All HP ProBook laptops pursue a flat, ultra-slim, boxy look and feel that is both stylish and functional. The HP Mini 5102 looks like an HP ProBook laptop complete with a flat brushed gray metal cover with rounded corners. The only difference is its size with its 10.1-inch LED-backlit display and ultra-portable chassis. Lifting the lid reveals a very nice corporate black bezel with a glossy surface finish. HP has also ported its raised-island, or chiclet-style, keyboard somewhat to the HP Mini 5102, which is comfortable to use and highly accurate. The touchpad is simple and standard, although it doesn’t support multiple gestures. Build quality is fairly solid with very little flex thanks to the metal chassis, but it feels heavier than the netbook’s actual 2.64 pounds.
With an Intel Atom N450 processor and 1 GB of DDR2 memory, the HP Mini 5102 offers the same performance as most netbooks. A 160 GB 7200 RPM hard drive and a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display round out the other components. The netbook offers an integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics solution, while the 10.1-inch display offers resolutions of 1024 x 600 pixels. The netbook connects via Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and also supports Bluetooth 2.1. It offers a choice between a 4-cell battery that keeps the netbook slim and trim, and a 6-cell battery that sticks out a bit at the back. Other connections include three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, an Ethernet LAN port, and a multi-card reader.
The performance of the HP Mini 5102 is to be expected from a netbook powered by Intel Atom N450, as it can handle most office applications, write emails and browse the Internet. It can play movies and music quite well, but it can’t handle anything other than 480p HD movies. Audio quality on the built-in speakers is minimal at best, so get yourself a pair of headphones for the netbook and you’ll be fine. When using the 6-cell battery, the netbook gets an incredible eight hours and 50 minutes on a single charge, giving you the performance of a full work day.
HP has packed a number of nice extra features for the HP Mini 5102, including an external battery meter. While not as accurate as the software-based meter, it shows whether you need to charge the netbook even when the netbook hasn’t been turned on, saving you time waiting for the operating system to load. HP has also made it much easier to upgrade netbook RAM. Instead of unscrewing the memory panel, a second press on the battery remove switch opens the panel for easy access.
Overall, the HP Mini 5102 is an impressive-looking netbook that offers standard performance, incredible battery life, and a host of useful features like an external battery meter and easy-access memory panel. These features make it ideal for the busy executive on the go who needs something that looks good, handles well, and lasts a long time off the grid.