screen. You open the lock by sliding a “padlock” icon a short distance in any direction away from its’ home point. You may also apply a numeric pin or more complex alpha-numeric password if you wish.

The desktop is clean with a digital clock and various notification icons in the top-right section of the menu bar. Tapping a small arrow next to the clock drops down a menu with many of the basic settings available like brightness, WiFi, Bluetooth, VPN, airplane mode, rotation lock and muting. This is similar to Android’s 3.x interface, and far less annoying than Apple’s iOS that requires the user to find and launch the General Settings app and then find the proper setting menu to make a change. The top middle of the screen has a single line text entry field that’s labeled “Just type…” . This feature is very similar to iOS’ Spotlight search allowing the user to search apps and data on the device and throughout a number of internet-based services. You may select the default search engine and then add other areas to search very easily as you come across them while browsing or installing apps.

Along the bottom of the screen sits an App Dock with five-user selectable apps and a fixed arrow which works similarly to Android’s “App Drawer” button taking you to a “launcher” screen with a tabbed interface. The tabs are All, Downloads, Favorites and Settings. All is all of your apps, Settings is the control panel, Downloads is all of the Apps that have been installed by the user through the HP App Catalog (App Store) or a home brew app store called “Preware”. Favorites are just that. The icons may be moved around with the now-standard hold, wait and drag method.  Sadly, there doesn’t appear to be a way to easily set up additional tabs or folders within each tab. I really don’t like having to scroll or page through what can become hundreds of icons to find the program I want.  Of course, I could put my favorites on the Favorites page and use “Just Type” which is the HP version of Spotlight Search, but I guess I’m just a folder-liking kind of guy.

The calendar in card/multitasking mode. From here you could flick left or right to start other apps.

So, what makes webOS special? To me it’s the way it handles multitasking. Working with multiple apps is easy and natural. You don’t close one app and then have to fish through a bar filled with icons to find the other app you want to re-launch. Rather, a simple swipe up from just off the bottom of the screen or a press of the physical home button shrinks your current app to a smaller, but actual, version of the app’s screen. You can then swipe left and right through your other running applications, simply tapping the card you want brings it to the front and full screen. Apps like Pandora continue to play while in the background. If you want to close an app you just swipe it up and off the screen. During my use I’ve had a fairly large number of apps open at once without noticing any performance problems, but if I was playing a video and had a lot of apps open it would trigger a warning that directed me to close some cards before initiating a new app. If an app has related items, say a picture in an email, those cards will be grouped together.

While an app is open immediate commands are generally along the bottom and, if there’s a menu necessary, it appears in the top left-hand corner of the screen. All of the apps I’ve used followed this convention. I wish Google and Apple would have enforced some sort of a standard in their environments as just trying to find navigation functions  in different apps can be a bit too much hide and seek for my liking.

I should note that some apps that were designed for the Pre or Veer will not display in full screen, but rather in a replica of the phone’s screen.  Thus far I haven’t found that to be a hindrance.

Pandora, a "Pre" app running on the TouchPad.

Another of the truly unique and positive features  of webOS is “Synergy”. Basically, when you setup your TouchPad you can enter your account information for many of the more popular web services (facebook, Dropbox, Google, LinkedIn, MobileMe, Skype, etc.) and then have the option to enable access to those services in many of the apps. For instance, entering your Google Apps, Drop Box or Box.net account will make documents on those services available in Quick Office; pictures from those sources as well as facebook will be available in the gallery. The calendar will include events from your Google, facebook or other connected calendar.  Contacts and Messaging are nicely integrated giving the user the option of centralizing communication with contacts from facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Microsoft Exchange, AIM and Google among others. In iOS or Android integration between web services and apps is handled on an app by app basis at the discretion of the developer.

Entering your Skype account will enable you to make phone or video calls from the TouchPad’s phone app. I was a bit disappointed that it didn’t enable calling by tapping on a phone number in a web page

Speaking of apps, the TouchPad comes with the now standard set of built-in functions – Email, calendar, contacts, music player, gallery, maps (Bing), QuickOffice (display only – no editing or document creation), video player, calculator, facebook, memos, instant messenger client and a web browser. Adobe Reader is included and the browser runs Adobe Flash content. The built-in apps are all pretty solid and have the features you’d expect.

The built-in apps on the launcher screen.

Oh, and since the TouchPad is made by HP printing is available to just about any HP printer you may have on your network. It had no problem auto discovering or working with our Color LaserJet 2025, but wanted nothing to do with a Dell printer on the same network. There may be an option to use printers from other manufacturers, but I was unable to find it. Printing worked as you would expect it to. Printing with the iPad natively requires either a very small number of specially equipped printers or 3^rd party apps. Android also relies on 3^rd party apps for printing capabilities.As I mentioned earlier the TouchPad has three methods available for installing apps. The first is a standard app store which HP calls the “App Catalog”. When you first open the Catalog you’re presented with a monthly online publication called “Pivot” which highlights apps and features on the device. Other than that it’s pretty much the same Top List, categories, Free and Paid functionality that you’ll find in Apple’s App Store and Android’s Market. A minor annoyance of the App Catalog is that they only accept Mastercard and Visa for payment.

Apps that were downloaded including the "Preware" store.

The bigger problem with the App Catalog and the TouchPad in general involves the number of available webOS apps. The webOS catalog is dwarfed by the selection available on iOS or Android. Certainly, most of the basics are covered, but you’re not going to find Netflix or a lot of apps from specific news sources, banks, retail stores or restaurants. In many cases the web browser is good enough to make up for this, but not always. Yes, there appear to be a slew of Angry Birds versions available although beyond that I wouldn’t purchase the TouchPad as a gaming machine.

The other two methods of acquiring apps involve loading them onto the machine from a PC through “Developer Mode” and then subsequently installing an app catalog called Preware on your device. While the procedure to enable Preware is not the same as “Jailbreaking” an iPad it’s a similar sort of process. Rather than attempt to shut down the PreWare marketplace, HP is actively supporting these unofficial app developers with free hardware and other forms of support.  The Preware catalog includes about 500 different apps and numerous tweaks that can make using the TouchPad all the more pleasant. Detailed instructions on how to install Preware are available on the major webOS forums like precentral.net. While using these “homebrew” apps could void your warranty there is a utility available that should restore your TouchPad back to stock condition. I give HP credit for embracing their most ardent supporters.

The more adventurous can also use this capability to install new kernel’s (core operating system) and change items like CPU speed. My general recommendation is that if you never considered overclocking your PC you’ll probably not want to attempt this with your TouchPad.

A beloved site displayed in the TouchPad's browser.

To me the most important app on any tablet is the web browser. Apps are nice and really important on a smaller-screened device like a smartphone, but if I’m carrying a 10”-inch screen with WiFi or 4G speeds I want as close to the desktop web browser experience as possible.  I’d rate the webOS browser on par with that of Android’s 3.x browser and far better than Apple’s Mobile Safari. Hate it or not, Adobe Flash is necessary today for a complete web experience and HP has done a solid job of incorporating the technology.  However, there are still pages that don’t display properly. For instance, I can’t get the desktop version of Gmail to work. Hulu sort of runs (although I haven’t attempted to watch an entire show or movie) and after a long delay HBO Go started playing for me. None of the three available stock mobile browsers (or the 3^rdparty options) come close to Firefox 6.0, IE 9, Chrome or even Safari. This is an area that really needs some focus in the coming generations of tablets if they’re going to flourish.

HP has positioned the TouchPad as a productivity tool, perhaps a bit more “serious” than its rivals’ devices. That might be partly true. Certainly the stock on-screen keyboard is a best of breed. The Touchpad’s keyboard presents a five-row keyboard that includes numbers and many commonly used symbols. This is superior to Android and iOS that have four-row keyboard and require all sorts of key shifts and the like to type in something as basic as a phone number.  The Touchpad’s spell checking function is not quite as good as Android’s, but far less annoying than the overzealous iPad functionality. Android’s market has a great many third party keyboard replacements (Apple doesn’t allow any). Some of them like “Thumb Keyboard” greatly improve on key placement and word correction.

For me though…typing more than a few words on screen-based keyboard just isn’t much fun. My experience with tablets has been made far better by the purchase of Bluetooth keyboard. I use the Apple Wireless model, but HP sells a very similar device. Either would work with any Bluetooth enabled tablet and both sell for around $70. There are less expensive models available, but Apple and HP are genuinely nice keyboards. One warning when purchasing the Apple keyboard, it was meant for their desktops not the iPad or TouchPad so several of the function keys don’t apply and the initial pairing isn’t as easy as it could be. After that first time though the connection is almost immediate and the response to key presses is very good.

