HP Mini 1000 Mi Edition

"There are a lot of Netbooks on the market that are so similar in terms of hardware and software that manufacturers have to find other ways to differentiate them--usually with aesthetics and design. Although Netbooks started out with custom Linux shells (such as the original Asus Eee PC), the vast majority now run Windows XP. HP bucks the trend by taking the popular Mini 1000 hardware and adding to it its own sleek, custom interface--called the Mobile Internet Experience--built on the Ubuntu Linux operating system and the Gnome desktop environment.

"The HP Mini 1000 Mi (pronounced "me") Edition uses the same design as the popular Mini 1000, but it runs HP's Mobile Internet (Mi) software rather than Windows--a simplified interface that is much better than those found on other Linux Netbooks, such as the original Acer Aspire One and Asus Eee PC. The main feature of the interface is the convenience of HP's Home screen, which gives you access to e-mail, Web, music, photos, and a program launcher through multiple launch panels, rather than a traditional desktop. For an Internet appliance-style design, it's well done, but it will appeal to only a select audience. We suspect most will still want the flexibility and familiarity of Windows."

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