HP unveils three Mini 1000 netbooks

HP rolled out three Mini 1000 series netbooks today, these models feature a 10.2" or 8.9" LED-backlit display with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and the Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor. The system is less than 1" thick, weighs little more than 2 pounds and has a keyboard 92 percent the size of a standard notebook keyboard.

The Mini 1000 netbooks are available with 512MB, 1GB and 2GB memory, but the one with Windows XP only has up to 1GB of memory because Microsoft doesn't allow netbook makers to ship units with more than 1GB. You can get the systems with a 60GB 4200RPM HDD but HP also offers 8GB or 16GB solid state disks. Other features include a VGA webcam, built-in microphone, 802.11b/g WiFi, SD memory card slotn, optional Bluetooth, Ethernet and two USB ports.

The HP Mini 1000 features a piano-black finish with HP Imprint swirl design is pre-installed with Windows XP Home, making access to the web, critical files and PC applications easily portable. It includes an Ethernet jack, two USB ports, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless capabilities. Versions with 3G capabilities are expected to be available in December.

Configuration choices include screen size – 8.9-inch or 10.2-inch diagonal BrightView display – and solid-state or mechanical hard-drive options.

The HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition comes in vibrant red with a peony-flower inspired design that reflects the globally acclaimed fashion designer’s Spring 2009 collection. It seeks to satisfy the highly mobile, Internet-centric fashionista and features a 10.2-inch diagonal BrightView display.

Its design was first unveiled on the runway of Tam’s Fall 2009 Fashion Week show in Battery Park in New York, although many on the scene mistook it for a purse rather than the companion PC that it is. Tam labeled it the world’s first “digital clutch.”

The Vivienne Tam Edition companion PC runs Windows XP Home, making the web, critical files and PC applications easily portable. It includes an Ethernet jack, two USB ports, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless capabilities. Versions with 3G capabilities are expected to be available in December.

The HP Mini 1000 with MIE (Mobile Internet Experience) is a uniquely simple, mobile Internet companion. An HP-developed interface makes it easy to enjoy digital content – videos, photos, music and email – on demand and on the go. MIE comes loaded with instant messaging, email and Skype for online video chat, making it easy to enjoy social-media experiences anywhere consumers are connected.

Applications enabling browsing, email and online video are pre-loaded and run from the MIE dashboard, minimizing startup time. Favorite websites that are added to the dashboard stay live, and the taskbar makes it easy to switch between programs. The HP Mini 1000 with MIE runs the Linux operating system. It includes an Ethernet jack, two USB ports, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless capabilities.

Mini accessories and service
The HP Mini Mobile Drive gives HP Mini 1000 customers 2, 4 or 8 gigabytes of additional storage, making it simple to transport and retrieve important files, photos, music and other data. It sits flush against the HP Mini, maintaining the sleek design. An optional six-cell lithium-polymer battery is planned to be available in January.

The HP Mini 1000 and HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition come with a free six-month subscription to HP Upline for up to three computers. HP Upline is an easy-to-use, secure online service for the storage, backup, sharing and synchronization of digital content.

Prices start at $379 for the Linux version, $399 for the one with Windows XP and there's also a special Vivienne Tam Edition that sells for $699 - which is basically $300 more in return for a fancy design. The $399 Mini 1000 with Windows XP is available today, the Linux version will follow in January.