Verizon Wireless’ first netbook offering, the Hewlett-Packard Mini 1151NR,
is expected to arrive in stores beginning May 17, according
to the Boy Genius Report.
Pricing for the netbook—which reportedly includes an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
processor, 1GB of RAM and a 2-in-1 memory
card reader—is said to likely be $199 with a two-year contract, after a mail-in
rebate.
A hands-on review of its predecessor—the HP Mini 1030R XP Home series netbook,
which weighs 2.38 pounds, features a 10.1-inch LED BrightView display and was
also based on the Intel Atom N270—can
be read here.
In
April, rival AT&T offered netbook models from Acer, Dell, LG and Lenovo at
deep discounts to select markets.
Less expensive than traditional notebooks, netbooks are enabling carriers to
extend cell phone pricing models to the lightweight devices. Their low prices
have also contributed to their success; netbook
shipments grew 2,424 percent in 2008 and are expected
to grow nearly 69 percent in 2009, according to researcher iSuppli.
If the HP Mini 1151NR does launch May 17, it will share its debut with the
MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, which enables Verizon mobile
broadband subscribers to create a Wi-Fi cloud capable of supporting five
devices. Verizon recently introduced the MiFi with Novatel Wireless.
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Desktops and Notebooks News & Reviews 
