You would have to search far and wide to find a netbook that could actually compete with the HP Mini 1010NR. You won’t find any better. Many of the specs are the same as those found on machines from other manufacturers but the Mini 1010NR stands out of the crowd in several ways.

The Main Characteristics

HP 1010 NR

The processor is the fairly standard (but still impressive) Intel Atom 1.6GHz CPU. The 8.9 inch (diagonal) screen offers 1024 x 600 WSFVA resolution running off an Intel GMA 950 Dynamic Video Memory card with 64MB of graphics RAM. The standard hard drive is the same as you can find in others: an 8GB Solid State. The default memory size is 512MB.

Beyond those familiar specs are some extras that put this minibook an inch ahead of the competition. The memory is the most notable. Some netbooks allow an extra DIMM to bring the system up to 1GB - the HP 1010NR can hold up to 2GB. For a unit some people like to call a laptop, this would be considered pretty impressive.

It also contains an integrated notebook camera, 802.11b/g WLAN Wi-Fi, and compact dimensions of 10.3″ (width) x 6.56″ (depth) x 1″ (high). It is also comfortably on the low end of weight at 2.23lbs.

Built-In Extras and Battery

There are expansion slots for an SD card, USB flash drives, a MultiMedia card, and more. Bluetooth support is built-in of course. The battery lasts about 2-3 hours depending on screen brightness, Wi-Fi use, and more but there is an optional multi-hour battery if you really want to add some extra weight (about 0.5 lb) and bulk on the back.

That may well be worth it if you really want to get cranking on some applications. The system on the HP Mini 1010NR will run Microsoft Office 2007 just fine, especially if you opt for additional memory. Open Office will provide even better results for most users. The system comes with some pre-installed programs such as Windows XP Home Edition, MS Works, MS Office Home and Student Edition 60-day trial, and a few HP-exclusive add-ons like Recovery Manager and Total Care Advisor.

Many netbooks work well with Word and Excel (or Writer/Calc, the Open Office alternatives). But there are some that suffer some serious problems if it comes to Powerpoint (or Impress). The 1010NR does just fine with that, giving it an edge in this area, as well.

The smaller screen might not be the best platform for creating full-blown graphical presentations especially if you plan to show some cool animations. But for checking the final results on the road or before a meeting, the HP Mini comes in pretty handy.

Like the competing models, email and web surfing are no problem at all. Thanks to the wireless support and the Brightview graphics feature, access and readability are outstanding on this little powerhouse. You experience that the keyboard allows you to type normally. You won’t have to relearn any automated skills with this netbook.

Final Thoughts

HP came a long way with its laptop line in recent years and this latest smaller cousin shows the benefits from that experience. Find it out for yourself and see why the HP Mini 1010NR is one of their finest efforts.