Strangely, after spending the time to get their on-screen keyboard right HP failed to provide an application that allows users to edit “Office” type documents. QuickOffice comes pre-installed and it does a fine job of displaying Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel documents, but there’s no option to edit them. This is a bit strange for a device that was billed as being for professionals.

So, after slogging through all of this and in light of today’s announcement would it make sense to buy a Touchpad? I’d suggest that if the price came down to under $200 it’s a good deal. Reports as of Saturday August 20 show that HP may be liquidating the TouchPads at $99 for the 16GB model and $150. The webOS hackers are going to continue to provide some new apps and the device will provide some solid utility. It’s not going to stop working just because it’s not being sold any longer.

It’s a shame that Palm was financially struggling by the time webOS was more or less ready and couldn’t come up with better hardware and better marketing. This was their baby and Palm was probably the only company that had the people invested enough in the product to make is a success. When you’re in a marketplace battling Apple and Google it’s not just money, but a solidly dedicated team that is necessary to be successful.

HP has never been comfortable in the consumer marketplace. The bulk of their revenue comes from enterprise products and services. I’m sure some executives at HP looked at their chief opponent in the corporate space, IBM, and saw that they had sold off their computer division, their laptop division and even their printer line to focus on their core products.

There’s also a relatively simple explanation for what happened. Mark Hurd was the Chief Executive Officer of HP when they purchased Palm, Inc. He left HP and Léo Apotheker eventually took over as CEO. WebOS was not Apotheker’s project or his vision for the company, it was costing HP a lot of money and they had a bad quarter…so he killed it. It’s not like this hasn’t happened many times before.

Ahh well, my guess is 20 years from now a few of us will be chatting in some forum and we’ll talk about the great OS’s that never quite got their chance. AmigaOS, BeOS, GEOS, NewtonOS and now, webOS.

Farewell, webOS we hardly knew ya…

Filed in categories: Reviews, webOS

Tagged: HP, Palm, webOS

HP’s TouchPad & webOS – Losing the Fight (A Review of Sorts) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2011 at 11:00 am.

HP announced Thursday that it is discontinuing webOS operations specifically the TouchPad and webOS based phones like the Veer and Pre. HP had taken control of webOS a little over a year ago when the purchased Palm, Inc. for $1.2 billion.

Filed in categories: News, Tablet Computers and Gear, webOS

Tagged: HP, webOS

HP Kills TouchPad, Pre and WebOS originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 18, 2011 at 9:04 pm.

HP must have liked the results of this weekend’s $100 discount to their WebOS-based tablet because they’re making it permanent. The 16-gigabyte model will now sell for $399 and the 32-gigabyte unit will go for $499. Rumor has it they’ll be releasing a 4G/WiFi model in the coming months that will also feature a faster processor. While the price is low, the TouchPad is a very nice tablet that many, this writer included, consider to have the best mobile OS in the business. Now, if they can only get the developer community to take notice.

Filed in categories: News, Tablet Computers and Gear, webOS

Tagged: HP, webOS

HP Touch Pad $100 Price Reduction Now Permanent originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 11, 2011 at 10:00 am.

HP has created a new competitor for the iPad 2, the TouchPad.  The TouchPad comes in 16GB and 32 GB for internal storage space and is priced similarly to the iPad2, $499.99 and $599.99, respectively.  It features webOS 3, has Adobe Flash-enabled web browsing, 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon, WiFi, and features BeatsAudio.  With webOS, TouchPad allows you to easily multitask.  Begin just about anything without starting an app, receive text messages and answer calls, print via wireless to compatible networked HP printers, use pre-installed software of Quickoffice, Google docs, or Box.net, and receive notifications without disruption, to name a few.  The HP TouchPad weighs 1.6 pounds, measures 13.7 mm thick, and has a 9.7 inch LED back-lit multi-touch display . It also has a front-facing 1.3 megapixel webcam, support for video calls, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.   There are a few accessories that are sold separately:  HP Touchstone charging dock that charges the TouchPad automatically with nothing to plug in (~$79), a case (~$35), and an optional HP wireless keyboard(~$66).  You can check out more details at:  http://www.hp.com.

Filed in categories: News, webOS

Tagged: HP, Tablet, webOS

New Competition For iPad 2 – The HP TouchPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 30, 2011 at 2:58 pm.

Wow, I sure didn’t see this one coming… It was announced today that HP will purchase Palm at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. HP is not a company that even sprang to my mind when we heard that Palm were putting themselves up for sale 2 weeks ago. Does that mean that we’ll start seeing iPAQ smartphones running WebOS instead of Windows Mobile? Very interesting…

[Via Engadget]

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: HP, Palm, Palm OS related, webOS

HP Buys Palm originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2010 at 5:12 pm.

Hewlett Packard have recently been shouting about their new Elitebook, the 2740p.  It’s an ultrathin, convertible tablet which also supports multi-touch and input from a pen.

The 2740p will have a 12.1″ LED screen and will be powered by the Intel’s new Core i7/i5 processors, and with up to 8Gb of DDR3 memory stacked inside, an Intel HD graphics card and a choice of either a 160 or 320Gb solid state hard disk, it’s bound to perform very well!

It’s certainly aimed at the more professional customer, what with it’s strengthened glass display (MIL-STD 810G compliance!) which has been designed and tested to resist dust, humidity and vibration.  But, it’ll still do nicely for the average user!

The 2740p will come with the usual suspects; WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, 2mp Webcam, Bluetooth 2.1, 3 x USB, Firewire, VGA etc.  However, it will also be sporting  optional EVDO/HSPA (with GPS) for connectivity.  They’ve also included a spill-resistant keyboard!

And, not only this, the unit itself measures only 1.25 x 11.4 x 8.3 inches and weighs in at a little less than 4lbs, with the standard 6-cell battery attached. HP say the standard battery will run for around 5 hours, but you can also get the expansion pack to ramp it up to around 11 hours.

The HP Elitebook 2740p will hit the US market from April 2010 and indications on price are around $1600.  HP have also announced that the expansion base for the 2740p, which will provide a DVD burner and eSATA connectivity and allow users to use other peripherals without having to plug/unplug  will be available at the same time, priced at $300.

Want one?  I do!

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Elitebook, HP, Spotlight Gadgets

New HP Multi-touch tablet is on the way! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 2, 2010 at 7:35 am.

HP announced it would offer its customers a free upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7. HP customers can visit www.hp.com/go/windows7upgrade to check for upgrade eligibility, register and get answers about their PCs and current operating systems. The full press release is included after the jump.

News release

HP Offers Customers Free Upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 25, 2009 – HP today announced it will offer the Microsoft Windows® 7 operating system on consumer and business PCs beginning Oct. 22.

To meet customers’ computing needs while protecting their investments, the company is participating in the Windows Upgrade Option Program to help customers transition easily to Windows 7. The program will enable customers who purchase qualifying HP PCs to enjoy the benefits of a new Windows-based PC immediately and receive a free⁽¹⁾ upgrade to Windows 7 when it becomes available in October.

Customers who purchase an HP PC starting today may be eligible for the upgrade program. HP customers can visit www.hp.com/go/windows7upgrade to check for upgrade eligibility, register and get answers about their PCs and current operating systems. Following general availability of Windows 7 on Oct. 22, qualifying customers will receive the Windows 7 upgrade and an upgrade utility disk⁽²⁾ with a step-by-step guide for installation at their convenience.⁽³⁾

Throughout the development of Windows 7, HP has had an unprecedented level of collaboration with Microsoft to improve the user experience. HP has made a significant investment in hardware and software testing to ensure broad compatibility and a satisfying technology experience across its commercial and consumer PC portfolios.

“HP has helped guide Microsoft through the development of Windows 7, collaborating and offering unique insight and counsel on emerging technologies,” said Carlos Montalvo, vice president, Experience Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Because of this early collaboration, HP has engineered truly innovative PCs – from our thin and light notebooks and high-performance desktops to our acclaimed TouchSmart PCs – providing advanced performance, compelling user experiences and more functionality overall.”

For more than two years, HP’s collaboration with Microsoft has consisted of sharing industry best practices and technology for mobility, touch innovation and printing, and working to ensure a good customer experience when upgrading to Windows 7.

“We are thrilled with the level of collaboration between HP and Microsoft throughout the development of Windows 7,” said Nick Parker, general manager, Worldwide Sales for HP, Microsoft. “Through the Windows Upgrade Option program, we can help our joint customers get new PCs now and get ready to experience the innovation and simplification that Windows 7 delivers.”

