The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC- The better UMPC?

[wersdaluv]

UMPCs are getting popular these days. Now that the EEE's successful, other's are trying to play the same game.

I found the HP 2133 (http://h40059.www4.hp.com/hp2133/) which looks more attractive than the EEE. It's a little more expensive than the EEE but it's specs are definitely better. It's price varies depending on the specs and ranges from about $625-850.

Why does it look better to me? RAM is 1-2gb, hard drive space is 120-160gb, keyboard size is 92% of a full-blown keyboard, screen is 8.9inches (slightly smaller than EEE PC 900's), and has an all-aluminum case!

What do you think about it?

[Mateo]

It's not a Eee competitor. Even though devices like that are really cool, there isn't much of a market for them, as shown by the lack of sales for that and other similar high-end UMPCs. The only UMPCs that have been successful have been the modestly built, reasonably priced devices such as Eee and OLPC.

[gn2]

There's a few listed here: http://www.liliputing.com/2008/04/over-past-six-months-or-so-asus-everex_24.html

The interesting ones are not on sale yet :-(

[HermanAB]

That HP device is too expensive and since it has a spinning disk, it is not rugged. So it is not a UMPC, just a smallish laptop.

The Asus Eee PC is so cheap, one can scatter them around. I'm using one with my sound system to play music served over WiFi by Edna (http://edna.sourceforge.net) on a server in the basement.

An Eee PC, hooked to a terabyte USB disk drive will also make a nice Wireless NAS device.

[seatex]

Just wait until next month, and grab one of these - good price and good specs.

http://www.dailytech.com/MSI+Gives+ASUS+Eee+PC+a+Taste+of+Its+Own+Medicine+ With+399+Wind/article11775.htm

[freestylekyle]

I would not say better specs. The Via C-7 1.6 Ghz is about 30% slower than the 900 intel in the eee. The battery doesn't last as long something like 2 hours I get almost 3 on my eee 900 while watching steaming video over the wifi. And the broadcom wifi card in the mini note will likely be a pain. The one thing it had going for it was the express card slot, which will come in handy to put a better wifi card in.

[Phenax]

Just wait until next month, and grab one of these - good price and good specs.

http://www.dailytech.com/MSI+Gives+ASUS+Eee+PC+a+Taste+of+Its+Own+Medicine+ With+399+Wind/article11775.htm

I'm getting a UMPC that is $400 or less. I have the money but I'm waiting for the MSI Wind to come out. It's at the top of my list.

[delfick]

I'm waiting till the ecs g10L

looks really nice :)

[xjgnsdof]

It's not a Eee competitor. Even though devices like that are really cool, there isn't much of a market for them, as shown by the lack of sales for that and other similar high-end UMPCs. The only UMPCs that have been successful have been the modestly built, reasonably priced devices such as Eee and OLPC.

The Mini-Note is back-ordered at HP's online store, which means that demand is outstripping supply. The machine is deemed "the rich man's ultraportable" in light of its price and features, so you are correct to say that it doesn't compete with the EEE directly.

To the poster who said that this machine isn't rugged because of the SATA drive: it has both a spillproof keyboard and a 3D drive guard that parks the disk when it detects acceleration. That easily qualifies as rugged.

[gn2]

I have it on good authority from the editor of a computer magazine that having tried both the 2133 and the Eee, the HP2133 keyboard is by far the better of the two.
If you do a lot of typing, the HP2133 is the clear winner.
Much higher screen res than even the Eee900/901 as well.

[kerry_s]

There's a few listed here: http://www.liliputing.com/2008/04/over-past-six-months-or-so-asus-everex_24.html

The interesting ones are not on sale yet :-(

thanks! that's a good list.
that linpus lite also caught my eye, i followed the links and see it's availiable, might have to test drive that puppy.
http://www.linpus.com/xampp/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=14&PHPSESSID=148dbc332738858b5faf380059aa31c7

[earlycj5]

The Mini-Note is back-ordered at HP's online store, which means that demand is outstripping supply. The machine is deemed "the rich man's ultraportable" in light of its price and features, so you are correct to say that it doesn't compete with the EEE directly.

To the poster who said that this machine isn't rugged because of the SATA drive: it has both a spillproof keyboard and a 3D drive guard that parks the disk when it detects acceleration. That easily qualifies as rugged.

Not to mention that a SSD is available in the HP if you're really concerned about this.

But I'd agree, other than size, it doesn't really compete with the eeePC directly. They seem like they're aimed at different markets to me. I bought the Mini-note because it offered what I wanted/needed over rather than the eeePC (which is a fine machine in its own right).

[frrobert]

I looked at the 2133 and I liked the screen, the keyboard, and the case. I would even think of buying one if I thought it was a linux friendly machine. Looking at the wireless card and other specs this is a Windows UMPC that does offer Linux.

I found three different forums for the 2133 and most of the traffic is windows based the linux sections of the forums are very small. The eee has much more of a Linux following. If I bought one today it would be the eee due to the larger Linux community.

Personally, I am waiting to see what Dell, Acer, and MSI have to offer, a linux device that does Windows, or a windows device that offers Linux.

If I buy a UMPC I want one where I don't feel like an outsider when I use Linux

[earlycj5]

I looked at the 2133 and I liked the screen, the keyboard, and the case. I would even think of buying one if I thought it was a linux friendly machine. Looking at the wireless card and other specs this is a Windows UMPC that does offer Linux.

