HP Mini 2140 laptop Review: Ultraportable, low-cost netbook

2008 saw the market of ultraportable, low-cost laptops or ‘netbook’ exploded and the all new HP Mini 2140 is HP’s offering for taking the top position in this category in 2009. This business grade laptop is incorporated with a 10.1-inch display, considerable large keyboard, high-capacity hard drive and a galore of excellent accessories.

Build & Design

HP Mini 2140, similar to the maker’s previous attempt in the form of Mini-note 2133 (released in 2008), has an attractive design. Its solid chassis along with brushed aluminum & plastic casing are not only durable, but also sure to have an impact on your mind. Again, the material of its casing keeps it very lightweight, around 2.4lbs as per configuration. So whether a student or a professional, you can easily carry this inexpensive netbook around with you.

Screen

Compared to 10-inch screens of other netbooks, 10.1-inch display on HP Mini 2140 is a sort of mixed blessing for you. Its screen is large and has good contrast along with bright colors. However, it does not offer wide angles for viewing, so it will be difficult for you to enjoy movies with your friends. Again, you may not desire the low resolution (1024×576) in its base configuration, if you have already worked on Mini-note 2133, which was provided with an 8.9-inch 1280×768 screen. Although low resolutions might help you in viewing small texts properly, they do not allow too much text on your screen at any given time. This leaves you with scrolling up & down while viewing websites.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Keyboard is one feature on the HP Mini 2140 that can simply be coined ‘fantastic’. Similar to Mini-Note 2133, keyboard of Mini 2140 is the best in small notebooks. Keys are provided with the silver ‘HP DuraKeys’ finishing, which makes them resistant to dirt. It also allows the letters printed on the buttons to last for a longer period. Again, the surface of this full-sized keyboard is smooth to your touch. You are not going to face the problem of typing incorrectly, which was common with small keys of most netbooks.

In comparison to the keyboard, you may find using HP Mini 2140’s touchpad to be a bit awkward. Its right & left click buttons are going to catch you off-guard for sure. The positioning of its buttons, side of the touchpad, may make you forget their existence, if you are accustomed to regular touchpad. However, you might find the button above the touchpad to be convenient. It allows you to make the touchpad inactive when you’re typing or using external mouse.

Performance & Benchmarks

The availability of a N270 1.60-GHz Atom Processor from Intel in HP Mini 2140 doesn’t mean you have a hardcore gaming notebook in your hand. Rather, it symbolizes the fact that you will get a reasonable performance for your daily activities, which include browsing, using MS Office, watching movies and even listening to music. With the processor supported by 1GB RAM and 160GB hard drive, you get the option of working on photo-editing software like GIMP or Photoshop Elements. However, the low resolution of Mini 2140 does not allow it to be an ideal tool for photo editing. Apart from some basic games, which comes installed with Windows XP (preferred OS for the system), and few others, do not expect the system to support any high-end game like Left 4 Dead or Crysis.

Battery

In terms of battery life, HP Mini 2140 does a reasonable job. With the system connected to Wi-Fi network and web browsing being done at around 80% brightness, you can get up to two hours and twenty one minutes of usage, when a 3-cell battery is incorporated. If you opt for similar settings but a 6-cell lithium-ion battery, you will obtain a battery life of over 4 hours.

If you have no problem with a low-resolution screen, HP Mini 2140 is the best netbook currently available in the market at $499.

Specifications of HP Mini 2140

Processor: N270 1.60-GHz Atom Processor from Intel

OS: Genuine Windows XP

Memory: 1GB SDRAM 800MHz

Display: 10.1-inch LED (1024×576)

Hard drive: 160GB

Battery: 6-Cell Lithium Ion

Weight: 2.4 lb

Dimensions: 10.3in x 6.5in x 1.05in

Pros: Multiple configuration features, Quality build, Great keyboard

Cons: Low-resolution screen, strange location of touchpad buttons

MSRP: $499 (Base Price)