To help simplify the Windows 7 upgrade process, the HP Upgrade Assistant will identify and preinstall most necessary drivers.⁽²⁾ The HP Support website will continue to be updated with drivers, allowing customers to easily update their PCs without the burden of researching and downloading drivers for graphic cards and attached peripheral hardware.

HP PCs with Windows Vista® on the market today meet the hardware requirements⁽⁴⁾ to run the Windows 7 operating system. Customers can continue to purchase new PCs from HP with the confidence that they will run the Windows 7 operating system when it becomes available later this year.

Customers can join the conversation about the upcoming launch of Windows 7 on the HP Consumer Support Forum or HP Business Support Forum for businesses. More information about HP’s Windows Upgrade Option Program is available at www.hp.com/go/windows7.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

^{(1) Shipping and handling fees may apply depending on retailer/reseller. Program terms vary by country. Additional details on the program will be available June 26, 2009.}

^{(2) HP upgrade utility disk is available for consumer product purchases only. Commercial customers will follow a different upgrade process. Content may vary by product model or family.}

^{(3) Upgrade kits will be shipped on or after Oct. 22, 2009.}

^{(4) XP Mode will only work with chipsets that support virtualization.}

Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2009 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Gear Diary, HP

HP Offers Customers Free Upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 26, 2009 at 12:22 pm.

I have now carried the HP Mini 1000xp with me daily for three months. This is a short article on the lessons I have learned about the Mini, netbooks, and me.

Lesson: The Mini is tough! I’ve dropped the poor thing several times, once badly enough for the screen cover to pop open and some panels in the back to pop off, and I have worn a spot on the space bar- other than that, it looks new with a little polishing. Remember- I carry it with me almost everywhere and it shows little sign of it.

Lesson: It is not perfect. The fairly low screen resolution tends to bug me a little when I am doing text stuff, like writing this article. It is not bad, just not as crisp as I would like. There is also an occasional lag in streaming videos from the Internet, etc. Just enough to encourage me to use a different computer when doing a lot of that. Also, the proprietary video connection, memory slot (they have a name for it, but who cares), and power jack size irritate me sometimes- especially the power jack thing- I cannot seem to find a 3rd party ‘universal’ cord that works for it.

Lesson: Netbooks are socially-friendly devices. Do you see my spouse in the following picture?

Family room with Fujitsu Lifebook, 12"

That is the top of her head, and about all I see of her when I am working with my ‘small’ 12″ Lifebook. Same shot, using the Mini:

Family room with the 10" Mini 100xp

Not only can you see a good chunk of her, you can see that she is on her own laptop (a gigantic 15″er- when it is on the table, she can’t see me either!) I have noticed this over and over- using the Mini, I am better connected with things and people around me. It does not block faces at meetings, it does not chew up table space in hot spot coffee shops, and I can even watch TV while on-line- truly this is a wondrous thing!

At the same time- I have noticed that other laptops create ‘don’t bug me’ zones around the user. There is a lot less interaction, the user’s attention is more focused on the screen, and people are conditioned to leave users alone. The Mini does not do this as much. Not only do people ask about it, but it does not seem to send out the ‘invisible force field wave’ as much as a ‘real’ laptop does.

I am sure that the eeePC and other netbooks do this as well- netbooks are just plain more socially-friendly machines! I think anyone that works with people should take this into account.

Lesson: Who needs a CD drive? Certainly not me. I bought one for the netbook- and have only used it a few times- most notably for installing Microsoft Office, and when I decided to restart everything. Other than that- downloads and flashdrives, baby! I have noticed that I rarely even use the drive on my Lifebook or desktop either.  (Attention inventors: how is this for an idea- a small DVD/CD player that also has a USB cord and can act as a CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive? If I had one of these, I’d be a happy camper!)

Lesson: Open source is great! But… I tried, man, I really tried! Ubuntu, OpenOffice, FoxIt… but Ubuntu and Linux are not very Palm friendly, and I NEED my Palm. (Anyone have any good solutions for this, let me know- I would love to try them out!) OpenOffice is wonderful, but I need 100% Word compatibility for my huge library of articles and work activities. I just got tired of the small, on-going differences. Besides, I already own Office, may as well use it. On the other hand, I am loving Google’s Chrome on it- good use of screen space! (Gmail is also winning me over- already deleted the Mozilla programs on the Mini in favor of it.)

Lesson: The netbook has changed my life! Not radically, but it makes it so much easier to carry one smallish bag and be e-ready. I almost never use my MP3 player anymore because this thing is so convenient, and I can do music for jogging (if I ever start) on my Palm. I have not read any paper-based media in a while, and if I do, I often scan it into the Mini for later perusal. (Gotta love the new wireless printers/scanners, eh?) I tend to toss it in the car when we go

Would I buy one with my own money? Yes. Absolutely yes. As I said before, I was looking to replace my aging Lifebook when Julie surprised us (thanks again, Julie!!!) I was toying with the idea of a netbook, but now I clearly see that this is what I was looking for when I got my Lifebook. Something small but powerful enough for my non-gamer, non-graphics heavy needs.

What would I change?

• I would have gotten a better case from the get-go. My cheapy DVD travel case is already coming apart at the seams.
• I would have gotten a wifi sniffer and a USB light earlier- these have been wonderful!
• I’m popping in Windows 7 as soon as I can afford it… unless I can get Ubuntu to play with the Palm well- then I am riding Linux all the way!
• As far as which model- my biggest complaint with the Mini is the proprietary power plug- I cannot find a 3rd party plug, battery unit, etc. that fits it, which really bugs me.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: HP, Mini 1000, Netbook

3 Months with the HP Mini 1000xp originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 25, 2009 at 1:00 am.

I wish I could say that this was a labor of love for readers, but I recently became so disgusted with the poor performance of my HP laptop, that I was determined to gain some of the spec performance promised me when I bought it. What I wound up with is 3 different operating systems installed on one laptop in one day. What you wind up with is the bottom line, most brief insight into real world performance of these three Microsoft offerings.

Almost exactly a year ago, I purchased a HP DV2715nr laptop. I had just changed employers and turned my beautiful Dell 12.1” back in, and for the first time in over 15 years on the road, I was going to be anchored in an office and would not be receiving a shiny new laptop courtesy of someone else’s hardware budget. Knowing I could not do without a laptop for sofa surfing, I quickly snapped up a good deal on this unit. I wasn’t expecting to play Quake 3 on it, but I did expect it to perform at least as well as my 2 year old Dell had. And I did expect it to at least play the included Vista games. Boy was I wrong.

Machine Specifications

Model Number: DV2715nr

Microprocessor:  1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-58

Microprocessor Cache:  512KB+512KB L2 Cache

Memory:  2048 MB (2 x 1024 MB)

Memory Max:  Up to 4 GB

Video Graphics:  NVIDIA GeForce 7150M

Video Memory:  Up to 799 MB

Hard Drive:  160 GB (5400RPM)

Multimedia Drive:  LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support

Display:  14.1″ WXGA High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)

Fax/Modem:  High speed 56K modem

Network Card:  Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN

Wireless Connectivity:  802.11b/g WLAN

Sound : Altec Lansing speakers

Keyboard:  101-key compatible & 2 Quick Launch Buttons

Pointing Device:  Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical and horizontal Scroll Up/Down 

PC Card: Slots  One ExpressCard 5/4 slot (also supports ExpressCard3/4)  

External Ports:  5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards, 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, 2 Headphone out, 1 microphone-in, 1 VGA (15-pin), 1 TV-Out (S-video), 1 RJ-11 (modem)1 RJ -45 (LAN), 1 notebook expansion port 3, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin), 1 Consumer IR

Dimensions;  13.15″ (L) x 9.33″ (W) x 1.02″ (min H) /1.54″ (max H)

Weight:  5.25lbs

Security  Kensington lock

Power-on password

Accepts 3rd party security lock devices 

Power  65W AC Adapter

6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery 

What’s In The Box : WebCam with Integrated Microphone, Mobile Stereo Earbud Headphones (1 pair), HP Mobile Remote Control

Back Story

As you can see, the specs say this thing should be a decent performer, at least a year ago it looked good. The one thing I was looking for in this price range was a decent graphics chipset. I briefly looked into the Geforce 7150m, and from the specs, I should be able to play sim games like Age of Empires, Civilization, or Sim City.

Let me just go ahead and put the ugly truth out there. The specification for the video chipset, 7150m and up to 799 available shared ram, is a lie. Plain and simple. I believe this spec is absolutely 100% intentionally misleading, and HP should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for misleading the consumer, and the frustrated hundreds that I’ve run into on forums and bulletin boards, trying to get this notebook to perform as it should, based on the spec. HP should send everyone who bought this model laptop a brand new notebook that performs, today, without question.