I found three different forums for the 2133 and most of the traffic is windows based the linux sections of the forums are very small. The eee has much more of a Linux following. If I bought one today it would be the eee due to the larger Linux community.

Personally, I am waiting to see what Dell, Acer, and MSI have to offer, a linux device that does Windows, or a windows device that offers Linux.

If I buy a UMPC I want one where I don't feel like an outsider when I use Linux

I don't know that it's Linux unfriendly. Via's offering Xorg drivers for Hardy and there's plenty us that have them putting Ubuntu on it among other things. Not to mention the typical Ubuntu support, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133 and various threads here in the forums.

I have no problems with Linux on mine, except when I can't help myself and I start tweaking and breaking stuff. It works perfectly, Bluetooth, wireless, the whole nine-yards.

As for the Linux forums being small, I frequent MiniNoteuser.com, I'd not noticed any lack of Linux traffic or support there myself. But I never look at the Windows forums so I can't compare traffic levels I suppose.

[Wiired]

When you say you have no trouble with Ubuntu on your HP 2133, do you also mean that you got Compiz to work?

I know Via released drivers for the Chrome9 card, but I've looked at many forums (including Mininoteuser.com) and I have yet to hear of anyone getting Compiz to work on their Mini Note.

If so, how did you do it?

Thanks in advance!

[wersdaluv]

I don't know that it's Linux unfriendly. Via's offering Xorg drivers for Hardy and there's plenty us that have them putting Ubuntu on it among other things. Not to mention the typical Ubuntu support, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133 and various threads here in the forums.

I have no problems with Linux on mine, except when I can't help myself and I start tweaking and breaking stuff. It works perfectly, Bluetooth, wireless, the whole nine-yards.

As for the Linux forums being small, I frequent MiniNoteuser.com, I'd not noticed any lack of Linux traffic or support there myself. But I never look at the Windows forums so I can't compare traffic levels I suppose.

Isn't the VIA processor too slow? Would it be fast enough to run windows XP on a virtualbox? That's what I do on my lappy with 1.5ghz Celeron M and 512 Mb ram.

[acelin]

You can get SUSE on the HP 2133...

[shazbut]

Personally I'd wait for devices to start shipping with Via's new Nano(Isaiah) processor. Looks to be able to do around double the instructions per clock of the C7, and is pin compatible so it shouldn't take too much effort for manufacturers to drop it in to existing designs.
See here:
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/719/3/

[earlycj5]

Isn't the VIA processor too slow? Would it be fast enough to run windows XP on a virtualbox? That's what I do on my lappy with 1.5ghz Celeron M and 512 Mb ram.

Too slow for what? Not for me it isn't. I use it for office type work, nothing major.

If you want XP on it I'd suggest just installing XP rather than virtualizing it, I won't lie. The processor has it's limits. But reading the reviews I though it'd just be a dog. It's not (for my use).

[violajack]

When you say you have no trouble with Ubuntu on your HP 2133, do you also mean that you got Compiz to work?

I know Via released drivers for the Chrome9 card, but I've looked at many forums (including Mininoteuser.com) and I have yet to hear of anyone getting Compiz to work on their Mini Note.

If so, how did you do it?

Thanks in advance!

I've got compiz running on mine right now. I'm typing from my shiny emerald window borders and awesome rotating cube right now. I did it by following the directions on the Ubuntu wiki. Install and then follow the instructions on the wiki for getting the via drivers, the new xorg.conf, and whitelisting the via driver. I also recommend the compiz fusion icon for the panel, since it's just a beta driver still and will occasionally crash out if you have too much going on at once.

[UberGeekInc]

You can get SUSE on the HP 2133...

You can order SLED on the HP2133 Mininote - not OpenSuse.

[UberGeekInc]

I'm speaking out of frustration here, and from an owner with two Eeepc's and a 3 week old HP2133 Mininote (which now sits on my shelf), stay way from the HP2133... at least until distros better support it or until HP changes more open-friendly hardware.

My blog about my frustrations:

http://tinyurl.com/4g3v2c

(btw, as you can guess, I'm not a patient guy)

[earlycj5]

You can order SLED on the HP2133 Mininote - not OpenSuse.

No one said it was OpenSUSE they said it was SUSE, SLED is SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. I'd say the first post was correct. :)

[earlycj5]

I'm speaking out of frustration here, and from an owner with two Eeepc's and a 3 week old HP2133 Mininote (which now sits on my shelf), stay way from the HP2133... at least until distros better support it or until HP changes more open-friendly hardware.

My blog about my frustrations:

http://tinyurl.com/4g3v2c

(btw, as you can guess, I'm not a patient guy)

I guess not.

Maybe I've just used Linux too long and become calloused to such issues. Heck, when I started using Red Hat 7.3 on my Dell laptop xorg wouldn't display more than 8 bit color IIRC. All the issues that you seem to have can be can at least be overcome. Following the Wiki, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133 everything you complained of works fine on mine. Yes, I got the Vista Business model for the faster HD, Bluetooth, and 6 cell battery. I don't have 3D acceleration now, but that's just because I don't use Compiz, I use e17, so I compiled the latest kernel with C7 optimizations. I can wait on 3D acceleration, but if I couldn't I could always stick with the stock Hardy kernel that the Via drivers support.
Other than that everything works great.

I do agree with one thing you said, it's the headache of being an early adopter.