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HP has been making netbooks for almost as long as anybody. HP’s earliest netbooks included sturdy aluminum cases and premium features like an accelerometer that shuts down the hard drive to prevent damage in the event of a fall. Late last year HP started producing cheaper, more consumer-oriented netbooks. But the company hasn’t given up on the idea of netbooks with premium features, and the latest is the HP Mini 5101.

I just received a review unit from HP, with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 6 cell, 55Whr battery, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB 7200rpm hard drive. This is the model that sells for $425. It has 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, Windows XP Home, and a light weight magnesium alloy chassis.

You can also customize the netbook to include a high resolution 1366 x 768 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, a larger hard drive, a fast 80GB or 120GB SSD, and SUSE Linux, but most of those options will cost you extra — even the Linux option, because the customizable versions of the HP Mini 5101 cost more than the pre-configured models which start at $399.

I’ll be testing out the HP Mini 5101 over the next few days and hope to have a detailed review soon. In the meantime, you can check out the unboxing video after the break.