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ASUS Eee PC 901 vs HP 2133 Mini-Note : Clash of the (mini) Titans

Posted By Mr.Gadget Published in Laptop / Notebook

May

HP 2133 vs ASUS Eee PC 901 Image Link
More and more people are asking my opinion on which is the best ultra mobile laptop at the moment. The two that first spring to mind are the HP 2133 Mini-Note and the ASUS Eee PC. HP’s 2133 is now available in most countries whereas ASUS is coming out with an Intel Atom chip based model in a couple of weeks (ASUS Eee PC 901).

Which one is better?

Let’s compare the specs of the two little titans:
(take note that not all specs for the 901 have been made official yet - some were based the ASUS Eee PC 900)

	HP 2133 Mini-Note	ASUS Eee PC 901
OS	Windows Vista Business Linux	Windows XP Home Linux
Chipset	VIA C7-M ULV 1.6Ghz	Intel Atom 800-1.1GHz
Memory	2GB 667MHz DDR SDRAM	2GB DDR2 SDRAM
Network Support	802.11b/g WLAN Bluetooth 2.0 Gigabit E’net (10/100/1000 NIC)	802.11b/g WLAN Bluetooth 2.0 Gigabit E’net (10/100 NIC)
Disk	160GB, SATA ,5400RPM	12/20GB Solid State Drive
Display	8.9″ WXGA (1024 x 800)	8.9″ WSVGA (1024 x 600)
Battery	6-Cell 28Whr Li-ion	4-Cell Li-ion
Graphics	VIA Chrome 9	Intel UMA
Dimensions	255×165x27mm	225×170x34
Weight	1.27kg	1kg
Price	US$1000 RRP	US$650 RRP

So based on the above, the ASUS Eee 901 only has 3 things (at most) over the HP 2133 Mini-Note:
1. Intel Atom CPU : slower speed but battery optimised
2. Weight : around 30 grams
3. Price : this would be based on the 800Mhz - 1.1GHz CPU version

Personally, I would go with the HP 2133 Mini-Note mostly because of the hard disk space, nicer casing and better resolution. At this size, you want to get as much on the screen as possible. Better still would be an Intel Atom based HP 2133 Mini-Note! Bring it HP!

But who knows what ASUStek will pull out of the hat for the 901 before its official launch?

Asus Eee PC 901 to Incorporate 3.75G Connectivity (September 26th, 2008)
Sony Issues Recall for 4,000 Vaio TZ Series Laptops in Australia (September 8th, 2008)
Toshiba Releases Kickass Qosmio X300 Gaming Notebook in Australia (September 4th, 2008)
VIA Announces 10.2-inch S1 imini Mini-Note for China (September 3rd, 2008)
Mini-Notes Bundled with Broadband Plans to be a Future Norm? (August 20th, 2008)

18 Responses To This Gadget Post

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Keith Don Says, in 5-23-2008 at 16:59:12 from 203.27.38.40

Great article, keyboard is another factor in favor of the mini-note. Keys are by most reports much more useable than the shrunken keys on the eee.

Mr.Gadget Says, in 5-23-2008 at 19:09:39 from 58.165.53.141

Good point Keith!

Oh and another alternative to these, albeit more expensive, is the Dell XPS M1330 which I have been using for the last 6 months. Totally awesome portable laptop!

jkkmobile Says, in 5-23-2008 at 20:42:36 from 88.115.20.140

You should double check your specs:

901:
-should be 1.6Mhz atom
-no actual confirmation about ram
-no actual confirmation about SSD or HDD size
-4 cell 42w/hour and 6 cell 58W/hour batts

HP:
-resolution: 1280 x 768
-6 cell is 55w/hour
-1460 g with standard 6-cell battery

2. Weight : NOT around 30 grams but 0.5kg = 500 grams = 50% more

Mr.Gadget Says, in 5-24-2008 at 15:17:13 from 58.170.199.140

Thanks for the clarifications JK. Confirmed specs on the 901 were a little scant last time I looked. As per my comment, for the attributes that were not confirmed I used the 900 specs.

What was your source in regards to the 1.6GHz Atom?

Lynn Shapiro Says, in 5-26-2008 at 19:41:13 from 61.66.243.96

Dear Mr. Gadget,

I am sure this is just a typo, or copy and paste error, but the CPU in the HP-2133 is NOT an
Intel VIA C7-M UL 1.6Ghz.

It is a VIA C7-M ULV 1.6 Ghz.

We hope you can correct this.