After a year of trying to solve this problem I discovered that this notebook does not have a 7150m graphics chipset, at least per Nvidia spec. What it has is an intentionally crippled and orphan, HP test tube MCP67m. The graphics chip was hard locked by the manufacturer to run at 100mhz memory speed as opposed to the 425mhz spec on the 7150m. The maximum memory you can throw at this thing is 128mb as opposed to the 799mb promised.

So to sum up, this graphics chip is not as promised by HP in writing. It runs at only about 24% of its specified memory speed, and is capable of being allocated only 16% of the shared memory promised. The only reason I can think of as to why they would do this is to help a heat issue. Even at the anemic speed this chipset runs at, this laptop gets blazing hot on the bottom. And the hotter it gets, the slower the system gets.

There is no software trick to unlock this chip, not from Nvidia, HP, or any 3rd party. There is no driver or chip tuner in the world that will make this chip perform as promised. So essentially, what I have in this notebook is the best performing graphics chipset available approximately 10-12 years ago. This thing is so horrible a graphics performer that it struggles to open web browser windows, play video, or even play the chess game that came as a part of Vista. And it was billed as a multimedia performer.

I’m always careful to look at both sides of a piece of hardware from a manufacturer, and be fair. What I have stated about this notebook and HP’s marketing of it may seem harsh and unfair. I assure you it is not, it is simply the truth I have experienced, after hours and hours and countless more hours of investigation into, and work on, the matter.  And although I have been personally affected by it, I stand 100% behind my estimate of it as objective fact.

This is why I spent 10 hours yesterday; installing 3 different operating systems on this notebook, and why the result is something I think is worthy of sharing, and is the basis for this article.

Windows Vista Performance

This laptop came with Vista, I had purchased it at a time when it was the only choice, there were no downgrades to XP available with anyone, and I was anxious to try out the new OS. I’m not going to rehash the whole Vista debacle here, it’s common knowledge that it’s a bloated under-performer. What I did do was delete my existing Vista partition, and install a fresh OEM copy of Vista without all the HP bloatware.

I gained some meager performance from a clean install and lack of HP goodies, but even with the newest driver from Nvidia, (which was just released because until now because they had refused to issue drivers for notebook graphics chips of their making, instead leaving it to the notebook manufacturer) the overall performance gain was minimal, and there was no improvement in the performance of the graphics chip.

This result was not unexpected, so it was off to my trusty XP Pro to save me.

Windows XP Pro Performance

Frustrated at this point, I deleted my Vista partition and re-formatted (I like as clean a start as I can get). Windows XP installed fine but I had to really dig to get the motherboard chipset drivers and graphics driver installed. Once I did, I noticed quite a bit of performance gain. The graphics chip did seem just a tad better, but not much. However, the overall performance of the environment was much better.  The frustrating part of this is that there is no driver I could find to let me get the network card, the wireless network card, or the sound card to operate under XP, even with HP’s own drivers for these components.

I tried several different motherboard chipset drivers, and anything else I could think of to get these components to work under XP to no avail. This process took most of my time yesterday and ended in frustration because I was looking for some real performance gain with XP and streamlined graphics instructions. I was about to chunk my favorite new paperweight out the window when I noticed the DVD I had burned with the Windows 7 beta release OS on it, lying on my desk. I decided to give this a whirl and I figured why not, if it doesn’t work, I’ll throw Ubuntu (per Rob Tillotson’s most excellent suggestion) or HP’s MIE OS on it and see if any of that worked.

Windows 7 Performance

Keep in mind that we’re dealing with an unofficial final product here, so I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this laptop even though I’ve been running it on my desktop since it was released for testing a few months ago, and I’ve been very pleased with it.

The install went beautifully, and every single component was recognized and a driver was installed by the operating system installer. It took only about thirty minutes and performed two Windows Updates. The end result was a freshly popped up desktop with all features working. What I did do, just to be sure, was download the latest nForce chipset driver and Nvidia graphics driver for the notebook. The only stragglers were the SM Bus Driver (a motherboard component) and the driver for the coprocessor. These were remedied by installing the Vista motherboard chipset drivers located on the help and support page from HP for this laptop.

It’s not quite a day old yet, but this laptop is performing better under Windows 7 than either XP or Vista. I’m really amazed at just how well it’s doing. My 3D chess game still isn’t silky smooth, but it’s playable. Windows are flying open, browsing is a sheer joy, and even my graphics editor is performing well. I almost feel like I’ve gotten a new laptop, no thanks to HP.

Conclusion

This isn’t a scientific review complete with charts and graphs or benchmarks; it’s anecdotal evidence, it’s what I’ve experienced firsthand, side by side, in a short amount of time. As I’ve learned from this purchase, (and I SHOULD know what I’m buying) is that real world performance sometimes isn’t the same as what’s on paper. I’m not sure what the engineers or sales executives at HP were thinking when they released this notebook with the written spec they did. I’m not the sharpest crayon in the box, but if I got taken, a lot of other people surely did. The evidence for this is in rants and desperate cries for help all over the Internet.

I do feel good at saying what I think Microsoft has done. And that’s trim the fat from Vista, and make this operating system communicate with hardware in a much better and more direct way than Vista or XP. I was almost laughing when I read recently that Microsoft was hoping Windows 7 would replace XP as the choice for netbook operating systems. I’m not laughing anymore; I can’t wait to try it. I think they’ve got a real winner.

So this isn’t meant to be the torch bearer review for Windows 7 vs. OSX, or any other system. I’m simply suggesting that if you’ve got a system with Vista on it, and are frustrated by it, like I have been with this sheep in wolf’s clothing of mine, try breathing a little new life into it when the Windows 7 official release comes out. The real world gain is definitely perceivable, and you may be surprised by just how much. I was.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous

Tagged: HP, Windows

Windows XP Pro, Vista, & 7 Performance Comparisons on a HP DV2715nr Notebook originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2009 at 11:41 am.

I was excited when Julie told her main article contributors that she was sending us HP Mini 1000 netbooks in December, but for an entirely different reason.

See, I’d already purchased an Acer Aspire One only a few months earlier, and I was quite interested in seeing how the HP Mini stood up against the stiff competition of the netbook I’d grown to love so much. And when I say “love”, I really mean “love”. My AAO has a 160GB hard drive, 1.5GB RAM (I went ahead and upgraded), a long-lasting six-cell battery, and all the standard fare for a netbook – 8.9″ 1024×600 display, 0.3MP webcam, USB 2.0 ports, integrated SD/MemoryStick reader, and the requisite 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor.

One has to wonder – with all the netbook offerings on the market, are they really that different? The technical specifications are very similar across the board. Every netbook available (in the United States, at least) packs the 1.6GHz Atom. Microsoft has put the kibosh on allowing more than 2GB RAM in any netbook running Windows XP, so you’re likely to get 512MB or 1GB preinstalled. Although more 10″ displays are finding their way onto the market, the resolution is the same on every brand, make, and model – 1024×600, and the graphics are always an Intel integrated mobile chipset.

What sets apart one netbook from the others are subjective things, like the aesthetics of the case, the quality of the webcam, or the feel of the keyboard and trackpad. In these ways, I love, love, love my One. It’s got a sparkly blue exterior, a good webcam (for what it is, anyway), and a fabulous keyboard. I have little bitty hands, and the One’s keyboard is amazing – I can touch-type on it just as quickly as a full-size keyboard, at my normal speed of roughly 120-130WPM.

In fact, I love this little $400 laptop so much that I frequently find myself using it in lieu of the $2,000 Dell XPS M1330 I received through my employer. It’s lightweight, the battery lasts all day, and it does everything I need from a laptop except handle gaming or particularly heavy Photoshop work.

So did the HP Mini win me over? Could it convince me to switch from my beloved Aspire One to a different kind of netbook?

The short answer is no. The long answer takes, well…a longer explanation.

The Specs

There are some differences between the two laptops, to be sure. As previously stated, the technical specs are similar – the real differences are in the details:

Acer Aspire One

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor with Intel integrated graphics
• 1GB RAM stock (512MB onboard + 512MB SO-DIMM)
• 160GB 5400RPM SATA 2.5″ hard drive
• 1024×600 glossy 8.9″ LCD
• 0.3MP (300,000 pixel) webcam
• Integrated Atheros 802.11g wireless
• 6-cell battery
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• Two media slots (SD storage expansion and SD/MemoryStick media reader)
• VGA video output

HP Mini 1000

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor with Intel integrated graphics
• 1GB RAM stock (1GB SO-DIMM)
• 60GB 4200RPM PATA 1.8″ hard drive
• 1024×600 glossy 10″ LCD
• 0.3 MP (300,000 pixel) webcam
• Integrated Atheros 802.11g wireless
• Integrated bluetooth 2.0 EDR+
• 3-cell battery
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• One media slot (SD/MemoryStick media reader)
• VGA video output

The Aspire One has the disadvantage of having 512MB soldered directly onto the motherboard, which means it can only be upgraded to 1.5GB total – adding a 2GB DIMM won’t do anything, since the chipset on the motherboard is only capable of supporting a 1GB DIMM.

