 Incredibly slow and unresponsive machine...not worth the money |
| Review Date: October 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Doctor G, Denver |
| I was in search of a laptop but didn't have much money, so I looked into getting a netbook. All I needed was a machine to do word processing and surf the internet, so my expectations were pretty low. This machine doesn't even do that effectively...it is incredibly slow and crashes constantly doing basic tasks, like opening a web-page. I would highly suggest you just invest a little more money and get an actual laptop. |
Do not buy this HP!!!
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| Review Date: September 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Amy Bernstein, Maryland |
This machine was adorable, until it died after three months. The hard drive just failed. It is now lost somewhere in Texas...under warranty, but HP sent it to the wrong address and doesn't seem to be able to find it. Their service is beyond horrible. You call somewhere in India, who calls Texas, and I am not sure which is less in touch with reality.
My next computer will be a Mac...or purchased from some company who has a clue. |
Great value with limitations
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| Review Date: May 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: SG Griffith, |
I've been using this computer for several months now.
Compared to a smart phone at $800, this computer at half the price is a great value. It's amazingly light weight and it does everything a laptop does.
Although it has a real keyboard, it is necessarily a bit smaller than a normal computer, and I find myself making frequent typos. Annoyingly, it has keys marked "home" and "end," but they only work as cursor keys -- I've tried every keystroke combination I can think of and they're still just cursor keys. So I have to scroll to find the beginning and ending of documents or posts.
The display is a bit pale, particularly so on battery. There is no display adjustment possible.
The main problem, though, was HP Support. I have the mobile version of the Mini, with a built-in broadband card, and my computer kept trying to connect to it which resulted in error messages; at one point, I was getting several error messages per minute. Neither email nor phone support was able to help me with this problem despite many emails and a long time on the phone. It finally resolved itself.
RAM is limited to 1 G; it's not expandable.
This is a great computer for travel, absolutely fabulous. But lately I've been using it as a substitute for my big laptop which is in the shop, and I find myself getting frustrated with it.
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A Real Breakthough Technology (and I Mean that Seiously)
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| Review Date: May 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Ray, |
I've been using this HP Mini 1000 Netbook for a while now, and decided to write a review for Amazon because I'm so impressed with the device. If you are considering a "Netbook" like this, chances are you've never owned one, and are perhaps a bit skeptical about the device. So was I.
First off, let's set the parameters. This isn't a multi-core Pentium processor machine with a high end dedicated graphics card. It isn't meant for running the most processor intensive applications faster than any other computer on the market. Most of you have one of these number-crunching machines at home already, or perhaps a high-end laptop with all the power-intensive support. This is a "Netbook," which means a slimmed down laptop that can be used for basic functions, such as web browsing, e-mail, and some minor picture viewing.
That's a bit deceptive, because when you read descriptions like that, you expect that the HP Mini 1000 will essentially be a performance "dog" that can handle only a web browser, and perhaps Picasa. I can tell you, that's a real mistake.
There's no doubt this in one of the lightest and smallest computers you've ever seen, but, surprisingly, it is also one of the most sprightly performing laptops you're likely to find in the price range (and speaking of price, it's basically a steal at between $400 and $500; I had two other laptops not long ago that were both sub-3 pound devices, and they each cost over $3,000). I went ahead and just took a gamble on loading all of a trial copy of Microsoft Office 2007 (Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, etc.), and then just piled on other applications I typically use on my regular laptop (a dual core T8100 processor in an HP Dv2000 body), including picture viewers, utility programs, etc.. Surprise. It not only handled all the software, but it runs the programs remarkably well, with little lag time and surprisingly deft performance. The Intel "Atom" Processor powering this thing can easily be seen as a "sleeper" technology that people are going to increasingly talk about.
Boot time is also surprisingly fast. Mine usually loads within 20 seconds, certainly faster than my "powerful" laptop. Of course, the Mini is running Windows XP, not Vista, but still, that's pretty impressive. (By the way, I also installed Windows 7 RC1, and it worked just fine.)
The wireless has thus far worked without problems. I connect to my home network with high security settings, and to public locations using open networks, all without a hitch so far. (The unit, however, does not support draft-n specifications, so you'll be connecting at g speeds.)
The physical construction of this unit is excellent. Yes, it is small and light. But it is also sturdy in the way it feels, with little squeaking and a solid construction. The screen is bright and clear. And the keyboard is one of the best I've seen in any laptop. How did they do this?
Finally, when youfeel the tiny weight and size of the battery as you take it out of the box, you'll be thinking that it will run 30 minutes, tops. Well, with the Atom processor sipping current at exceedingly low amounts, you'll likely see some 90 - 120 minutes on a single charge. It's amazing.
You can probably tell I'm impressed with this device, because I am. If this is the beginning of "Netbooks," then I think they will become increasingly popular as people discover them.
Rating for Size and Weight: Five Stars
Rating for Price: Five Stars
Rating for Configuration: Four and 1/2 Stars
Pros:
1. Exceedingly light and small
2. Beautiful physical appearance
3. Clear and bright screen (but glare can be an issue)
4. Remarkable performance, even with software suites such as Office 2007
5. Excellent keyboard with good tactile feel and large size layout (how is this possible?)
6. Wireless that actually works
7. Lightweight adapter cord (you've been stung on this before, haven't you? They finally got it right.)
8. Two USB 2.0 ports, plus a network port and a HP adapter output port
9. Built-in webcam
10. Can put in a 2Gb memory card (even though it claims 1Gb is the limit)
11. Very good battery life for such a dimunutive battery
12. Great price for the package
Cons
1. No draft-N wireless available
2. Bluetooth not on every model
3. HP Proprietary connector required for VGA output
4. Non-common 1.8" hard drive format limits upgrade options to the 1.8" format
5. Screen resolution, though very good, is not as high as we might wish (but is good enough)
6. Display does not fold back as far as most laptops
7. Outstanding performance probably drives us to push the unit past its stated purposes (i.e., just don't be upset if you can't run a C++ compiler while listening to Windows Media Player and editing an Excel spreadsheet)
To sum it up, this is truly an outstanding breakthrough if you understand what the unit is designed to do. I'm already seriously considering substituting my main laptop with the HP Mini for most out-of-home tasks. Five stars.
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great, but price...
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| Review Date: January 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Alan Vezina, |
| great laptop, but don't buy this from amazon at the $700 price! MSRP has been lowered and is selling for $350 everywhere else. |
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