The HP Mini 5102 is the latest business and education-focused netbook from Hewlett Packard. It has a higher starting price than most netbooks, at $399 and up. But it also comes with a number of features that you won’t find on most netbooks, including:

  • All-metal chassis with anodized aluminum and light weight magnesium alloy
  • 7200RPM hard drive (or high speed SSD)
  • Accelerometer and HP Drive Guard software that shuts off the hard drive in the event of a fall to prevent damage
  • Spill resistant keyboard
  • HP DuraKey finish which helps the keys hold up against wear
  • 2MP webcam
  • Ability to open the RAM access panel without a screwdriver

The laptop also includes facial recognition software, quick start software, and an application for synchronizing data with your primary PC. And that’s just what you get in the cheapest model. The HP Mini 5102 also comes with a variety of configuration options, including an optional handle, touchscreen display, HD display, Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, and 3G modem. You can also choose from a variety of operating systems including FreeDOS, SUSE Linux, Windows XP Home or Professional, or Windows 7 Starter, Home Premium, or Professional.

OK, now that the basics are out of the way, here’s the skinny on the demo unit that HP just sent me to review. It has Windows 7 Professional, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and a capacitive touchscreen display. In the unboxing video below, you can see me fiddling unsuccessfully with the touchscreen — because I completely forgot that it’s a capacitive, multitouch display rather than a resistive screen. As such, it doesn’t recognize taps from my fingernail, but instead requires a poke with a fingertip.

I’ll be testing out the HP Mini 5102 over the next few days, and I plan to share more details. But for now, you can check out the unboxing video after the break.

I should probably point out that the touchscreen model I’m reviewing is not available as a “Smart Buy” option, which means you’ll have to pay a pretty hefty premium to get the touchscreen if you order the Mini 5102 from the HP web site. But it’s available for lower (and negotiable) prices for business and education customers placing bulk orders.

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9 replies on “Unboxing the HP Mini 5102 – Video”

  1. I posted the following comment last week about the processor upgrade…thought I would re-post…

    Unfortunately I think the 12% for 5102 has expired already so you would be looking at a near $700 configured netbook. I actually just tested a 5102 configured with a touchscreen after they accidentally sent me my canceled order.

    I have to warn others, the touch screen is capacitive but (in my opinion) it isn’t a very responsive one. Not nearly as seamless as an iphone in terms of its “feel”. It seams to cut in and out when doing page swipes or scrolling in firefox. I had to really be dead center on links ect. for it to read the input. My experience with the T91MT wasnt like this (however it was a resistive screen)

    Also the fan does run constantly and at pitch that you can hear definitely hear in a quiet room or even with the TV on. For me that is a deal breaker.

  2. That HP site is a nighmare! I choose multitouch but then it ‘red flags’ because three questiosn before it asks me what color case I want as if SOMEHOW THAT MATTERS in the grand scheme of things!!!

    As usual HP puts the cart before pony, and then just grabs your money purse and runs away giggling knowing they fleeced you for the cart, the pony and the tack.

  3. That Durafinish stuff is worthless. I bought a Mininote at launch (and love the rest of the keyboard) but in less than 18 months the Durafinish started flaking off. This stuff is not like normal paint or dye. Once a tiny hole develops, the finish starts sloughing off in large chunks. Every month I need to place a think layer of clear nail polish over the affected keys. I’ve never had a keyboard go out that fast.

    1. Seems to me that there is enough materials science/manufacturing knowledge in the world to make betters keys for computers. Maybe, white letters injected in to black keys and black letters injected into white keys, so you simply can’t wear off the letters off.

      God forbid it cost more then 1/500 of a cent to make a keyboard key!!!!

    2. True dat! My 2133 keys flaked off in about a year of ownership. The keyboard of my Mini 210 has been much more durable, while the whole machine cost much less.

  4. i am thinking about to buy this netbook. it has some nice features, but its a pitty that i can´t order the broadcom crystal hd “and” the 3g option…i just want to be indepentent, but without a struggling video playback 🙁 …

    @brad will you check out the video playback on 720p videos? do your device comes with the broadcom hd card? thx

    1. My device does not have the broadcom card. And the reason you can’t get both
      is because the laptop has a single PCIe slot. There’s only room for one or
      the other.

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