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When is a netbook so good that it feels like you’re using a regular laptop? Pretty much never, but the HP Mini 5101 feels as close to a real notebook as you'll get with a netbook, and we think it's a brilliant product. It's built out of metal and is very stylish, with a beautiful keyboard and a latchless, high resolution 10.1in screen. Its specifications mean that unless you’ve got a multitude of programs open at the same time, it doesn’t feel like it’s running an Intel Atom CPU.
Because of its relatively high-end components, the HP Mini 5101's 4-cell battery such as Hp KU532AA battery , Hp HSTNN-OB62 battery , Hp Compaq 610 battery , Hp Compaq 510 battery , Hp RW557AA battery , Hp 440266-ABC battery , Hp ProBook 5310m battery , Hp BQ352AA battery , Hp AT907AA battery , HP Compaq 540 Battery , HP 572189-001 Battery , HP HSTNN-DB51 Battery won't give you more than a couple of hours of life away from an outlet unless you employ a sensible power management plan (there is an option for a 6-cell battery). It lasted just 1hr 55min in our video rundown test, in which we switch off power management, switch on the wireless radio and turn the screen brightness all the way up while looping Xvid-encoded videos.
Video playback was smooth as silk and the screen displayed colours vibrantly and with good brightness. It's not a glossy screen, which means it won't be prone to reflections. You can use the screen outdoors as long as you stay in shaded areas; bright sunlight will make it very hard to read. The high resolution of the screen as well as a relatively good pair of speakers in the chassis make this netbook ideal for viewing videos. The large hard drive will let you carry a rather substantial video library with you when you travel.
There are a couple of quirks with this netbook, however. The lettering on the keys is printed in a subdued colour that can be hard to read in dim lighting. This won't be a problem if you're a touch typist, as the layout of the board is standard. Oddly enough, the function keys are not standard. In order to use the function keys, you actually have to press the Fn button. The function keys are primarily used to change the volume or screen brightness, put the laptop into standby mode or lock it, and switch to video out mode. On other laptops these functions are secondary and require the Fn button to be pressed. We wouldn't mind this so much if trying to refresh a Web page didn't put the laptop into standby mode instead! Above the keyboard reside two shortcut buttons for launching your default Web browser and e-mail programs, while the front of the netbook has a wireless radio toggle switch.
One thing you can't do is disable the touchpad, but the palm rest and keyboard are so well designed, you'll never end up hitting it inadvertently. The netbook's base is 26.2cm wide 18.2cm deep, which is the same as most of the other 10.1in netbooks on the market, so it's amazing that HP has been able to make this notebook so much more comfortable to use. We think it has everything to do with the fact the keys and the palm rest are at the same exact level, and that the keys are so solid to the touch and well spaced. The netbook weighs only 1.1kg.
Like most netbooks on the market, the HP Mini 5101 gives you a webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 2.1, a D-Sub port, an SD slot, and Ethernet, microphone and headphone jacks. HP supplies a trial version of Microsoft Office 2007, but it also includes Corel's Home Office suite. You also get McAfee antivirus and firewall software.
Despite the Bizzaro World function keys (which can be switched in the BIOS), the Mini 5101 is an absolute pleasure to use, and it doesn't really feel like a netbook unless you overload the CPU with work. Indeed, much like the everlasting love we have for HP's Touchsmart PC IQ545A, the Mini 5101 will stay in our hearts long after we give it back to HP.