HP Mini 1030nr Review

(My desktop)

So I finally got my HP 1030nr netbook a few days ago and I’m just now getting around to typing up a review on it. Sorry about the delay.

First and foremost I just want to say that this thing is a small beast. I feel like the HP mini is one of the most underrated netbooks on the market in present. The hyperthreading in the Intel Atom makes this thing able to get the job done easily and efficiently. To be honest, I can’t tell much of a difference between My HP mini 1030nr (which I’m typing on right now) and my AMD Phenom Quadcore. I mean this thing is beastly. I’m currently running XP with a lot of customizations (in the GUI sense like RocketDock and Rainmeter) and there is literally almost no effect (1-2% maybe) on the CPU usage even when it is running in low-power consumption mode where it essentially underclocks the Atom Processor to 756 MHz. The integrated Intel graphics is also quite nice considering the applications that it will more than likely be used for. The only complaint that I have regarding that is that sometimes in programs like Windows Media Player or Zune the system lags because of the visualizations and such when the processor gets taxed (since it is used as a GPU also). The screen is a nice 10.2” which I think is a very good size for this market. It gives functionality and readability while still retaining the form-factor of the small netbooks. One thing that I really love though is the keyboard. At 92% size of a regular keyboard, this thing is much more functional than its Eee Pc counterparts. The trackpad is pretty nice overall. Considering this is the first trackpad I’ve had to use extensively, I would say that it is pretty nice overall. Of course there aren’t the luxuries of multi-touch but I still find it to be quite nice. One thing that is becoming more and more popular is the keys have been moved to either side of the pad. Some people hate this with a passion but I really don’t mind it at all. It also has a dedicated scroll portion on the right side of the trackpad which is another convenience that I love (but it can be turned off fairly easily). The trackpad has some really nice drivers and has a lot of different abilities and tap options if you’re into that kind of thing. Overall, the hardware as well as the software are quite user friendly despite the small size of the netbook itself. Another nice thing is the fact that this comes with the 6-cell battery standard. It charges quickly and retains its charge for a long time while on the go.

Okay so let’s weigh in:

Pros:

• Affordable option for a functional computer at just under $350
• Very efficient and powerful Intel Atom Processor
• Quite nice 10.2” screen
• Awesome keyboard
• Customizable trackpad
• Lots of available options for OS’s
• Comes standard with a 6-cell battery

Cons:

• Relatively short battery life but it is comparable to others in the same market
• The 6-cell battery is a little bulky

Eventually I plan on trying some distributions of Linux that are aimed at the netbook market and more than likely trying to hackintosh it at one point. All of which I will try to give the most in depth reviews to as possible from how to install the programs to how well they function once they’re on there. I’ve applied for a beta license for Jolicloud and, as evident in my last article, I anxiously await the release of Google Chrome. There are hoards of operating systems aimed at this niche now and I plan on trying as many of them as I can.

tl;dr

• Useful little thing to carry around with you
• If you're in the netbook market I highly recommend this
• Beastly computer
• Awesome keyboard
• Nice looking webcam for the size
• Good price; not the cheapest at $350 but worth the little more money to upgrade from the cheapest
• Lots of options for Operating Systems

Anyway, if any of you have this netbook or any other netbooks or if you have an opinion on them or you just have an idea for an article, leave a comment.

Netbooks.

YES. I finally found my old blog post that I accidentally deleted in Google's cache. I love you Google. Anyway, here it is again.

Okay, so these netbook things. I've been seriously considering getting one. First off, these things are really pretty cool. They have decent enough processing power (more than my first computer which makes me feel old). I mean it isn't going to be able to run weather simulations or anything but it'll let you check your email, browse the internet, make documents, etc. without being tied to a 3 inch phone screen. In reality, it's like a Blackberry on steroids. It's small enough to carry around with you and functional enough for you to actually use it.

There are quite a few options but the one that I am taking into serious consideration is the HP mini note. (I would love to test one of these if any of you readers happen to work at HP ;D but I digress)

Pros:

• Large keyboard (92% or something like that)
• Upgradable with RunCore SSD's
• Handles processes well
• Pretty good webcam
• 10.2" screen
• Feels well-built

Cons:

• Some of the webcams are dark (which is fixable with relative ease)
• Like 2 USB ports

tl;dr:

• 1.6 or 1.66 GHz processor
  
• 8 GB standard SSD
• 10.2" screen
• 92% sized keyboard (I honestly can't tell the difference)
• Weighs approx. 2 lbs.
• Mic & webcam (looks fairly good imho)
• Wi-Fi, and 3g (in every model I am aware of)
• Bluetooth and USB
• 3 or 6-cell battery (I've heard upwards of 6-8 hours of usage)
• Starting price at $330-ish

Leave some comments with your opinion on the HP or on any netbook really.

Google Chrome OS

Somehow I managed to delete my last blog post on netbooks. LAME. Whatever. Moving on.


As some of you may know, Google is due to release a beta version of their upcoming operating system, Google Chrome OS. Now Chrome isn't going to be your typical operating system, but rather its going to be focused more on cloud computing and thus pointed more in the direction of netbooks. Also to favor the netbook market, the OS will not only be more lightweight on the storage sense but in the processor load as well, by giving it a more minimalistic feel to it much as Chrome the web-browser has done.

Now onto some of the geeky stuff.

It's supposedly going to be completely open source and based off of the linux kernel though it will have a brand spanking new windowing system just for chrome (which I have a feeling will bear resemblance towards the Chrome browser).

So, do you think this is aimed to be a Windows killer? Personally, I think not. I do however think that this is going to give some of the more popular Linux distributions aimed towards the more causal Linux users like the ever-popular Ubuntu. It might also have an effect on some of the more technically advanced distro's of Linux such as Suse or Xandros and more than likely DSL (Damn Small Linux). But what I know for a fact is that it is going to give these netbook oriented distributions a run for their money. For example, Easy Peasy, the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Eeebuntu, and many others. One of the most promising in the field being Jolicloud, a product in closed selective beta testing but the screenshots are quite promising (but that is a different blog post altogether).

The one thing that leaves me rather worried about the whole ordeal is the fact that Intel is not listed as a development partner. They are however paired up with all the makers of ARM processors as well as Texas Instruments. Now what does this mean? Possibly absolutely nothing, but it could also mean that it could be completely incompatible with any netbook with an Atom processor (which is the vast majority of the netbook market). Now Google has said that there are quite a few other companies that are being considered for new development partners.

tl;dr- Google Chrome OS

• Open source
• Lightweight
  
• Heavily internet based
• Aimed at the Netbook market
• The first real plunge into cloud computing
• Marks Google's entrance to the OS market (because Android doesn't really count)
• Probably not a Microsoft killer (not yet at least)
  
• Will provide competition in the netbook OS market
• Possibly NOT Intel Atom compatible
  

If you can't wait, I would recommend trying to get into the Jolicloud beta.

Anyway, feel free to leave comments if you've got anything to add to it. It doesn't require an account or anything.