Netbooks Heaven

HP Mini 311

Jan 11, 2010 Netbooks

The HP Mini 311 is an entertainment netbook computer that hails from HP’s Mini series. It has an 11.6 inch HD diagonal display that is able perform 1080p HD content playback. The HP Mini 311 is available in two colours; black swirl and white swirl. Its lid sports brilliant colours that are combined with a glittery imprint. The HP Mini 311 is suitable for business usage as a uniquely simple, mobile internet companion. Other features include simplified daily PC activities and integrated HP QuickSync software which lets you sync files, photos and videos with your primary PC when connected to the same network. Besides that, the HP Mini 311 also offers easy access to e-mail, instant messaging, video chat, social networking, shopping and banking.

Specifications
The HP Mini 311 is able to operate on a genuine Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3 operating system or even a genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit operating system. It operates on an Intel Atom Processor N270 of 1.60 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB and also an NVIDIA ION Graphics card that has the ability to support 1080p full HD playback. Besides that, the HP Mini 311 also comes with 1 GB of system memory that utilizes DDR3 technology. In terms of storage, the HP Mini 311comes with a built-in SATA hard disk drive that has a capacity of 160 GB and a speed of 7200 RPM. There is also an HD LED BrightView Widescreen display that measures 11.6 inches diagonally with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. In addition to that, the HP Mini 311 also has a built-in HP Mini Web camera situated right above its display screen. Not only that, the HP Mini 311 also includes a Wireless-G Card for wireless compatibilities with 802.11 b/g networks. In terms of input methods, the HP Mini 311 also incorporates an HP Colour Matching Keyboard that is near full size (92%). The HP Mini 311 is powered by a 6-cell lithium-ion battery that can provide up to 6.25 hours of battery life based on typical usage. Alternatively, it can also be powered via direct current using the provided AC adapter of 65 W. In addition to that, the HP Mini 311 also comes pre-installed with Microsoft Works 9.0. There is also a 5-in-1 integrated digital media reader for convenience sake as well as memory expansion. In terms of ports, the HP Mini 311 has three USB 2.0 ports, RJ 45 LAN, VGA and an HDMI port. As for audio features, the HP Mini 311 incorporates built-in Altec Lansing stereo speakers. The HP Mini 311 measures 11.4 in x 8.03 in x 0.78 in (front) ~ 1.20 in (back) (L x W x H) in dimension and weighs approximately 3.26 lbs. Besides that, the HP Mini 311 is also ENERGY STAR qualified. In addition to that, there is also an integrated 10/ 100 BASE-T Ethernet LAN network card. The HP Mini 311 comes under a one year limited hardware support warranty as well as 30-days free limited software support. In terms of pre-installed security software, the HP Mini 311 includes a 60-day subscription for Norton Internet Security.

Reviews

“The HP Mini 311 is an attractive, affordable, and portable computer. If you’re looking for a low cost system that can play modern video games with 3D graphics, this may be your best bet at the moment. But while the HP Mini 311 is strong in the graphics department, it’s weaker than the average netbook in most other areas.” (LiliPuting, 2009)

“HP’s Mini 311 adds a larger, high-definition display and advanced graphics to a basic Netbook, while keeping the price very appealing. Once it starts shipping with Windows 7, this could become our favorite Netbook.” (CNET, 2009)

“The HP Mini 311 is the latest and greatest in the carrier-subsidized netbook offerings we’ve seen, and besides its small size, this netbook comes closest in performance to what we’d expect from a larger, more expensive notebook. With the NVIDIA Ion graphics chipset driving the machine, it was capable of handling higher quality video and even online games better than any other netbook we’ve seen. Plus, instead of the tired old Windows XP operating system, the HP Mini 311 now runs Windows 7 Home Premium, a full-fledged OS with a great user interface that’s more polished and reliable than its predecessor. It still suffers from the problems that plague portable computers this size. The processor, even with the enhanced graphics support, couldn’t deliver on the promise of 1080p video, and when tasks piled up, the limited RAM and underpowered Intel Atom chip could stutter and fail. There’s no optical drive, which makes it difficult to actually load the games that will show off the NVIDIA Ion, though you can buy an external drive from HP. Storage and RAM are a bit anemic, and the trackpad is absolutely tiny. We even experienced a full system failure during our tests, though HP includes some solid backup software and desktop synchronization options to get things moving again in a hurry. In the end, though, if you were looking for a netbook with a ubiquitous WWAN option, there isn’t a better subsidized option than the HP Mini 311.” (InfoSyncWorld, 2009)