HP Mini 2140 review

£380
Price when reviewed

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.

HP Mini 2140 review

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

Warranty1 yr return to base

Physical specifications

Dimensions261 x 172 x 35mm (WDH)
Weight1.160kg
Travelling weight1.5kg

Processor and memory

ProcessorIntel Atom N270
RAM capacity1.00GB
Memory typeDDR2

Screen and video

Screen size10.1in
Resolution screen horizontal1,024
Resolution screen vertical576
Resolution1024 x 576
Graphics chipsetIntel GMA 950
VGA (D-SUB) outputs1
HDMI outputs0
S-Video outputs0
DVI-I outputs0
DVI-D outputs0
DisplayPort outputs0

Drives

Capacity160GB
Hard disk usable capacity149GB
Spindle speed5,400RPM
Internal disk interfaceSATA
Optical disc technologyN/A
Optical driveN/A
Battery capacity2,600mAh
Replacement battery price ex VAT£79
Replacement battery price inc VAT£91

Networking

Wired adapter speed1,000Mbits/sec
802.11a supportno
802.11b supportyes
802.11g supportyes
802.11 draft-n supportyes
Integrated 3G adapterno
Bluetooth supportyes

Other Features

Wireless hardware on/off switchno
Wireless key-combination switchyes
Modemno
ExpressCard34 slots0
ExpressCard54 slots1
PC Card slots0
USB ports (downstream)2
PS/2 mouse portno
9-pin serial ports0
Parallel ports0
Optical S/PDIF audio output ports0
Electrical S/PDIF audio ports0
3.5mm audio jacks2
SD card readeryes
Memory Stick readerno
MMC (multimedia card) readerno
Smart Media readerno
Compact Flash readerno
xD-card readerno
Pointing device typeTouchpad
Integrated microphone?yes
Integrated webcam?yes
Camera megapixel rating0.3mp
TPMno
Fingerprint readerno
Smartcard readerno

Battery and performance tests

Battery life, light use4hr 44min
Overall application benchmark score0.42

Operating system and software

Operating systemWindows XP Home
OS familyWindows XP
Software suppliedRoxio Creator 9

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