HP Compaq Mini 110 review

We managed to get a look at a pre-production model; the final version won’t be available until August. It looks very similar to HP’s Mini 2140, except it’s made from black plastic instead of brushed metal, so it’s not as eye-catching or as sturdy. The lid feels creaky and flimsy, so we hope that it will be strengthened in the final version.

We also hope the noisy fan will be silenced. It’s almost always audible, even during undemanding tasks such as web browsing. Surprisingly, its battery life of two hours and 50 minutes is nearly 30 minutes shorter than the Mini 2140’s and is among the lowest here.

The keyboard shares the same layout and large, responsive keys as the 2140, and is a joy to use. The keys have a matt finish instead of the 2140’s glossy, slightly slippery sheen, so they feel even more pleasant to use. The touchpad is small but accurate. Even though the buttons are placed on either side of the pad instead of below it, they feel much more responsive than the 2140’s buttons, giving just the right amount of feedback when pressed.

Unlike the 2140, the Mini 110 lacks an ExpressCard slot, but it does have three USB ports instead of the 2140’s two. You won’t need a USB 3G modem for mobile broadband access, as one is built in.

The 60GB hard disk is one of the smallest here. It’s more than large enough for storing office documents, but it’s inadequate for even a modest collection of media files.

The 10in display has a resolution of 1,024×576 pixels, which is slightly smaller than the 1,024×600 resolution of most of the other 10in netbooks here. This means some windows drop off the bottom of the screen, which is annoying. We were also disappointed by the display’s washed-out colours, and it’s not as bright as the 2140’s display.

Although the Mini 110 is cheaper than the 2140 and has an integrated 3G modem, its small hard disk, noisy fan and short battery life left us wanting more. MSI’s Wind U100 is a better choice.