
Rugged netbook with advanced features
- Faster wireless speed than other netbooks
- Advanced features you can customize
- Sturdy build
- Comfortable keyboard
- Expensive
- Battery life can't match Toshiba's mini NB205-N310
- Omits ExpressCard slot
Great construction quality and a tough metal housing help the 10.1-inch HP Mini 5101 netbook withstand the rigors of travel better than most other netbooks, experts say. Several versions of this netbook are available, but reviewers prefer the FM978UT, which includes a six-cell battery that can keep on going for up to eight hours between charges. A version with a less robust three-cell battery -- the FM955UT (*Est. $400) -- is also available. Features are typical for top netbooks -- including an Intel Atom N280 processor, 160 GB hard drive and 1 GB of RAM -- but the Mini 5101's Wireless-N radio delivers faster throughput than Wireless-G rivals, including the Toshiba mini NB205-N310 (*Est. $400), though the Toshiba laptop offers better battery life and a slightly nicer keyboard and touchpad. For an added cost, you can upgrade the HP Mini 5101 to 2 GB of memory, a hard drive up to 320 GB, a 128 GB solid-state drive and built-in wireless broadband -- even a high-def screen -- though doing so can also push the total cost past $600.
Laptop Magazine, PCMag.com and CNET conduct complete tests of the HP Mini 5101 and rate it alongside other netbooks. Wi-FiPlanet.com doesn't rank netbooks against each other, but its tests are just as good. The report at About.com compares features, but does not appear to be testing based. User feedback on the HP Mini 5101 is limited, but Amazon.com does list a few owner reviews.
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Our Sources
1. Laptop MagazineDetails/Subscribe
The HP Mini 5101 is named an Editors' Choice award-winner. Its touchpad is smaller and less smooth than the one on the top-rated Toshiba mini NB205, and its battery life isn't quite as long, tester Michael Prospero finds -- but the Mini 5101's wireless throughput is much faster. That, plus its rugged design, makes it a good buy for business travelers despite its higher price tag, he says.
Review: HP Mini 5101 (FM978UT), Michael A. Prospero, July 23, 2009
The HP Mini 5101 earns a four-star rating (out of five) and PCMag.com's GreenTech seal of approval. Its big, fast hard drive options, Wireless-N compatibility and available built-in 3G wireless make it "the most compelling netbook for business users," tester Cisco Cheng says. An initial review sample had a noisy hard drive, but a subsequent unit showed no signs of the problem.
Review: HP Mini 5101, Cisco Cheng, Updated Aug. 17, 2009
3. CNET
The HP Mini 5101 earns an "excellent" rating of four stars (out of five). CNET's Dan Ackerman likes its sturdy build and comfortable keyboard and touchpad, but he's irritated that HP dropped the ExpressCard slot that was present in earlier models.
Review: HP Mini 5101, Dan Ackerman, July 29, 2009
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