HP Mini 210 and 5103 Now With Dual-Core Intel Atom N550
Because a large number of manufacturers are currently ‘threatening’ to release tablets on the market, people don’t seem to care as much about the netbook, the small laptop that became a must have after it was initially introduced to the public. This is why few companies are actually putting a lot of time and effort into advertising their new netbooks. Even now that Intel has recently announced its latest N550 dual-core Intel Atom processor which offers significantly better performance, companies are still not bragging with products sporting the new CPU.
One exception to this rule is HP. Clearly not the first to come up with a netbook sporting the new Intel Atom N550, HP was quite eager to let the whole world know that it has released an upgraded version of the HP Mini 210 and Mini 5103. Of course, we knew about the Mini 5103 for almost a week now but at the time it wasn’t clear whether the netbook would be packing a dual-core CPU.
The redesigned HP Mini 210 was designed to be an affordable companion for the regular user who’d like a slim and stylish device with satisfying performance. The Mini 5103 was created for a different type of user. It’s a touch-enabled netbook that’s said to fit the needs of students and mobile professionals alike. Compared to the Mini 210 (colorful, bright, pretty much made out of plastic), the 5103 has an all-metal case in a stylish espresso color.
Both of these netbooks now offer Intel’s dual-core N550 Atom running at 1.5Ghz as an option. The Mini 210’s spec sheet includes a 10.1 inch screen (HD optional), built in WLAN, webcam, microphone and a choice of Intel Atom N550, N455 and N475 processors, all of which come with support for faster DDR3 memory.
The business-oriented Mini 5103 comes with a 10.1 inch screen, the same choice of processors as the previously mentioned Mini, up to 320 GB hard disk drive or 128GB solid state drive, optional touch screen display and Broadcom Cyrstal HD video accelerator and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. AS standard it will offer up to 2GB of Ram, Intel GMA 3150 graphics and three USB 2.0 ports. When configuring either of the netbooks you will also get a SD memory card reader.
Because netbook users are also interested in how their future companion looks, the Mini 210 is now being offered in a wide range of colors including charcoal black, red, lavender, rose pink and light blue (have ya noticed how well pink stuff is selling nowadays, HP?). The Mini 5103, with its hybrid aluminum and magnesium body, only comes in espresso, as mentioned before.
The new Mini 210 is already available in all color versions, with a starting price of $330. If you’re interested in the dual-core processor, you’ll obviously have to pay a ‘bit’ more, since the starting configuration comes with a single-core Intel Atom running at 1.66 GHz. The Mini 5103 can also be found in stores for a starting price of $399 but it looks like it will start shipping with the N550 Atom after September 17.
For those who are interested in why the dual-core Intel Atom is such a big deal, HP claims that the new processor can improve the performance of its netbooks by up to 20 percent. Oh yes, and it looks like you won’t have to settle for a lower battery life either. You’ll still be getting the 10 hours and over you’re used to getting from this kind of mini laptop.11
