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.

Where is my 3G?

Still puzzling over my 3G dilemma I opened the box. Opening the box revealed my shiny new HP Mini 1000. I promptly popped out the battery to look for any clues to my 3G card. Already inserted into the SIM slot was an AT&T SIM card ready to go for a new activation. But there’s the rub; I already had a live data account and SIM card. I figured it was worth a try and I replaced the included SIM with my own live data SIM and buttoned it up.

After the initial boot-up and configuration of Windows XP I headed into the HP Wireless Assistant applet and turned on Wireless WAN. After a few moments Windows recognized and made ready the HP un2400 Mobile Broadband Modem Module. As it turns out this card is a Universal Notebook Data Platform (UNDP) WWAN device; that’s why it can support the multiple 3G technologies and why I was never asked to pick one when I ordered it. Nifty.

They say confession is good for the soul. The $100 promo stated activation was required. So, would my already active data account work? I ran the HP Connection Utility and was asked about my wireless provider. I chose AT&T and it went out on the web to activate my SIM. Fingers crossed…error; your SIM already has active service. Damn.

I figure I may be able to use a manual configuration for some sort of work around. I exit out of the wizard and try again, this time the HP Connection manager pops up and the connect button is ready and waiting…Huzzah! AT&T 3G worked like a champ!

I know it seems like a lot of drama for a lousy $100 discount. However the HP website is not very clear as to how you can have both Verizon or AT&T and what the set up process is; also when I ordered there was no option to order 3G without activation. Like I had said in previous laptops you had to choose what card got installed in advance. The Universal Notebook Data Platform (UNDP) WWAN device is a nice addition to mobile computing.

Initial Impression of the HP Mini 1000

So, how about a few initial impressions of the HP Mini 1000? First off, this article was written entirely on the Mini 1000 and all photos were downloaded and edited on it as well.

The keyboard being the largest of the current crop of netbooks is the smallest I would really consider for daily use. I find I make a few errors that are a result of key size rather than my inept typing skills, but well with in tolerable levels. The palm rest and keyboard stay pretty warm but not uncomfortably warm, I kind of like the warm feel.

How about the tiny mouse/trackpad? It is small, however you can double tap the trackpad surface for regular mouse clicking and there is a scroll area on the pad as well. I would have liked to have seen a larger trackpad surface area.

The screen is very attractive, I was worried about the narrow horizontal resolution at first, but F11 is your friend for web browsing. F11 will remove all the toolbars and go into full screen mode. The glossy surface is annoying, yes, yes and yes. But it is not a deal breaker. After a while I forget about it and only occasionally find I shift my gaze due to glare; beauty over function…maybe.

Battery life is only adequate; I find that it is annoying that after going to Starbucks for an hour or so I feel the need to plug it in to charge when I get back home. A 4 cell would have been nice. HP now offers a 6 cell battery, however I do not know how much it changes the weight and footprint of the HP Mini 1000.

What really has surprised me was the noise. The fan seems to always run. It’s not XBOX 360 loud but I can hear it running next to me while sitting in my cubicle at work. It’s like a small fan whirring, not really annoying but always there in the background.

The most ridiculous thing about the HP Mini 1000 is the power cord. No, not the power brick, the actual power cord that plugs into the wall socket and brick. It’s this large 3 wire behemoth that you would see on a laser printer or air conditioner. Folded up it must be the same size and weight of the power brick. What the hell HP?

All criticisms aside the HP Mini 1000 is exactly what I have been waiting for. It is thin at about a 1 inch thick, light at around 2 1/4 pounds, and has internal 3G. I really didn’t want to have to deal with plugging in a modem that I could loose or break and I wanted to pack my netbook in my small messenger bag and take everywhere I go. For size, weight, and function the HP Mini 1000 has it all.

Next up on my project list will be installing Windows 7 and possibly a 128GB Runcore SSD.

—Bill Landon
Senior Editor