Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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104 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Netbook around, December 11, 2008
The HP Mini 1035NR netbook has the same basic features as just about every other netbook that exists on the market today. The 1.6 GHz Atom and 1024 x 600 display are all standard. There isn't much to distinguish one netbook from another, but HP really did a fine job in some of the most important areas.
Before I purchased the 1035NR I had an opportunity to check out the offerings from Asus, Acer, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung and Sylvania. I was down to a choice between the HP 1035 and a Lenovo S10 (which is $50 less and comes with an express card slot).
HP has everyone beat in the most important area -- the keyboard. There is simply no other netbook on the market that has a real keyboard with good tactile feedback. As a touch typist, I can't stress the importance of this enough. Most of the other netbooks fail because they have placed the up arrow key between the "/" and the right shift key, which often results in the insertion point moving up one line when you hit the right shift key. Those that are an exception, such as the MSI or the Samsung do not have the same tactile feeling. The Lenovo keyboard is decent, but that up arrow key took it out of contention.
With the 1035NR you get somewhat less then you do with most every other netbook in the same or even lower price range. The HP comes with a small 60 GB hard drive spinning at 4200 rpm. Most others have a 160 GB at 5400 rpm. Some netbooks have more then 2 USB ports but that should be enough for almost anyone.
But this netbook is the best currently on the market. The slim design is extremely compact, with several nice touches, like the Caps Lock LED. The construction is solid, feels good when you carry it and is very light.
The glass screen is excellent, very bright and clear, similar to the unibody MacBook, though it is glossy and not so great outdoors.
The trackpad is very responsive, with a good amount of surface area. The placement of the buttons on the side, rather then below, is awkward. I had originally dismissed the HP and Acer models because of this. However, the keyboard more then makes up for the button placement and it also shaves about an inch of the netbook width. I can fit the HP in a large coat pocket, which I can't do with most of the others. The trackpad configuration software can be configured for tap and hold, which is somewhat similar to pressing the mouse and dragging. It would have been better if the HP had Mac like button-less trackpad with two finger click for right click.
The speakers are pretty impressive for such a small computer. Streaming a Netflix movie didn't suffer from rendering problems, was crisp and easy to share with another person watching.
The built in webcam works very well when it has enough light and the microphone is adequate. There is a single "hybrid" headphone/microphone port.
A VGA port is also included that uses a special connector, however the cable needs to be purchased separately. The SD slot is spring loaded and flush to the body.
I was a bit surprised that there was no printed manual included, or at least a basic printed reference of the various ports, buttons, lights, etc and that one must go to the "Help" section to get this info.
The included battery is a 3-cell unit, which is OK and seems to last about 2 to 2.5 hours depending on what you are doing. HP does have bigger batteries coming, but they are not yet available for purchase.
In a nod to Apple's packaging designers, the HP box bears some similarities to Apple's packaging.
While I ended up paying a bit of a premium for a machine with a smaller and slower hard drive then the competition, it was worth it for the keyboard, screen, compact and slim design and excellent build quality.
[Update: This IECC5 AC Laptop Adapter, NEMA 5-15P to IECC5 30013 adapter is a handy item]
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51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent netbook when upgraded w 2gb and Windows 7, January 21, 2009
Hi All.
So we are quite a large family with 3 kids that all want their own laptops. What to do? Netbooks are my answer. I have already purchased and reviewed a Lenovo S10 with Windows 7 and now I bought this unit and upgraded it to 2gb ram with Windows 7.
You may be wondering if I loved the S10 then why did I try the HP...simple...I bought it at a liquidation sale and $$$ were the only thing on my mind. I got it for less then $400 with the 2gb upgrade.
I must say that I am equally impressed with this laptop. The 2gb upgrade was a breeze and installing windows 7 from a USB stick was also very very easy. Please google the windows 7 via usb stick method, it will save you from having to buy a dvd/cd drive and it works perfectly via a 4gb Sandisk Cruzer.
The box comes with the laptop, the battery, and ac-adapter. The machine comes with 1gb RAM and only has 1 slot...so if you upgrade to a 2gb SO-DIMM then you are going to lose the 1gb it includes..it gets put on the side - just in case. :-)
You may be wondering why I chose a beta operating system. Well, my opinion is that XP is dated, Vista is a Beast, and Windows 7 is a breath of fresh air. Yes Windows 7 is a BETA....and wont be released any time soon (or so they say)...but it has great power management features that work perfectly on a netbook. This machine scored a whopping 3.5 out of 5.5 on the ratings panel..and I believe the low score is due to the Atom processor being 1.6. The memory, hard drive, video, etc was all around the 5 mark.... For those that dont know...windows vista and windows 7 have a hardware rating that they give to all machines....
This particular unit is for my 11 year old son in 6th grade. He wants something that he can play online games with, do homework with, and check the schools website for study guides etc.... Simple stuff.
I have loaded Office 2007 on the system and it works without a flaw. Speed is not an issue and sometimes I wonder if it is necessary to spend thousands of dollars on a high powered machine like I have done with my Thinkpad... Yes the screen is 10"...that is my only issue thus far..but you can get used to it, for once you pick this thing up and say "MAN this is LITE...." :-) We have used Microsoft Word and Excel regularly no issues.
Wireless performance is perfect...no dropouts and no issues getting connected.
Windows 7 found all of the drivers for this laptop, which I must say is amazing....and really helpful. No fiddling around with trying to find latest and greatest drivers...it just works. Windows 7 also has great power savings features for these machines....ie the hibernation which I have never had 100% success with....well 7 makes it work. On a netbook when you close the lid the machine hibernates...press the power and it resumes to where you left off.
I can keep going on and on.....
Others have complained about some proprietary HP stuff...but I have one question to all that buy a Netbook.....what are you trying to achieve?
If you need a laptop that can handle all basic and some advanced functions and you dont care about having a plethora of connections (ie. more then 2 usb ports) then this machine is for you. If you need a lot of connectors and bells and whistles...buy a full size machine.
The only gripe I have..and its not major...is that the headphone and microphone are on the same jack.....which is easily overcome buy using a usb based headset...
Thats it....I hope you like my review.
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58 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Close, but still some glaring disadvantages, December 15, 2008
I had the opportunity to test this netbook for a weekend, after borrowing it from a friend.
The above review is excellent, but I'd like to add/reiterate a few important details.
1. Despite having a larger screen, the video resolution is actually lower than that of the HP netbook predecessor, the HP 2133. The HP 2133 has 1280x768 resolution. This netbook has the typical 1024x600 netbook resolution. That is a big disappointment, and a downgrade despite the larger screen.
2. The audio in/out port is a major flaw. You cannot hook headphones and a microphone in at the same time, because there is just one port! As I expected to use this netbook with skype, this was a major disappointment that is not an issue with competitors. You can, however, use the HP's built-in mic and plug headphones into the single audio port, but people I was chatting with found there was a lot of extra background noise that wouldn't have been there with a traditional headset mic.
3. The proprietary HP HP Mini Mobile Drive port for additional memory is a disappointment. HP has a habit of making such things proprietary, and charging through the nose for such additions, and it's too bad. Beware of this.
4. The case is now plastic, rather than the rugged aluminum on the 2133 model. This makes it lighter, but less impressive.
5. The webcam does not work well, unless you have a LOT of light.
6. The hinge system is different than on the 2133. It doesn't bend back quite as far. This might be an issue for taller people wanting to place the computer in their lap.
7. This netbook runs borderline hot. Not as hot as the VIA model from HP, but certainly hotter than most Atom netbooks I've played with.
Otherwise, there are lots of things to love about this little machine, as mentioned in the other review.
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