The Mini 1000, on the other hand, has a much lower quality hard drive – not only is the speed slower (4200 RPM vs the One’s 5400RPM), but it’s PATA and 1.8″, whereas the One uses a standard laptop-size 2.5″ SATA drive, making future upgrades much easier.

Additionally, the Mini has bluetooth built in, while the One does not. There are plenty of sites online talking about modding the One to support bluetooth. In the meantime, I picked up a super compact USB bluetooth adapter for mine.

The One has one additional USB port and an option for a 6-cell battery, which I chose (I got my configuration on eBay, although at most retailers it is available with a 3-cell or a 6-cell). this adds to the bulk and the weight of the laptop, but it also means I can go for five or six hours without really needing to recharge it.

Both have the sub-par Atheros wireless card. Personally, I think this was a poor choice, although I’m guessing that card costs less per item than a Broadcom or Intel-based card. My One’s wireless card randomly quits working, forcing me to turn off the computer, unplug the charger, and remove the battery just to get wireless working again. My research online has indicated that this is a problem with the wireless card, so it’s an easy fix – since both machines use a standard MiniPCI-e form factor for the wireless, I can just replace the existing card with an Intel-based module purchased online.

On paper, the technical specs are fairly similar. The HP’s mediocre hard drive is offset by the larger display and inclusion of bluetooth, while the One’s extra bulk and smaller screen are offset by a bigger, better hard drive and much longer-lasting battery.

Exterior Impressions

This is one area where the HP can pull a little more weight. It has a larger keyboard, a far more attractive casing, and a larger trackpad with bigger buttons. While I like the blue casing on my Aspire One, the HP has a nice patterened lid, and the entire device looks sleeker and more symmetrical.

You can see a big difference comparing the HP to the Aspire One and the eeePC 900:

Here’s a close-up of the swirl design on the Mini 1000 (enhanced so you can see the pattern more clearly):

The larger 10″ LCD on the HP has good and bad – the glass on top of it covers the entire display area including the bezel, so getting cat hair and whatnot off it is a bit easier (dust and hair gets stuck in the corners of the LCDs on both my XPS and my Aspire One). The downside is that the display itself is noticeably lower quality than the hardware in the Aspire One. The backlight seems weaker, and the quality of the image is just subpar – blacks appear very washed out and almost gray. It’s harder to tell this when using the HP by itself, but when placed next to the Aspire One or my XPS, it definitely stands out.

There is a single switch to toggle bluetooth and wifi on the HP. I do prefer this hardware – the switch is sturdier and feels higher quality, and the HP uses sexy blue and white LEDs instead of the more boring, ho-hum orange and green ones on the Aspire One.

Usability

Between the two laptops, there were some surprising differences in general usability. I’m a very fast touch-typer and discovered that the extremely low-profile keys on the HP’s keyboard meant I frequently missed letters while typing. While I could probably fairly easily adapt to the shorter travel on the HP, I definitely prefer the Aspire One for typing.

My boyfriend, however, has big, manly hands, and he finds that the HP’s keyboard is much, much better – the keys are physically larger, and he found that adapting to it was much easier than using my Aspire One. He also prefers the larger display, even though the colors are more washed out.

I think the keyboard is probably the most important component of a netbook (along with the display), because you’re likely going to be typing on it plenty. You can see a comparison of the two keyboards here:

And here’s a handy visual comparison of the keyboards on the Mini 1000, the Aspire One, and the eeePC 900 (which has a much smaller keyboard) for your reference…

HP Mini 1000:

Acer Aspire One:

Asus eeePC 900:

The HP’s power switch is a little weird – it springs back, so you have to push it and hold it in place for a few seconds to get the machine to turn on. When the laptop is in standby, the power switch’s white LED slowly blinks. The Acer has a more standard power button above the keyboard, which illuminates with a green LED when on, and blinks orange when the machine is in hibernate or standby.

I didn’t find that I had problems using the Acer’s trackpad buttons. The HP’s trackpad buttons are a bit larger and easier to find with your thumb, and the HP includes a handy one-click button to disable the trackpad. All in all, I definitely prefered the HP’s trackpad over the one on my Aspire One. The One’s trackpad is also glossy, and the buttons are flush with the sides – too often I find myself trying to scroll on the right button instead of the right edge of the trackpad!

That being said, although both machines use the high quality Synaptics line for their trackpads, the Aspire One has the added bonus of supporting multitouch. Scrolling through long documents is accomplished through what Synaptics calls ChiralMotion – you start sliding down on the trackpad, and then move your finger in a circular motion to scroll. It’s much faster for long webpages and documents than the traditional scrolling method of coasting at the bottom right corner of the trackpad.

The Verdict

Both machines have certain advantages and disadvantages. If you want something that’s very sexy with an almost full size keyboard, I’d recommend the HP. However, the Aspire One is definitely has better technical specs for the price, and being the frugal-minded girl that I am, I’m glad I chose it over the HP when making my original purchase.

If you’re interested in buying a netbook, I highly recommend hitting your local shopping area to look at models on display. Your best bets for checking out the physical laptops are Best Buy, Sam’s Club, and Fry’s. The technical specifications are so similar across the entire netbook line that it comes down to subjective preferences on appearances, keyboard, port placement, and other fairly minor details. I love my Acer Aspire One, but my boyfriend Dan much prefers the HP Mini 1000 – it’s just a matter of what’s important to you.

At the end of the day, we both adore having netbooks. We tend to keep ours on our nightstands for late-night browsing and light gaming (these little guys are great for old-school DOS games!), and we’ll be taking them along when we go to Florida at the end of April. Even though Dan’s a heavy gamer, he’s already decided that his next laptop purchase will be a netbook – they’re just that great.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: Acer, HP, Netbook

Netbook Face-Off: Acer Aspire One versus HP Mini 1000 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 8, 2009 at 5:06 am.

I’ve wanted something like a netbook for a long time — and I’ve gone through a lot of PDAs, phones, and other portable devices without quite finding it — so when Julie decided to do a team review of the HP Mini 1000 I was excited to give it a try.

Within the growing market for netbooks, we’re seeing a renewed interest in Linux for the consumer. One of the main reasons for this is cost: when the whole computer costs $300, the price of a Windows license can be a significant percentage of the total. Another reason for the interest in Linux is its customizability, which allows it to have a small footprint on a device which only has 4GB or 8GB of SSD storage.

I’m interested in it for a slightly different reason: besides maintaining the Gadgeteer site and the server it runs on, I do software development in Python and Ruby, and have used Unix-ish systems for my work since the 80s. While I’d prefer a Mac OS X netbook (to match my Mac desktops and laptop), I’m a bit too lazy to hackintosh my Mini, so I’m going to use Linux until Apple gets around to entering the netbook market.

Linux on the HP Mini

HP sells a version of the Mini with its own consumer-focused “Mobile Internet Experience” version of Linux. That’s not what I’m going to talk about here, even though an installation image for it is available for download from HP. My main reason for passing up HP’s official Linux is that the installer completely wipes out the Mini’s hard drive, and I would rather maintain the flexibility of being able to dual-boot into Windows.

Instead, I chose the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution. Ubuntu has two things in particular that make it especially useful in this situation. First is the Wubi installer, which makes installing Ubuntu on a PC that is already running Windows quite pain-free by putting the entire Linux installation in a Windows folder, without making any other changes to the system. If you decide not to keep it, you can just delete its folder and it’s gone. Wubi also does its work without requiring a CD, which is quite useful if you don’t have an external CD drive to use with the Mini.

Wubi

The second reason I chose Ubuntu is the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, which is a set of customizations for Ubuntu to make it more netbook-ish. Although the netbook remix is available as an installation image, you can also add it to an existing Ubuntu installation, such as one created using Wubi. The technical details of how to do this are beyond the scope of this article, but you can find them here if you’re interested in trying it yourself.

So, here’s what it takes to install Linux on the Mini:

1. Download Wubi.
2. Download “http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download”>Ubuntu.
3. Make sure wubi.exe and
   ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso are in the same place (a
   USB stick, for example).
4. Run wubi.exe and wait for it to do its work.
5. Reboot, and choose your new Linux installation from the
   menu.

