Popular portable computer review site Notebookreviews.com has reviewed the a new offering from HP in the UMPC (Ultra Mobile Portable Computing) segment, namely the HP 2133 Mini-Note.

The configuration of the VIA based pre-production sample reviewed by the outlet surpasses the specification of the similar ASUS Eee PC on all fronts except overall computing performance, where the Mini-Note is let down by its CPU.

The review's benchmarking indicates that the Mini-Note's S3 DirectX Graphics solution is able to run 3DMark, which the ASUS Eee is unable to due to its Intel GMA graphics solution. However, the performance of the Mini-Note's Graphics solution with a 3DMark06score of only 98 is unsuitable for modern 3D gaming.

Typical mainstream desktop or mobile graphics solution with DirectX 9 support from 2005 through to 2008 may score around 1000 points in the 3DMark06 benchmark.

This particular review includes images of the unit's main board and a video overview of the device.

The site claims the Mini-Note can be specified with either with a traditional hard disk, a Solid State Drive or a Flash module. In comparison the ASUS Eee contains a Flash disk rather than a SSD. We note that these two storage technologies may share similar components they differ in functionality and performance. An SSD is designed for constant use with regard to performance where as a flash disk is designed for casual use.

This review covers the value for money aspect of the unit's price point compared to other portable computers and highlights various issues with the unit such as the glossy screen coating and the performance of the computer as well as thermals and acoustics.

The included feature of 'integrated stereo microphones' is an interesting one and is something that has been touted for desktop use by audio component vendors but has not really caught on.

We were quite impressed by the feature list for this computer especially on the connectivity (Gigabit Ethernet for instance), storage and multimedia fronts but, as the review indicates it is somewhat let down by its computing power.

The review is recommended reading for those who are interested in Notebooks, portable computing, general technology interest or those seeking a functional portable computer for uses  where size is an issue.

Source : http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4352