HP announced Mini 5102 netbook with price premium thanks to

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HP released probably the first modernly designed netbook in their original Mini, which mimicked the aluminum unibody look of the MacBook while retaining the specs of your typical 10.1 inch Eee. Ever since, I’ve been a fan of their Atom-based offerings, but it’s hard to get too excited about their latest entry into the Mini line, the Mini 5102.
Let’s start with the specs. What we’re looking at here is a “business-oriented netbook” packing a 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU, 4 cell battery, 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. 2GB of RAM, 160GB 7200RPM HDD, 2MB webcam, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2, along with the usual 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA out and multi-card reader.
In other words, bog standard, even if that IBM Blue colored chassis is fairly attractive. But still, bog standard isn’t bad, especially if you have a loyalty to the HP brand and the price is right.
The problem? The price is decidedly not right. The HP Mini 5102 starts at $749. In an arena of $400 similarly specced netbooks, that’s simply ghastly. Even worse is the reason why the netbook is so expensive: although Microsoft licenses Windows 7 Starter to netbook manufacturers for cheap, HP went with Windows 7 Professional… then downgraded the OS to Windows XP. In other words, for twice the price, this is a worse netbook than the competition.
Oh, sure, Windows XP is supported by more IT departments, and this is the “business” edition. Still, it’s hard to look at a machine with those specs, that operating system, and that price and not blanche.
 
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