At this point, you’ll have a basic Ubuntu installation to play with. You don’t need to install any drivers or special packages to support the Mini; everything just works, including Bluetooth and WiFi. Ubuntu comes with just about everything you might need to get started, including an office suite, the Firefox web browser, music and video players, and so forth. It looks a little like this (note: this screenshot comes from a desktop computer, not the Mini):

Ubuntu Desktop

But, like the Windows XP the Mini came with, this version of Linux isn’t really optimized for a small screen. This is where the Netbook Remix comes in. After installing the packages (from the instructions here; please keep in mind I’m glossing over a rather technical task!) you must go into the Appearance preferences and turn off visual effects, as the Mini’s graphic processor isn’t quite powerful enough if you leave them on.

Ubuntu Appearance Preferences

With that, you get something more like this:

Ubuntu Netbook Remix Launcher

That’s the UNR launcher, and the reorganized status bar. The tabs down the left side are categories from Ubuntu’s system menus, and the ones down the right side are shortcuts to commonly used folders. In the upper right, you can see that Ubuntu recognizes the Mini’s wireless and Bluetooth interfaces with no additional drivers. The Ubuntu logo in the top left corner brings up this launcher at any time.

Firefox on Ubuntu Netbook Remix

Here’s Firefox. The Netbook Remix desktop automatically maximizes applications to use the whole screen, with no borders or title bars. When you only have 1024×600 pixels to use, this is usually the correct decision. I’ve got a couple of other applications running in the background; their icons appear at the top left, and whatever space is left in the task bar is used for the window title.

Vertical space is at a premium on the Mini (as on all netbook displays) so I’ve customized Firefox a bit, by turning off the bookmark bar, and using a nice extension called Personal Menu to get rid of the menu bar as well. Bookmarks, history, and the main menu now appear as icons to the right of the search box. Windows users, you can do this too, if you want to squeeze every last pixel out of your Mini’s display.

OpenOffice Writer on Ubuntu Netbook Remix

This is OpenOffice. Like Word, it’s definitely a candidate for having its toolbars turned off when you don’t need them. If there is one thing I hope the rise of netbooks does, it’s to instill in application developers a new appreciation for screen real estate.

Dialog Too Big For Display

Use a netbook long enough and you’ll come across something like this. Unfortunately, Linux isn’t immune to it, any more than Windows is. Evolution is Linux’s answer to Outlook, and it shows: where’s the bottom of that dialog? Who knows.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix Package Manager

One of the main differences between Linux and Windows is that with Linux, most of the applications you can run on it are available directly through a built-in package manager. There is too much here to describe, from the mundane to the extremely geeky.

Conclusions and Opinions

Is Linux on the HP Mini right for anyone other than me? Linux in general seems like a good fit for netbooks — it does everything a typical netbook user will probably need, it’s usually pretty efficient, and it can be customized by vendors in ways that Windows can’t be. (Look at HP’s “Mobile Internet Experience”, for example. Without being told that it’s Linux, you’d never know it.) As a long-time Unix developer, I’m perfectly at home with a terminal and a text editor alongside Firefox and Thunderbird, so it suits me just fine.

I should note that though installing Ubuntu with Wubi is very easy, installing the Netbook Remix packages on top of it might be a bit too daunting for new Linux users. On the other hand, installing the entire Netbook Remix at once is possible, but is also somewhat technical, and it requires partitioning the drive like a more traditional Linux installation. If you try Linux on the Mini, feel free to let us know how you fare in the comments; I’ll try to help as much as I can.

That said, the HP Mini is an excellent netbook for Linux, as far as I’m concerned. With Ubuntu, everything works out of the box, and the keyboard is more than adequate for a little bit of coding — it even has CTRL and ALT keys on the right side. The hard drive is a bit disappointing, as it is slow and not easily replaced due to its size, but 60GB is plenty for me as much of my work is on remote servers anyway. Although I might need a netbook with more storage in the future, for now I like the way the Mini feels.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: HP, Linux, mini, Netbook

HP Mini 1000 Netbook – Running Linux originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 17, 2009 at 6:00 am.

I have to be honest, when Julie communicated to her Gadgeteer Geek Gang that we would all be getting a new HP Mini 1000 XP Series Netbook, I was overcome with a feeling much like when I was a kid at Christmas.  You know, that happy/joyous feeling of anticipation that fills the youthful spirit until the climax of ripping through the paper on the very last gift. Fortunately, I have been using my HP Mini for a few weeks now and that warm and fuzzy feeling has yet to wear off.  I love it, almost completely.

I know that is too vague, so specifically:

I love the small, sleek and ultra-lightweight design.  At just under an inch thick and slightly more than two pounds, it is comparable in size to a standard hardcover book.  Very easy to carry in a bag, a medium/large purse or comfortably in your hand.  The 10.3 x 6.5 x 0.9 plastic shell, which differs from the aluminum case used in the previous model, seems fairly sturdy, passing my creak/pop test.  I am sure the switch from aluminum to plastic was done to reduce manufacturing cost and weight.

I love the stylish design.  The onyx-toned “Swirl” Imprint design is subtle but provides a certain alluring characteristic to the exterior.  The groovy pattern bestows depth to what would be a rather plain glossy exterior.  If you really want your Mini to make a less subtle  statement, check out the Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition.

I love that the keyboard is nearly full-sized.  One of my primary concerns when I considered the size of the device was would I be able to easily type on the keyboard.  Well yes, I can easily utilize the Mini’s keyboard without hunting and pecking.  HP boasts the keyboard is “92% of the standard size”.  Nice to see the engineers did not compromise usability for the sake of size.  I think the keyboard, with its over-sized square keys stretching from edge-to-edge,  is the biggest selling point for the unit.

I love that the screen is appropriately size and bright.  My second biggest concern was the screen.  Would it be big enough for me to use without straining my eyes?  Would it be bright enough for me to see?  The upgraded 10.2″ diagonal screen is nicely sized proportionally with the overall unit and the HP LED Brightview Infinity Display (1024 x 600) puts out plenty of light.  I used the device for hours and never noticed any strain on my eyes.

I love the fact that HP did not fill the netbook with a lot of unnecessary pre-loaded software.  Netbooks were designed to be highly mobile and offer enough computing power to complete the elementary tasks, such as surfing the Web, working on documents and some fundamental multimedia playback.  HP ensures that the basic are covered with Microsoft Works, Windows Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player loaded on Windows XP Home edition.  I must admit that I am not a big Works fan but you can easily replace that with the basic Office tool set.

I love the battery life.  I was expecting to get 2 hours max  out of the 3 Cell Lithium Polymer Battery.  I was pleasantly surprised that from 5 duration tests, I average 2 hours and 44 minutes of life before the battery finally gave out.

I love the sound quality.  Again, I think more times then not we often expect small speakers system to lack anything near a decent sound.  Fortunately I found the HP Mini 1000 did not comply with that stereotype.  The unit delivers above average sound quality without experiencing any noticeable distortion.  The engineers ingeniously placed the speaker as the inside hinge, saving space and providing a perfect position for the tunes to flow.

I love the built-in SD card reader.  Great way to easily add some memory to your device.  For less than $30, you can easily add 4GB of storage with a SD card.  I filled a card with my favorite MP3′s and I had my music in my Mini without eating up hard drive space.

Just like any real relationship, we have our dislikes too:

I hate the idea behind the Mini Mobile Drive.  The Mobile Drive is HP’s proprietary hardware, like a small jump drive, that fits into the recessed USB port on the unit’s right side.  I love the concept of additional memory options but to make it a proprietary piece that you have to buy as an extra leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  At this time, the Mini Mobile Drives are not available so I am unsure of the cost.

I hate the glare from the overly glossy LCD screen.  I tried to use the unit outside once and the glare made it impossible to see anything.  This is opposite edge of the nice and crisp picture that I loved above.  If the manufacturer would have included a anti-glare screen, I assume the brightness would have been compromised.

I hate the audio out (headphone) and audio in (microphone) share a single audio jack.  I experienced no issue with the shared audio connector but I just think that it might have made more sense to leave the proprietary slot on the drawing board and give each audio option there own jack.

I hate the limited angle of the screen.  Occasionally I prefer to work while standing standing up at our kitchen island.  To do this comfortably, I normally will extend the screen open to an extreme angle, almost parallel to the counter top.  Unfortunately, the Mini will not permit me to open it very far.

I hate the Synaptics Touchpad.  I found using the touchpad with the buttons flanking each side difficult to maneuver for navigation.  Maybe this is more from my experience with my Dell’s mouse ball set in the keyboard but it definitely took me some time to become proficient.  The technique that I most often use is putting my thumbs on the bottom of the device and use my pointer fingers to direct the movement of the mouse.

