| Prepare to be noticed when you take this Netbook out on the town. Small, slim and stylish, the HP Mini 210 lets you surf the web, stay connected, and be entertained wherever you go. Amp up the fun by playing videos and music or showing off your photos. Exclusive, integrated software keeps you in sync with your life by letting you e-mail, chat, and instantly access your files from anywhere. Take just what you need And leave the rest on your primary PC. At less than one inch thin and starting at just 2.69 pounds, this ultra-compact PC won’t weigh you down. You’ll enjoy a 16:9 10.1" diagonal BrightView Infinity display and nearly full-size keyboard. |
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 Confusing model lineup, reasonable netbook |
| Review Date: February 22, 2010 |
| Reviewer: James Sanford, San Francisco, CA |
Trying to buy a netbook after their explosion in popularity is proving to be difficult, as manufacturers pump out far too many variations.
In addition to the listed specifications for each model of the HP Mini 210 (cpu, memory, disk, exterior color/finish), there are other physical variations depending on model number.
Depending on which HP Mini 210 model you get, some differences are:
- A different keyboard ("island" keyboard or traditional keyboard)
- A matte or glossy screen
- A different physical size of battery
- Different wireless support (802.11b/g vs 802.11b/g/n vs 802.11b/g+bluetooth)
At the time of writing, existing reviews and photos make it difficult to tell what you'll end up with. According to the HP website, there are a dizzying one hundred ninety different HP Mini 210 models.
Some of the popular models that I saw had these attributes:
210-1010NR: Matte screen, traditional keyboard
210-1030NR: Matte screen, traditional keyboard
210-1040NR: Glossy screen, island keyboard
I ended up with a 210-1040NR. I prefer the island keyboard, it seemed to have less flex than the traditional keyboard. Touch typing on either keyboard was not an issue, punctuation is in the correct place, and both the shift keys and the spacebar are nice and large. The multitouch touchpad works better than the competition. I installed Ubuntu Netbook Edition 9.10 and everything works out of the box. (Although the internal fan appears to be on regardless of temperature)
For me, knowing the limitations of the cpu, keyboard, and build quality, the 1024x600 resolution of the display is the weak point. I see there's also a HP Mini 210 HD lineup with a higher resolution display, which may be worth considering.
As far as 10.1" netbooks on the market as of February 2010, after handling and typing on competing models from Acer, Asus, Toshiba, and Sony, for me the HP Mini 210 is the winner. |
Not what I expected from HP
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| Review Date: February 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kathleen Tringo, MA |
| Sorry but I can only give this mini laptop a one-star review. There are two things wrong with it. The second day I owned it I went to plug it in to recharge the battery only to find that the connection was loose and I had to wiggle the cord and actually prop the cord up on a stack of papers in order for it to stay in the computer. The second problem was the same thing with the ethernet cord. The ethernet cord would not plug in properly to the computer. I actually went to a store that carries the same laptop. He tried plugging in the ethernet cord for me only to find out that it would not snap in. He tried the HP mini they had in the store and the same thing happened. He was a little confused also. Then he took the cord and plugged it into an Acer, a Dell and a Toshiba and the cord snapped right into place but on this model of the HP mini the cords fell right out of the computer. I highly suggest just going to your local Best Buy, Staples or some place that carries the HP minis and trying it out for yourself before making the purchase on Amazon. If I had done that I could have saved myself a trip to purchase a different brand of computer while away from home. I have an HP 16" laptop and it works great that is why I thought the mini would be a perfect purchase. |
Warning About Windows 7 Starter
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| Review Date: February 25, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. Pavan, Bellingham, WA, USA |
| I just wanted to warn others about a major drawback of the Windows 7 Starter Operating System that this netbook comes with. I wasn't aware of it when I made my purchase, and I wish I had been. Windows 7 Starter is a very scaled back version of Windows 7 that is only available pre-installed on netbooks. It it does not have full-featured functionality. It does not, for example, allow a user to change their desktop background. The stock blue Windows background it comes with is what you're stuck with, unless you use third-party workarounds. You also cannot change window colors or sound schemes. Additionally, it does not offer DVD playback. So, if you had planned on attaching a portable drive to watch movies--think again. I highly recommend doing your own research into the limitations of Windows 7 Starter before you buy, if you plan to use it as your primary operating system. |
Hugs HP Netbook
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Granderobino, Minneapolis, MN USA |
I'm sorry I'm not able to offer a well-informed opinion as I am practically techno-illiterate. Really. Just a step above a Luddite.
But I needed something that I could actually consider portable (as opposed to my beloved laptop-which I love, but is just too bulky for me to throw in a bag and run). Anyhoo, after looking in a few stores and online and reading the various folks reviews of similar products here, I decided on this. And, Yay! It's everything I wanted. I can't vouch for how well it manages more complicated aplications but for me to just acess email when I'm away from home (because I have sausage fingers, and don't think I could manage IPhone use), and surf a few sites on the web, it's been great. The battery life is always more than enough. The set up was easy and use is easy. Easy for me = Win.
I got the sleeve they offerd her to go with it, and a small "Kensignton" wireless mouse (though the touch pad on this unit is easier to use than others I have tried, so I don't always need the mouse).
The unit arrived in a timely manner and was well protected in its pakaging. |
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