For this article I will be focusing on the 3G set-up and my initial thoughts about the HP Mini 1000.

Stalking the HP Mini 1000

I have been watching the netbook market with some varied interest over the past year.  I had only a few criteria for purchasing a netbook; it had to comfortably run Windows OS software, weigh less than 2 1/2 pounds, have internal 3G, and a semi competent keyboard.

The HP Mini 1000 seemed to fit all of my needs out of the box. After watching the HP site for the last couple of months I decided to take advantage of their $100 3G upgrade offer and order a custom unit. To the basic configuration I added Bluetooth, the 3G upgrade offer, 1 GB ram upgrade offer. This brought me to just under $550 shipped with a coupon.

With my order placed my next question was how to get the 3G activated. The HP site said I could use Verizon or AT&T. OK, great except they never asked me which one I wanted; in the past I would have had to pick one or the other. I saw no place to select an EVDO 3G card or a HSDPA/UMTS 3G card on my order. I kept expecting HP to call or email me asking what card to install into the HP Mini 1000. About a week and half later a curiously small box arrived from Asia; the HP Mini 1000 had arrived.