We have just heard that Verizon Wireless in partnership with Hewlett Packard are about to launch their first ever Netbook, the HP Mini 1151NR, which will start appearing in retail stores from May 17th.
Verizon Wireless, whose headquarters are located in New Jersey, is the largest wireless carrier in the USA and runs the largest wireless telecommunications network in the country.
California based Hewlett Packard, usually referred to as HP, is the largest computer company in the world.
We’re well used to hearing about new Netbooks nowadays as companies are eager to grab a share of the rising demand for Netbooks, so what will this latest offering by two giants in the industry have in store for us?
From all accounts it’s a pretty basic Netbook, really nothing fancy about it at all. It has a 10.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 576, an Intel 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB RAM, and runs on Windows XP.
The device also sports 80GB (4200 RPM) Hard Drive, a keyboard that is 92% of full size and it has a vertical scroll touch pad with on off button.
Ports include a 2 in 1 digital media reader, 2 USB ports, headphone and microphone port, LAN and notebook expansion port. Complete with a 3 cell battery, the whole thing weighs in at 2.45 pounds.
As I said, there is nothing there to raise your eyebrows so the key point here has got to be the cost.
At the moment we have no idea what you will be expected to pay for it but the rumours are that it will be around the $200 mark with a two year contract alongside a mail in rebate.
Now this at first glance can look like an attractive deal as $200 for a Netbook isn’t really too bad. However, as with other wireless carriers who subsidise the cost of Netbooks, you will also have to take out a contract for Internet access.
So, when you add up the total cost of the Netbook and the monthly subscriptions over two years the cost of the HP 1151NR rises significantly.
I guess you have to ask yourself if it is worth it to you, or could you maybe find a better deal elsewhere. Let’s face it, there’s no shortage of Netbooks on offer at the moment.
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