HP 2133: Test And Review Of HP Mini-Note 2133

Itsogo.net brought a nice review of the HP 2133, HP’s netbook answer to Asus’ Eee – oops, sorry HP – i forgot you don’t like the 2133 to be compared with other MIDs, Mini-Notes and UMPCs …

But let’s be honest: Asus’ Eee PC has cleared the way for low-priced and ultra-portable notebooks. The folks from Asus were the first to start the subnotebook revolution but now that the market seems to be more acceptable, US brand HP wants a piece of the action, and so they introduced the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC.

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC / The tested specs are bold

HP 2133
Processor	● VIA C7-M ULV 1.6-GHz processor, 800-MHz front-side bus (FSB), 8-W thermal design power (TDP) ● VIA C7-M ULV 1.2-GHz processor, 800-MHz FSB, 5-W TDP ● VIA C7-M ULV 1.0-GHz processor, 400-MHz FSB, 3.5-W TDP
Chipset	Northbridge: VIA CN896 Southbridge: VIA 8237s
Memory	One customer-accessible/upgradable memory module slot Supports up to 2 GB of system RAM PC2-5300, 667-MHz, DDR2 Supports the following configurations: ● 2048-MB total system memory (2048 × 1) ● 1024-MB total system memory (1024 × 1) ● 512-MB total system memory (512 × 1)
HDD capacity	Supports 9.5-mm (2.5-inch) serial ATA (SATA) hard drives Supports the following SATA hard drives: ● 160-GB, 7200-rpm ● 160-GB, 5400-rpm ● 120-GB, 7200-rpm ● 120-GB, 5400-rpm Supports 9.5-mm (2.5-inch) SATA 4-GB flash storage drive
Optical drive	Nope – supports external USB optical drive only
Graphics	VIA Chrome 9, VIA Universal Memory Architecture (UMA) graphics subsystem
Display	All display assemblies include 2 microphones, 2 speakers, and 2 WLAN antenna transceivers and cables ● 8.9-inch WXGA ( 1280 × 768 ) with camera ● 8.9-inch WXGA ( 1280 × 768 ) without camera
Network connections/wireless	Broadcom 5788, 10/100/1000 LAN, S3/S4/S5 wake on LAN: DC – no, S3/S4/S5 wake on LAN: AC – yes 2 WLAN antennae built into display assembly Support for no-WLAN option Support for the following WLAN formats: ● Broadcom 4311AG 802.11a/b/g WLAN module ● Broadcom BCM4312 802.11b/g WLAN module Integrated personal area network (PAN) options by way of Bluetooth module: Support for no-WPAN option Broadcom Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Ports	2x USB2.0, 1x Express Card, 1x VGA, 1x RJ45, stereo headphone, stereo microphone, 2-pin AC power, Kensington
Battery	6-cell, 55-Wh Li-ion battery 3-cell, 28-Wh Li-ion battery
Blue tooth	Broadcom Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Operating system	Windows Vista Home Basic
Webcam	1.3 MP
Weight (kg)	1.28KG (with 3-cell batteries)

Lid with HP Logo

Left side view of the HP 2133 Mini-Note

Right side view of the HP 2133 Mini-Note

The HP 2133 provides a keyboard which is about 92 percent the size of a regular desktop keyboard. Such a keyboard is not found in any of the (current available) subnotebooks from other brands. The keyboard is perhaps the most tactile of all the keyboards in the same category. Because of its size, it becomes appealing to hardcore desktop users or those that have huge hands. In other subnotebooks the keys are 2/3 the size of regular keyboards, which makes it difficult for most people to type with.

HP 2133 Mini-Note power switch

HP 2133 left side: VGA, fan, USB 2.0, microphone, earphone

HP 2133 right side: ExpressCard/54 slot, SD card reader, USB 2.0 port, ethernet, power jack and Kensington lock

From the performance aspect, the HP 2133 performs quite well with the VIA C7-M ULV CPU (1.6 GHz). This means good speed in the majority of software, but don’t expect much with multimedia and stuff like that.

Motherboard and BIOS version

Fast DDR2-667 memory – quite impressive for a netbook.

HD Tune

Battery life and PCMark05

HP HP 2133
Battery Mark
	Battery life	113 minutes
PCMark05	Total score	795
	Processor	878
	Memory	1025
	Graphics	306
	Hard disk	3680

So far, HP seems able to match Asus in the subnotebook space, especially as it incorporated many design features on the Mini-Note not present in other brands. Noteworthy are the larger keyboard, a bigger and brighter LCD screen, better stereo speakers, ExpressCard slot, and large hard disk drive (120 GB). Slow boot time with Vista and a bit pricey.

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