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Processor: 1.6GHz Atom N270
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 60GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 10.2 inches
Graphics: Intel integrated graphics
Weight: 2.5 lbs.
Dimensions (HWD): 1.0x10.3x6.6 inches
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition SP3

HP’s Mini-Note 2133 was one of the first entrants in the netbook market, and its high-res screen, Windows Vista OS, and relatively high price helped it break from the pack. The company’s new low-priced Mini 1000 doesn’t seem as distinctive, however, as its screen size, CPU, memory, and other specs are almost identical to competitors like the Asus Eee PC 1000HMSI Wind U100. And although it is the most compact netbook yet without a compromised keyboard, the Mini 1000 lacks some of the innovations—including the high-res screen and ExpressCard slot—of its predecessor. and

While its résumé might not stand out, the Mini 1000 dresses to impress, with solid construction, a stylish and svelte case, a superb keyboard, and a super-bright screen. At first glance, it looks like a sleek, all-black version of the Mini-Note 2133, but there are numerous refinements to the older design.The glossy black (and fingerprint-attracting) lid now sports a subtle swirl pattern printed on it. The keys are no longer slick and shiny, but subtly textured, and the screen has grown from 8.9 to 10.2 inches. Despite the larger display, the Mini 1000 has slimmed down from the earlier model, to 1x10.3x6.6 inches (HWD) and 2.5 pounds, making it the smallest, thinnest netbook yet with a full 10-inch-wide keyboard.

Inside, the differences are more dramatic. The 2133's anemic VIA processor has been replaced by the netbook-standard Intel Atom N270 running at 1.6GHz, backed by 1GB of DDR2 memory and running Windows XP Home Edition SP3. HP included a 60GB hard drive with our review unit; the company says 8GB and 16GB SSD drives, 2GB of RAM, and a Linux OS with a friendly “Mobile Internet Experience” front-end will be available as options.

Performance, which is in line with other Atom-powered notebooks, is a huge step up from the Mini-Note 2133.Where the Mini-Note 2133 turned in a score of just 23 on Cinebench 9.5, the Mini 1000 scored 135 in the same test. Overall performance is very responsive for tasks like e-mail, Web browsing, writing, and light number-crunching, but as with all netbooks, it’s more suited for video and audio playback than it is for multimedia content editing and conversion. The Mini 1000 completed our Windows Media Encoder test in 27 minutes and 8 seconds, and our iTunes encoding test in 19 minutes and 24 seconds. That puts it in the same performance ballpark as other Atom-powered netbooks such as the $439 Lenovo IdeaPad S10, which earned 133 on Cinebench 9.5 and completed our Windows Media Encoder and iTunes tests in 24 minutes and 10 seconds and 20 minutes and 5 seconds, respectively.