HP 5103 business netbook now sells in US, from $399

Like I’ve said the other day, HP are working on a new netbook, the Mini 5103 . Meant as an improvement for the 5102 generation, this one brings the new generation Atom processors, with DDR3 memory compatibility. You get both options available from Intel, the N455 (1.66 GHz) and N475 (1.83 GHz).

The HP Mini 5103 is by all means a business netbook. Brings sober looks, a metallic casing and some top notch features. Plus, keyboard and trackpad are some of the best in the 10 inch class. However, it’s not cheap. List price starts from $399. You get a couple of preconfigured versions for around $500, but one of the best things is that you can easily configure the mini  laptop to meet all your needs.

HP Mini 5103 - still the same looker dressed in magnesium, not with better features

I for one chose the following:

• 10.1 inch capacitive touch-display (since I own a tablet PC, i can’t see myself using a laptop without a touchscreen anymore. It’s so more practical with it, even if this one is not convertible)
• N475 1.83 GHz Atom processor
• GMA 3150 + Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator
• 2 GB of DDR3 memory
• 160 GB 7200 rpm HDD
• Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth 2.1
• All the other standard things: USBs, card reader, 2 MPX camera
• 6 cell 66 Whr battery
• Windows 7 Home Premium OS

All these got me to a staggering $757. That is for sure the best configuration you can get on a 10 inch mini laptop these days, but it costs twice more than a good mainstream netbook does (like the Toshiba NB305). I’m not saying it’s not worth it, but for this kind of money, well, you can get better in terms of everything, only slightly bigger. And I did not even add all the features I would have wanted, like the extended warranty, carrying handle and 3G modem (you actually can’t have this if you select the Broadcom Accelerator, as they both use the same PCIe slot; so it’s one or the other). Feel free to configure your own via this link.

Now, the HP Mini 5103 is for sure a nice device. If I were one of those millionaires who spend 1000 bucks on breakfast, I won’t mind having it. But yet, if I were, I could easily pay more for something more powerful. Because in the end, with all the extra goodies, this is still a netbook built on an Intel atom platform, with the limits it brings.

So, I for sure like it. But would i buy it? Well, NO. How about you?

Via Laptoping

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Tags: 10" netbook, business netbooks, HP Mini netbooks

Last updated: August 10, 2010 | Published: August 10th, 2010 | Add the first comment!