HP Launches Mini-Note ULPC for Education

The HP 2133 Mini-Note takes many cues from its ULPC predecessors, but adds an anodized aluminum shell and other tougher materials for kid-proofing.

Rumors of a ultra-low-cost PC from HP have drifted around on the Web since February, but on Tuesday, HP finally firmed up its ultra-mobile offering by taking the wraps off the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC. Designed primarily for education, the low-cost machine offers light weight and a toughened-up design to tailor it to kids.

Much like similar offerings in the ULPC category dominated by the Asus Eee, the Mini-Note weighs in at about 2.5 pounds and offers an 8.9-inch screen. HP hasn’t officially announced what’s under the hood of the new notebook, but two Amazon.com product pages indicate both a 1.2GHz version with a conventional 120GB hard drive, and a 1.0GHz version with a 4GB SSD. Both machines use the VIA C7-M processor, which has practically become the de facto standard for low-cost notebooks.

Since its intended for kids, HP also beefed up the 2133 with a handful of durability features to help it withstand use and abuse.  Unlike the usual plastic shell on other ULPCs, the 2133 gets a full anodized aluminum shell, plus clear-coated “DuraKeys,” a scratch-resistant screen, magnesium hinge bracket, and HP’s 3D DriveGuard, which detects falls and shuts down the hard drive before impact.

Other features include an integrated VGA webcam, a choice of three- or six-cell battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Absolute Software’s Computrace package as an option to help track down stolen laptops.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC will sell for $499 in its least expensive configuration, and will launch later this month.