December-18-2009 2 COMMENTS
Product DescriptionThe ultimate accessory, the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition features a striking design inspired by a blend of Asian and Western cultures, antiquity and modernity, fashion and technology. Includes a Vivienne Tam carrying sleeve. Wireless mobile broadband use requires separately purchased service contract. Check with service provider for coverage area and availability in your area. Main Features:HP Mini 1099EA Vivienne Tam Edition Notebook PCIntel Atom (N270) 1. 6GHz . . . More >>
December 18th, 2009 at 6:59 am
I couldn’t resist the beauty of this netbook and finally decided to get it. I was mesmerised by it as soon as I opened the box: the lacquered look of the Peony print is so lovely.
I was soon worried about a random clicking sound coming, it seemed, from the hard drive. After spending days exchanging mails with HP customer services and having long conversations on the phone, it was arranged for them to pick up the laptop and change the hard drive. They gave it back to me within a week but it’s still clicking. Granted, the noise is different: now it’s a single clicking noise rather than a double. Still very irritating. So I went to a shop to look at a demo unit and it was doing exactly the same noise. It seems I am going to have to live with it.
One thing this laptop is very good at is picking up wi-fi signals. Where other people struggle, I always have a signal and I don’t get disconnected. This is rather important for a netbook.
The size makes it very portable but a 10″ screen is a little small for serious work. I also miss an optical drive more than I thought I would.
To conclude, I am going to keep it and use it when portability is essential (short business trips and week-ends away) but I am saving to buy a 13″ laptop with optical drive as well. It won’t be HP.
I have given three stars because it is so gorgeous and the wi-fi capability is outstanding. But I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a friend.
Rating: 3 / 5
December 18th, 2009 at 7:00 am
I bought this notebook from QVC at a much higher price than Amazon. I thought it looked wonderful on TV, but wasn’t prepared for how beautiful it is when it arrived. It has a red satin carry bag, a matching wireless mouse and is the easiest thing to get started.
It’s speed of connection is astonishing and unlike the other reviewer, it is totally silent – no clicking, so hers must be faulty. The keyboard is like a child’s paintbox, not plasticky, but rather like enamel, and the speaker is a lovely soft gold metal like brass. It feels robust and well-made. I also have a superb Samsumg huge laptop for my home office, but this one I use in the kitchen, or in bed, or it even fits in a large pocket of my coat when on a walk with the dogs. I can sit down in a meadow and deal with my emails amongst the buttercups. It is light and easy to carry in one hand and so incredibly pretty that everybody I know (females) wants one with a passion. I can fit it in my glove compartment of my car, and I love, love, love it. I agree it is not for spreadsheets or huge projects, but for emails, web searches, photo viewing, and letters it is fantastic.
The start-up is really quick, and because of it’s lovely feeling keyboard – such a welcome change from the cheap plastic feel of so many – it is always a pleasure to use. I am a writer, so I can jot down thoughts where ever I am. I can print out wirelessly on it too. This is not a technical review as you can read all that data on the spec, but it’s quick, easy, efficient, and a total joy to use. I have ben using computers since 1984 – 25 years -and I know what is a really wonderful product. There are many other tiny 10″ notebooks around, but none will give the all-round pleasure of this one.
Rating: 5 / 5