One of the first batch of companies to come out with a netbook was HP. The HP Mini note 2133 was pricier compared to others, and it was underpowered, thanks to a Via processor. However, it did have its share of fans, mainly due to its well-built hardware. The successor to the Mini Note is the HP Mini 1000.

The Mini 1000 has a more “standard” netbook specification, with the Intel Atom Processor (N270 1.60GHz) and 1GB DDR2 RAM. It has also received more positive reviews.

Computer Shopper
(8.4 / 10 – “Superb keyboard feel, size, layout; very good audio; thin; lightweight; bright screen” )
Laptop Magazine
(3.5 / 5)
PC World
(77 – “fantastic keyboard, surprisingly good sound”)
CNET
(4 / 5 – “Best Netbook keyboard we’ve seen; thinner and lighter than HP’s previous Netbook; ditches slow Via processor for faster Intel Atom.”)

I’ve always meant to write about the netbook phenomenon — after all, this site is about all things mobility. Netbooks are low cost (typically $300-400) and highly portable. Expect more coverage from us in the near future. I don’t have my hands on a netbook yet, but I’m interested to get one.

Most netbooks run a version of Linux, or Windows XP. Linux isn’t the best operating system for newbies (especially those who are buying netbooks as their first computer). Now a new company by the founder of Netvibes is putting its hat into the ring as one of the contenders to make the netbook computing experience easier. Jolicloud is meant to be a replacement OS for netbooks. It has an iPhone-like user interface that is designed to take advantage of the limited screen size of netbooks, as well as the always-on Internet connection.

[ via TechCrunch ]