I hate the built-in WebCam.  The concept of including peripherals that are built into the frame of the hardware is great.  Unfortunately, the picture quality captured from the camera is fair, at best.  Regardless of the lighting, I was unable to improve the quality.

Now that you understand the spectrum of emotions that I have felt using my HP Mini 1000, I hope that you can understand its impact on my domicile.  Normally, my family is uninterested in the gadgets that I review.  They are usually interested for the first 5-15 minutes of me opening the box, then their interests wanes like ice cream on a August day in Indiana.  Unfortunately this was not the case with the netbook.

My wife was instantly drawn in by the look and feel of the HP Mini.  The sleek, stylish and lightweight device instantly grabbed her attention and once I completed the initial set-up, including the establishing the wireless connection, I started to notice the Mini and my wife became very close friends.

It started with a simple “let me see that for a second”, and she would take it and check her Facebook account and be done with it in 15 minutes.  No harm, no foul.  Then slowly I started to witness a shift, she would take the Mini with her upstairs and sit in bed and surf the net.  After the girls went to bed, she would wrap herself in the warmth of a blanket with the Mini nestled in her lap.

Now it is to the point where I feel like I have been knocked down the ladder of love.  Our girls still command the most attention from her but I have been replaced by the Mini.  It is like the device is connected to her hip by some type of electrical umbilical cord.  I have to ask permission to use it so that I can get data to write an educated review and even then she acts as if it in a inconvenience.

I almost anticipated my wife’s obsession but my two little girls forced me to do a “say what” double-take.  They are less than six years old and the HP Mini 1000′s small size drew them to it like moths to a light.  They thought it was one of their toy laptop computers and to be honest it is actually smaller then their play laptops.  They both asked a few times if they “could play with daddy’s new toy”.

Interestingly side note, I was discussing this phenomenon with my mother-in-law, who happens to work for an Indiana school corporation, and she was telling me that they recently purchased HP Minis for their second grade student population.  When I was seven years old and in second grade I know that me and my peers did not have access to anything close to a computer or anything nearly as cool as these little babies.

In conclusion, just like any natural relationship my HP Mini 1000 and I have our ups and downs but in the end I definitely felt the love.  The small, stylish design and the nicely sized keyboard are the two biggest selling points of the netbook, while the glare from the super glossy screen and the touchpad are the major deterring factors.

Overall, I would definitely purchase a HP Mini 1000 if you are looking for a nice, small netbook that offers great options for the highly mobile user.  Even if mobile is define as moving in between rooms in your house.  My only reservation is that you might want to consider buying more than one or you will find yourself in a situation similar to mine where you have to fight your love ones for the opportunity to utilize this great little device.  Gotta go, my wife needs to spend some quality time with the Mini that I am using to write this review.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: HP, Netbook

HP Mini 1000 Netbook – Love and Hate, Plus Its Affect On My Domestic Life originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 18, 2009 at 1:00 am.

Field Report: Ocho Rios, Jamaca. January 27, 2009. This is Bond, James Bond, reporting. Q has issued all field agents a new plaything and HQ is insisting on reports on the device. I am taking time during a recuperative stay on the warm white sands to accommodate them. Excuse me for a moment, however. The hostess is bringing me my vodka martini and obviously needs me to make a charming and witty double entendre. Let’s see… I open www.doubleentendre.net, click on both ‘witty’ and ‘charming’, hit search… 

Oh, sorry! Whenever I play on this thing I get into fantasies of some sort of stealth ninja secret agent lifestyle. If you substitute my name for Bond’s, Julie’s for Q, and bitterly cold snow for the warm white sands, the first couple sentences are pretty accurate.

Ever since Julie told us about this project, I have been drooling…, er I mean ‘contemplating’ what I can do with it. The original plan was to use it in classes, etc. but the reality is that this thing is much more versatile than I imagined it would be. Instead of my original plan, I am now going to enter my  Fujitsu T4020 Lifebook, the new HP Mini 1000 XP, and even my Palm (Sprint) Centro into a three-way deathmatch!

• In this corner is the 2004 Fujitsu T4030 Lifebook. At 11.5” x 9.3” x 1.4” with a 12.1” (diagonal) screen, this aging contender weighs in at 4.3lbs naked. It has 2Gb max RAM, a 60Gb hard drive, built-in WiFi and a Bluetooth PCMCIA card, and a SD/MC reader.
• Over here we have the 2008 Palm Centro. Measuring 4.22” x 2.25” x .75” with a 2.25” (diagonal) screen, it weighs a mere quarter pound. It has 68Mb of memory, plus whatever size Mini-SD card you add. It has built-in Bluetooth and connects to the Internet via the integrated cellphone. A small camera rounds off its offerings.
• Finally, the challenger- the 2009 HP Mini 1000XP. 10.5” x 6.5” x 1” with a 10.1” screen (diagonal). It weighs in at only 2.2lbs stripped down and packs 1Gb RAM, 60Gb hard drive, integrated WiFi and Bluetooth (optional but included in mine), a SD card reader, and a webcam.

Centro, Mini, and Lifebook- top to bottom

Centro, Mini, and Lifebook, all showing the-gadgeteer.com

The specs may make the Lifebook and Mini seem close, especially when one recalls that the Mini does not have a floppy or optical drive, but the reality is that the fairly small differences are critical. The Lifebook is just big enough it takes two hands to hold and work safely- it feels unsteady holding it in one arm while typing on it. The Mini can easily be held in one hand and typed on with the other.

Both units are similar in speed and start-up (take the time to learn the standby and hibernation modes, however). I do notice that when I play solitaire on the Mini (which I swear I only do to test the system, which I obviously have to do several times a day), it deals the cards, then makes the sound effect. I have not noticed a lag in other programs. The Mini’s keyboard is great- almost the size of the Lifebook. The flat keys allow for packing them in tighter- but it does allow for a few more mis-strikes on neighbors. I spend a little more time correcting myself on the Mini, but since I am not a great typist, it is not a big deal for me.

Comparing the Mini to the Centro- the Centro is the obvious winner in sheer size and weight, and it can indeed do much of what the Mini can, but the Centro quickly shows its limitations side by side. The Centro cannot multi-task, the screen makes almost all tasks more difficult (things are ether small or need a lot of scrolling), the Internet connection is slow, and, like many Palms, the email function is not very good. The Centro’s small keyboard is a sort of a moot point- it is fine for short messages but was never intended for longer use, and keyboards are available if you want them.

So, what does one do with this marvel? How about…

WORLD’S GREATEST COOKBOOK.I was making Breakfast Cookies the other day and just propped the Mini on the counter to follow along. I noticed my bananas were not really very ripe, and I wanted to toast the coconut and nuts. A quick surf told me how to do all of this. Certainly the Lifebook and Centro can do this- but I never used them for it. The Lifebook, small as it is, is too bulky and the aging batteries do not last too long anymore. The Centro’s small screen makes it hard to read especially when your hands are too dirty to scroll.

Mini 1000XP in the kitchen

With the Mini, I honestly do not need the cookbooks I have collected, and I can really put my favorite recipes in it and use them for real. When I put them in other computers, I would always need to print them out for actual use.

It can do the same thing for other books- it is also the world’s greatest and most up-to-date world almanac, dictionary, user’s manual (you did know that you can find the manual to almost every remote control, small or major appliance, tech toy, etc. on-line, right?) trivia book, encyclopedia, etc., etc., etc. (We’ll talk about it as a book reader later.)

FIELD ACTIVITY LOGGER. I am trapped by two realities at work- I need access to my computer all of the time, but spend most of my day away from it. Our network is pretty closed- no USB, CD, card readers, etc. so the only way to get files from it to another computer is to email them. What I usually do is to carry a clipboard with print outs of inventory, phone lists, activity log, etc. and type it all in when I am in the office. One reason I got the Lifebook was to be my field unit- but it is just a little too big and clunky, especially when I am also carrying tools and parts. The Centro does not show the charts and tables I need well, and as mentioned, does not do the email well.

The Mini is almost perfect. I can email the needed files back and forth, and sync them any time I am near a WiFi (more on that later also.) Now, I can check my work email in my office, type my activities into the Mini as I read them, and go about my day- updating as I do things, referencing what I need immediately, and syncing when I can. The 3 hour battery life may be a bit lightweight for students, but it is fine for people like me that use it in bursts between charges.  Other benefits include that I am on the office computer less, and can do a lot of database stuff after hours!

Besides field tech stuff, I can see this being used in the field by lots of people for lots of activities- birdwatcher life lists, geocaching, sports, etc. It is  not a ‘hardened’ unit, but it would fit neatly in a drybag with a little padding.

