For a machine aimed at professionals, the HP is uncommonly good looking. The brushed aluminium chassis looks fantastic, and what’s more feels sturdy enough to survive life in the fast lane.

Glance down the specification list and it’s clear HP has carefully tailored the 2140’s specification to its target market. Gigabit Ethernet makes a rare appearance alongside draft-n wireless networking and Bluetooth, and, miraculously, HP finds room to squeeze in an ExpressCard/54 slot.
The glossy 10.1in display is a more questionable choice given its increased reflectivity, but image quality is good enough for office tasks. The tendency to wash out images at the brighter end of the scale is more disappointing, however, as is the comparatively low resolution 1,024 x 576 screen. This feels cramped; given the budget we’d opt for one of the forthcoming models with a higher resolution display.
Ergonomics are a mixed bag too. The keyboard is fantastic, with a spacious layout, and generously-proportioned keys make typing a doddle. It’s simply the best we’ve encountered on a netbook. The touchpad, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish. Its wide and excessively squat shape doesn’t make for the easiest cursor control, and the soft, rubberized buttons on either side are fiddly to operate.
The final moan comes courtesy of the 2140’s battery life. It’s not a cheap netbook, and to find a small 2,600mAh battery at the rear is disappointing. Four hours and 48 minutes of light use isn’t terrible, but it falls well short of the best.
Were it not for these faults the HP would compete with the best here. As it stands, however, it can only be considered a worthy ultraportable-substitute for businesses looking to cut costs.
Warranty | |
---|---|
Warranty | 1 yr return to base |
Physical specifications | |
Dimensions | 261 x 172 x 35mm (WDH) |
Weight | 1.160kg |
Travelling weight | 1.5kg |
Processor and memory | |
Processor | Intel Atom N270 |
RAM capacity | 1.00GB |
Memory type | DDR2 |
Screen and video | |
Screen size | 10.1in |
Resolution screen horizontal | 1,024 |
Resolution screen vertical | 576 |
Resolution | 1024 x 576 |
Graphics chipset | Intel GMA 950 |
VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 1 |
HDMI outputs | 0 |
S-Video outputs | 0 |
DVI-I outputs | 0 |
DVI-D outputs | 0 |
DisplayPort outputs | 0 |
Drives | |
Capacity | 160GB |
Hard disk usable capacity | 149GB |
Spindle speed | 5,400RPM |
Internal disk interface | SATA |
Optical disc technology | N/A |
Optical drive | N/A |
Battery capacity | 2,600mAh |
Replacement battery price ex VAT | £79 |
Replacement battery price inc VAT | £91 |
Networking | |
Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
802.11a support | no |
802.11b support | yes |
802.11g support | yes |
802.11 draft-n support | yes |
Integrated 3G adapter | no |
Bluetooth support | yes |
Other Features | |
Wireless hardware on/off switch | no |
Wireless key-combination switch | yes |
Modem | no |
ExpressCard34 slots | 0 |
ExpressCard54 slots | 1 |
PC Card slots | 0 |
USB ports (downstream) | 2 |
PS/2 mouse port | no |
9-pin serial ports | 0 |
Parallel ports | 0 |
Optical S/PDIF audio output ports | 0 |
Electrical S/PDIF audio ports | 0 |
3.5mm audio jacks | 2 |
SD card reader | yes |
Memory Stick reader | no |
MMC (multimedia card) reader | no |
Smart Media reader | no |
Compact Flash reader | no |
xD-card reader | no |
Pointing device type | Touchpad |
Integrated microphone? | yes |
Integrated webcam? | yes |
Camera megapixel rating | 0.3mp |
TPM | no |
Fingerprint reader | no |
Smartcard reader | no |
Battery and performance tests | |
Battery life, light use | 4hr 44min |
Overall application benchmark score | 0.42 |
Operating system and software | |
Operating system | Windows XP Home |
OS family | Windows XP |
Software supplied | Roxio Creator 9 |
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.