HP Mini has arrived

[Blog Post] HP Mini up and running

Finally I have my new HP Mini fully up and running. It took a few days to configure for running in the work environment and with wireless broadband (internal no less) and VPN but I used it for the commute home last evening and am now returning to work with it. It may cut down my reading time as it does appear easier to whip out and start using than my previous laptop. It also does not take up valuable leg room when other people are seated in front of me.

I guess I should divert for a moment and describe one of my idiosyncrasies for commuting. I always try to get a seat at the front or back of the train car where there are seats that face one another. Most of the times two people sit caddy-corner and only when the train is very full do people sit facing one another. I choose this as I feel a little claustrophobic sitting in the seats that are front to back. Since I have to commute every day I try to do things that make it a little easier to endure.

Anyhow, so far I like the new netbook. The size is great, the weight pretty light at just over 2 pounds and the screen doesn't appear too tiny. It is a high resolution screen so the images and letters are quite crisp so you don't seem to miss a larger screen. Seeing as how I wanted to minimize size and weight and maximize battery life, having the smallest screen possible was a key consideration. This one is just over 10 inches so seems to be the right choice.

Another thing I like about the Mini is the internal wireless broadband card. I have enjoyed wireless broadband service from Verizon as I can get a strong connection all the way up the Northeast Corridor from Trenton to NYC. I can even get strong connection through the tunnel where AT&T on my iPhone always fails. One thing I didn't like about wireless broadband was the card off the side. I had stayed with a PCMCIA card as it was less obtrusive than the newer USB mounted devices. Having delicate electronic devices hanging off the side of a mobile computer seemed to be asking for trouble. The internal broadband on the Mini seems to fit the bill.

I am going to close this journal entry for this morning an turn to more mundane activities like reading the new Wired magazine. I still hope for a Kindle version of that magazine soon as I would like to continue my departure from paper in most of its forms. I have broken away from Book 1.0 for the most part and have stopped reading Newspaper 1.0 favoring iPhone news services. I hope that 2010 can be the year I depart from paper in most of its forms and uses.

Thanks for listening and have a great day.