PARKING LOT SURFER. WiFi hotspots are popping up all over- like the Burger King drive-thru lane a block from work. With the Lifebook, I never carried it ‘just because’, and the Centro does not need WiFi- but the Mini is perfect for popping open quickly when in line (inside or in the drive-thru) and doing a quick surf- even if it is just downloading email to read offline later.

Sort of a spin-off of this is that I find myself not interrupting what I am working on as much since I can just take it with me. I found myself using it in some inappropriate locations- like at the meal my beloved wife sweated over. Oops! The Palm always allowed me to do this- but I can do so much more, and more easily, on the Mini!

GAMEWATCHiKINDLEPODMANBOY. While the screen is not quite as large as my Lifebook, and it lacks a DVD player, it nonetheless makes a great game machine (remembering that to me, games are fairly simple things like cards, not graphic-heavy, processor- intensive ‘video’ games), music player, movie player, etc. The internal speakers are actually better by far than those in the Lifebook, and it is so easy to hold this while you look at the screen that it makes a good book reader (try something like eReader.com’s “eReader for Windows” for example). I was stuck by myself in a hospital waiting room for four hours while a family member had a routine procedure. I stayed plenty entertained with just the Mini (and talking to people staring at it!)

The unit is tough enough that I would be comfortable letting some kids use it for entertainment as well. Load some movies, games, and music onto a flash drive or portable hard drive and go on that long road trip! Someone in the peanut gallery just shouted “Use an iPod!” I have a video iPod, but the Mini is quickly replacing that toy as well. (I am thinking about reconfiguring it to be the main family stereo unit.)

Can you find the Lifebook, Mini, and Centro in the book case?

MEETING WARRIOR. The person that ‘wins’ in most meetings is the person who has information at their fingertips, and can capture and act on action items the best. While laptops may be standard devices in many businesses, no one here uses them for that. Before the Mini, I was using a notepad and the Centro to limp along. Now, with the Mini, I can rule meetings… of course, I get asked to take the minutes a lot, but that’s OK too. Where a laptop often seems bulky and pretentious, the Mini is more like a ‘padfolio’ and more respectful of other people’s space.

One other interesting thing about the Mini is that it does not block sight-lines! Most laptops interfere with seeing other people in the room, watching TV, etc. while working- but the small Mini sits well below eye level, even on a low couch. This is a much more social-friendly machine than most computers.

STUDENT BUDDY/TEACHER’S AIDE. By this stage, the fact that this thing can help students and teachers alike is almost a moot point. If the battery life was better I would suggest that it be standard issue for all students- take notes, do interactive research, check your mail, and still have room on that small desk for your massive bookbag!

I teach a lot of different classes as a part-time job and each one has a thick binder of stuff I need to have with me. I have been working on digitizing the stuff to carry electronically- until my scanner died. The plan was going to be to make up a PowerPoint version of each class with links to supplemental materials, and park all of the data on an SD card or two. The classes I have tried this with so far have worked fine. The Lifebook did have one major advantage for this, however- it could act as an emergency DVD player, which comes in handy sometimes. I can solve this detail with a peripheral we will discuss later. Bottom line- the Mini is just so easy to carry!

…………………………………

Gee, even with all of that, there are still features we have not discussed, like the optional built-in web cam. I have not used the webcam much. Mine seems to have a glitch where every time I use it, a badly groomed Sasquatch appears on the screen. When my wife or kids use it, it shows them just fine. I assume there is just a setting I have overlooked. There is a also a port for a special HP Mobile Mini USB drive- it is basically an ‘internally docked’ USB flash drive from what I can tell, and regular flash drives are cheaper.

Speaking of peripherals… here are some I have tried so far…

MEMORY

• Flash Drive. A 2Gb flashdrive lets me store and shuttle info back and forth, and serves as a backup for the documents  I want to protect the most. edcforum.com has info on using the flashdrive as a survival tool with vital documents, small programs, etc. you can use on almost any computer.
• Secure Digital Cards. I have been using these as semi-permanent storage tools- one is dedicated to photos waiting to be CD’ed or printed, one has my all-time favorite music, etc. The smaller cards are dirt cheap, and you can store a lot of them in an Altoids tin.
• Portable Hard Drive. I got a super-portable Apricorn Aegis 160Gb USB unit that is a bit bigger than a deck of cards and has an integrated USB cord, and is powered off a USB 2 port- although it comes with other power options. I have my Mini and iPod backed up on it, and loaded in a few DVDs and stuff from the desktop. I thought I would use this all of the time, and so far have only plugged it in a few times. (NewEgg.com, $80)

A few peripherals...

POWER

• iGo Power Cord with replaceable tips, and auto cord. This has been a great investment. When power cords to any of our laptops (there are four in the house) or other electronics go bad, all I need is the right tip to keep on going- and tips are only about $10. The iGo has also allowed us to carry laptops in the car and keep them fully charged. For me, the iGo is usually at work and tossed in the gear bag when I plan on traveling. (FYI- the Mini is not listed yet. If they respond to my email, I will pass on the key info.)
• StayOnline.com 3-Prong to C5 Connector (#2840, $5.00). This adaptor basically lets you plug your brick straight into a jack without the bulky high-voltage power cord. Have not ordered mine yet, but it looks like it will be a well-invested $5.00. I’m getting the 2-Prong to C7 Connector (#5028, $5.00) version as well for my wife’s laptop.
• Power Brick Hack. I have a plan to attach a flat plate to both sides of the power brick so I can wind the cord around the brick and the plates will hold everything in place. A little Velcro and it should make a neat, compact package. I will update if I do it. If I was REALLY brave, I would hack the cords as well so the high voltage cord was about 12-15″ long and use an extension cord if I needed the length.
• Teach and Travel Kit. When I am in an unfamiliar classroom, hotel, etc., Murphy’s Law guarantees that the outlets will be badly located and full, so I carry an extension cord and a small 3-way tap in my ‘car bag’. The lit also includes batteries, chargers, a DVD and DVD player cleaner, and other supplies I don’t need often.

CASES

• Case. I wanted a slim case, but one that would hold other stuff- pen, notepad, cord, gum, microfiber cloth (stongly recommended to keep the Mini clean), etc. The usual recommendation is a DVD player bag- and I found a Denali bag I like at Target. Your mileage may vary.
• Sleeve. The uber-portability of the Mini is a bit off-set carrying a whole bag, so I use a home-made fleece sleeve when I am just carrying it around. I’m working on a better padded sleeve.

OTHER

• Portable DVD/CD Drive. (I’m using the  LG GP08NU10 Slimline CD/DVD Read/Write drive ) It was meant to make up for the lack of a CD drive in the Mini, and I only used it once so far- to install my copy of MS Office. I tried OpenOffice and other freeware options, but too much of my stuff is specifically done for Office. A lot of it looked funny in the freeware versions, although I would strongly recommend <OpenOffice>, <Lotus Symphony> or <AbiWord> to anyone who does not want to deal with Microsoft.
• Small soft ‘microfiber’ cloth, to keep the screen and case clean. One even comes with the Mini!
• WiFi/Connectivity Aids. I am looking for a good keychain WiFi sniffer, and a way to use my Centro as a modem. I tried one program that worked via Bluetooth or cable, but kept messing up the settings on the Lifebook. Any recommendations? (I’ll review a good option if I find any!)

One hand, effortlessly

It may seem like a toy- a whole computer that weighs under 2.5lbs with no optical drive and few ports for under $400- but it is an incredible machine . Frankly, I have been looking for a new laptop, and looking at the new super-light netbooks. I was a little afraid to buy one because I don’t have 24/7 access to WiFi and I really thought I would miss the optical drive. But you know… this guy is right- you really don’t need it. If you are still thinking you need the drive, read the linked article. It has a lot of good tips on living without a CD/DVD drive.

…………………………………

By the way, Q, there are a couple things about the Mini 1000 XP I don’t like…

1. The top case and screen show fingerprints like they were designed by a CSI
2. The touch pad has a little scroll feature along the right side I keep inadvertently activating
3. The power plug keeps pulling out a tiny bit- just enough to stop charging
4. (As long as I am at it- I wish the charger tip was a more standardized size! It can be hard to find these proprietary sizes when on a mission.)
5. The pre-loaded software, especially Works 9.0, was largely a waste, and
6. I could not find the controls for the ejector seat or built-in lasers.

Overall I think this is a smashingly good piece of gear that should become standard issue for our agents.

So, until the next review, this is James Bond, Code Number 007, signing off from Jamaica.

Filed in categories: Handheld PCs / Ultra Portables

Tagged: HP, mini, Netbook

HP Mini 1000 Netbook vs. Fuji Lifebook originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 11, 2009 at 5:00 am.