HP Mini 5103: Looking at the Dual-Core Atom N550
by Jarred Walton on December 17, 2010 1:05 PM ESTHP Mini 5103 LCD
The LCD is one of the toughest things to evaluate on this particular netbook. We know many people are looking for better than WSVGA (1024x600) resolution on netbooks, and here we have exactly that. You also get a multi-touch display as a potential bonus, but my experience with this particular display was less than ideal. Now we get to the actual numbers using hardware measurements, and the results don’t necessarily jive with my subjective impression. For one, the touch surface really adds an undesirable “sparkle” effect that the numbers just don’t reflect. Another point of contention is the colors; the 52.2% gamut actually puts it quite a bit higher than netbooks like the 5102, 1001P, etc. but it just doesn’t look that great. A lot of that probably goes back to the contrast ratio, however, where we measure less than 200:1 yet again, among the worst scores in our recent history—and joined by the HP Mini 311 and 5102.
Ultimately, this is just one particular LCD we’re evaluating, and it’s not even an option on the HP site anymore. The resolution is a nice change of pace, but everywhere else the LCD falls short. If you really like touchscreen interfaces, it might suit you well, and it might show up on the configurator again in the future. We just wish more laptop LCDs—yes, even LCDs on inexpensive netbooks—could look more like the ASUS 1001P or the MacBook Pro 13.
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damianrobertjones - Saturday, December 18, 2010 - link
P.s. Having the APple macbook pro at the top of nearly every chart will probably take sales away from the other oem's. I bet they cannot be pleased by this!ProDigit - Saturday, December 18, 2010 - link
Why would you guys include a Corei and core2duo processor in the benchmark, this is just ridiculous!JarredWalton - Saturday, December 18, 2010 - link
ULV processors compete in the same power space, at least in theory, and Apple manages substantially better battery life (under OS X at least), plus we wanted to show some other IGP solutions.Lord 666 - Saturday, December 18, 2010 - link
Dual core AMD and discrete video ATI 4225JarredWalton - Sunday, December 19, 2010 - link
You do realize that in terms of performance, the Toshiba T235D is the exact laptop configuration you're requesting? Sure, the HP build quality and other aspects would be different, but the performance should be unchanged (K625 dual-core plus HD 4225).Lord 666 - Monday, December 20, 2010 - link
No, was not aware of that. Thank you for the responseJamahl - Sunday, December 19, 2010 - link
I think this is a sneaky attempt by intel to make people totally sick of netbooks before brazos arrives. What a pile of horse $@#%Ethaniel - Sunday, December 19, 2010 - link
HP can have a wild sense of humor, and 700 bucks for "this" proves it. And the Atom, well, I remember the fact that the old Celeron ULV (fully-clocked) used on the first models of the EeePC could beat the crap out of the Atom. It doesn't matter if it had a revision or if it's a dual core now: It's the same lousy chip. Intel couldn't use it in MIDs because MIDs were a fail. And they can't use it on a phone because it's still too hot and inefficient. ET's cartridges were dumped in the desert. Well, netbooks are the "desert" were Intel can dump the Atoms, and make money in the process.LostBeacon - Monday, December 20, 2010 - link
I've owned the similiar HP Mini 210-2000 since October, and it is much better than the 5103 for about $200 less It has the N550 dual-core CPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 250 GB 7200 rpm HD, 802.11n, BT, 6-cell 72wh battery (no protruding bump), 1366x720 display, Intel 3150 GMA with Crystal HD video accellerator (onboard chip), Windows 7 Home Premium-32 bit. Build quality is excellent, no problem with HD playback, and bettery life is more than 7 hours (rated 10+).,and good chicklet keyboard. Base price was $329,as configured $510..voltronnn - Monday, December 20, 2010 - link
Every single time.. without fail... come the few who have to proclaim... spluttering.. that netbooks are not powerful enough, blah blah.
I own about a half dozen pc's, laptops and a netbook.
The netbook is not as powerful as the pc's or the laptops
Its not supposed to be
I use it for browsing the internet
oh and watching some NON-HD videos..
and when I am on the couch watching tv to order some xmas present..
and when I am out in the sunshine
and when I am on the train on a 5 hour journey..
in fact I've ended up using it more than the other pc's put
together
Because..
its small, light, portable, cheap and has a long battery..
My desktop and laptops do not have ANY of these features
If you are a gaming enthusiast and cannot deal with the fact that a 300 euro netbook cannot play GTA4 at the highest settings, or that you can't watch your HD videos while running a virus check while running 3Dmark06.. then.. don't.. get... one.
Small, light, portable, long battery life - try to understand.. jesus