Available as a US$25 upgrade

Apr 6, 2009 14:55 GMT  ·  By

Palo Alto, California-based HP has recently updated the configuration options of its Atom-based Mini 2140 netbook PC, providing users with a choice for a 720p HD screen. The new display option has been expected for a few days now, and comes as a noteworthy improvement for the company's Mini-Note PC. With the new option, the Mini 2140 can better compete with the Dell Inspiron Mini 10, which will soon receive an HD display option, according to a series of leaked slides detailing the company's netbook roadmap.

Users looking forward to purchasing a new HP Mini 2140 will be glad to know that this small 10-inch netbook can be equipped with a 1366 x 768 HD display, an option that will require $25 to upgrade. That is lower than the $35 you'll have to pay for the same option on Dell's Inspiron Mini 10, although the starting price of the Mini 2140 is higher than that of Dell's 10-inch netbook.

Unfortunately, with the new display option, the system doesn't get any hardware upgrades, meant to enable the netbook to better handle HD-content. Such an option could become available in the form of a new HP Mini-note PC that will be powered by NVIDIA's highly anticipated Ion platform. The move would be somewhat to be expected, given that HP has made a name for itself by collaborating with both Intel and VIA on their line of Mini-Note PCs.

As some of you probably already know, the Mini 2140 is designed with a similar chassis as the VIA-powered Mini Note 2133. However, the system is built with Intel's highly successful Atom N270 processor, being a direct competitor to other 9-inch netbooks on the market, such as the first Aspire One or ASUS' Eee PC 900 and 901.