Hands-on: Verizon Wireless HP Mini 1151NR netbook (Updated 2x)
Priced at $199 with a 2-year contract (after MIR) the 1151NR's price is subsidized by monthly data fees are either $40 or $60 per month.
Although it's sold by VZW, the 1151NR netbook is a HP Mini 1000 that comes bundled with an internal Verizon Wireless 3G/EVDO Rev. A card. The built-in EVDO is the defining feature in the 1151NR and it's easy to get online with Verizon's Mobile Broadband using the pre-installed VZAccess software.
Specs-wise:
- Intel Atom N270, 1.6 GHz
- 1 GB of RAM
- 80 GB Hard Drive
- 10.1" Flush Glass (1024 x 576)
- Integrated Webcam VGA (640 x 480x 30 fps)
- 3-cell Battery, 30 W AC Adapter
- 10.3" (depth) x 6.6" (width) x 1" (height)
- 2.4 lb
- Windows XP Home Edition
Full specs are on the HP Web site.
Oh, about that last spec, I'm not much of a Windows person, so my next step will be to see how well ithe HP Mini 1151NR runs Mac OS X. According to Boing Boing's OS X compatibility chart the HP Mini 1000-series can be hackintoshed although the lack of sound support and the question-mark in the Ethernet column give me pause. Here's another good HP/hackintosh link, if you're thinking of doing it yourself
Photos comparing the Dell Vostro A90 and HP Mini 1151NR after the break...
Update: The Dell Vostro A90, my current favorite hackintosh (left) compared to the VZW/HP Mini 1151NR (right). Note the HP's wider (10-inch) screen and larger keys -- both are welcome additions. One thing that I can't get used to, however, is the HP's side-mounted trackpad buttons. They're super-unnatural feeling and would require years of de-programming to get comfortable with.
Update 2: I've posted some unboxing photos of the HP Mini 1151NR in this gallery.