With kind regards,
Lynn Shapiro
Marketing Dept.
VIA Technologies Taiwan
LynnShapiro@via.com.tw

Mr.Gadget Says, in 5-26-2008 at 20:50:32 from 124.180.25.253

Hello Lynn,

Thank you for visiting and pointing out this mistake. Look above it’s fixed

Keep up the great work!

Regards,
Arnold aka Mr.Gadget

Jon Says, in 6-4-2008 at 11:23:11 from 62.172.143.205

Ive read alot of bad things about the VIA processor used, also about the graphics. that neither perform as well as the intel (even with its lower speed).

Is this just intel trying to slander the competition or is there really a difference?

Mike Says, in 6-9-2008 at 01:01:25 from 24.36.196.75

“only 3 things” ??? are you kidding ? the sole reason I started looking at the eee style of computer was because of the physical robustness. I travel a lot and any computer with a delicate hard drive will quickly become an expensive paper weight. For travellers, the choice between a computer with a conventional hardrive and one with no moving parts, is obvious. When people compare laptops, there should be a qualifier for those that only use it on their desk.

Mr.Gadget Says, in 6-9-2008 at 19:07:35 from 144.131.162.76

Mike I have had around 7 laptops in the last 4 years and none have had “delicate hard drives”. These ranged from Apple, Alienware, Toshiba, Acer and now Dell. I have travelled nationally and overseas many times with each. If sensitive harddrives was a major issue I would have included that as a factor but I don’t believe it is.

Give me 160GB HDD over 20GB SSD anyday.

rain Says, in 6-12-2008 at 20:23:48 from 59.167.153.182

Sorry but this is all wrong. The 901’s specs have recently surfaced;

-Intel Atom 1.6 GHZ with Super Hybrid Engine enabling it the be overclocked to 1.8GHZ or underclocked to 1.4GHZ

-1GB of RAM, one extra slot for an additional 1GB

-8.9″ screen - same as the 900

-6 Cell battery lasting from 4.2 hours to 7.8

-20GB SSD (16+4) for Linux, and 12GB (8+4) SSD for XP

-Bluetooth and Wireless as standard

These are the official specs, a WiMax Eee is in talks right now.

Mr.Gadget Says, in 6-12-2008 at 21:12:09 from 144.131.171.246

Rain, at the time of writing those were the details available. We posted again with the official details more than a week ago. See here

Rex Alfie Lee Says, in 6-17-2008 at 23:42:11 from 203.164.135.76

The hard drive may give you more space but will slow access to data by incremental factors. Watching XP load up on the Eee on both the hard drive & SSD versions on YouTube showed a slow down that took twice as long for the hard drive. Access to the hard drive would also mean battery consumption that is far higher than the SSD version.
As far as the VIA graphics processor I can’t really say but from what I’ve heard the VIA’s processor doesn’t compare with the Atom which is just a miniaturised version of the Intel Core Duo. It also runs Intel’s weird version of threading. The reason I say that is more than likely the graphics chip uses a modified version or the processor.

Rex Alfie Lee Says, in 6-17-2008 at 23:47:26 from 203.164.135.76

Just a little note on what I know from running the 900 with the 900MHz processor, that I have Eclipse IDE running on it under XP. That is amazing in itself. I would have preferred the Linux version but Myer won’t be providing it & it was wanted now for my wife who can’t carry heavy stuff & the Eee is under a kilo.
I’ll be getting the 901 Linux version when it comes here to Oz.

stephenG Says, in 6-25-2008 at 09:07:36 from 121.45.87.219

Not sure what you mean by “Gigabit Eâ€™net (10/100 NIC)”. Is it Gig or not?

Joe Green Says, in 6-27-2008 at 17:18:32 from 134.244.3.56

This whole comparison is flawed. These are two very different beasts with two very different purposes. What’s more, the HP is nearly 50% more expensive than the Asus. Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice. (Windows vs Linux? No contest.)

I reckon I’ll wait for the 901 to arrive and then buy a 900. The arrival of the 900 pushed the 700’s price right down so I’m hoping for a repeat effect!

Joe Green Says, in 6-27-2008 at 17:19:34 from 134.244.3.56

(Correction: *more* than 50% more expensive!)

Rich Says, in 8-11-2008 at 06:39:45 from 86.144.57.136

I can’t believe that HP haven’t upgraded the 2133 already. If I was the boss of the company I would have had an Atom Chip in the 2133 along with a 40G SDD ages ago. It serves them right that they are lagging well behind the competition. A big company like HP should have acted right away to the competition. The 2133 is the best looking UMPC but the worst machine. HP, you’re a bunch of stupid idiots!

Mr.Gadget Says, in 8-12-2008 at 09:29:51 from 203.58.120.11

@Rich harsh…