The HP Mini 5102 uses the Intel Atom N450 processor and starts at $415.

HP Mini 5102 Video Tour and First Impressions:

After using the HP Mini 5102 for 3 days I can definitely agree that it is a level, or three, above my old HP Mini 1000. Not only is battery life significantly longer, the 95% full size keyboard is much more usable and the aluminum case looks and feels good.

The case is made of aluminum and a magnesium alloy to add durability and reduce weight. The keys on the wonderful keyboard are coated with HP’s Durakey finish which gives them a 50% longer life when it comes to wear. This means you won’t see the lettering rub off of heavily used keys during the life of the netbook.

There are a few other cool options for the HP Mini 5102 like a multi-touch gesture supporting touch screen, handle for easy carrying and integrated mobile broadband; but our model was not equipped with these.

Our model does have HP QuickWeb and QuickLook software for fast access to the web and a fast look at your email and calendar respectively. This works nice and is an easy way to quickly check something.  Now that HP has purchased HyperSpace and WebOS we may see more HP notebooks and netbooks shipping with these features.

While I am overall impressed with the form factor and processing power of the Intel Atom N470 processor, the screen resolution and mousepad leave me wanting. The HP Mini 5102 model I am reviewing only supports up to 1024×600 resolution, instead of 1366×7668 which is becoming increasingly popular, and the mousepad is rather small for extended use. Thankfully, there is a HD version of the HP Mini 5102 which supports the higher resolution and a bluetooth mouse can fill in on extended length sessions.

We also have the new HP Mini 210 consumer netbook in for review and will be putting it to the test over the next couple of weeks. When we share the full review of the HP Mini 5102 I will include more insight on how it compares to the consumer model and to the HP Mini 1000 which I own. If you have questions please leave them in the comments.

HP Mini 5102 Specifications as Tested:

• CPU: Intel Atom N450, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB
• Storage: 160 GB, 7,200 rpm
• Display: 10.1-inch, 1024×600 (a 1366×768 hi-res option is available)
• Ports: 3xUSB 2.0, VGA out, audio in, audio out, power, RJ-45, SD/MMC slot
• Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Webcam: 2 megapixel
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter
• Battery: 6-cell, rated at 10 hours and 4 cell rated at 4.5 hours
• Dimensions and weight: 10.3 x 7.09 x 0.98 inches, 2.64 lbs.

HP Mini 5102 Business Class Netbook First Impressions is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

I’m really excited that this was fixed, as I lug my lovely Vivienne Tam around everywhere and don’t have to rely on another for video chats. And after all, us fashionistas always do like to look our best.

If you recently purchased a HP Mini 1000, you can try removing the film on your own. But be careful as you don’t want to scratch the webcam.

Update: Xavier: HP contacted us and asked us to take down the video and we agreed to do so because this fix may cause more harm than good. Opening up the display housing and removing the film may void the warranty. After opening up another Mini 1000 and trying this ourselves it’s clear that anyone that’s not used to working on computers can easily damage the display and webcam.

We’ve reported on this issue more than once and HP’s fully aware of the lackluster webcam performance on the Mini 1000. Notebooks.com and other blogs have raised the issue over the past couple of days and HP’s responded by assuring us of an official fix in the near future. We’ll keep you updated and hope there’s a resolution for all Mini 1000 owners facing this issue. If you have any questions, please feel free to email xavier_at_notebooks_dot_com.

HP Vivienne Tam Mini 1000 Webcam Fixed is a post by Amisha from Notebooks.com.

I’m a big fan of Vivienne Tam’s designs, whether I’m wearing them or if they’re on a computer. I think it’s great that HP is experimenting with fashion-forward designs. This goes beyond offering colors – it is bringing “fashion” into consumer electronics – or what I like to call geek chic.

Here are some pictures of Vivienne Tam and the bloggers I’ve been hanging with this week.

In New York for HP/Vivienne Tam Fashion Week Events is a post by Amisha from Notebooks.com.

I just received the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition a few days ago and was instantly impressed by the sleek red background/purple peony cover design. It came in a red box and was accompanied by a matching red mouse and shiny satin cover.

It is super light and can easily fit into my big purse. It almost looks like a small clutch at first glance and opens to a dashing red keyboard. The keyboard has a bit of glare to it and the printed letters can be hard to see, but once I started using it, I become more accustomed to it. The set-up was fairly easy and of course, there is a complimentary designer background on the monitor instead of the usual Windows background.

While I love the sleek look, as with all shiny devices, my grubby little fingerprints were showing up all over the keyboard and cover within a few minutes. It comes with a dust rag, so that will come in handy.

The satin sleeve it comes is too tight, making it quite difficult to get the device in and out of the bag. I’m going to get a cover that is a bit more sturdy and that fits properly.

The whole package fits comfortably into my purse, which I recently picked up from a boutique in Florence, Italy. I’d much rather carry a computer around like this than in a backpack or a black nylon bag.

When I pulled this out at lunch with my sister, she raved about the design and reacted to it the same way the my girlfriends did. Our friend’s little girl repeatedly asked me, “Where’s mine?”. A couple of women stopped by our table and inquired about it. One of them said she was going to buy one since it was only $700 and looked amazing.

While the design is a nice feature to have, as a girl on-the-go, the functionality will carry more weight for me in the long run. But why not have both fashion and function?

Stay tuned as we’ll take a closer look at the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition over the coming days and write a full review.

Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition: Netbook for Fashionistas is a post by Amisha from Notebooks.com.