First of all, I should say that this is an excellent price for a netbook. I caught it at $300, which near the very low end of the spectrum, but it still holds its value at the current price of $350. What you should know, more than anything else, is that this is the cheapest you are currently going to get a laptop with a 6-cell battery, period. There’s certainly something to be said for that.

I put in a good deal of research into other netbooks before buying the HP Mini 110, and I couldn’t find one with a better mix of features. There are certainly higher quality netbooks available. But I’ll say it again: you will probably not find a better value. For netbook users, battery life is probably among the most significant issues. The Asus Eee 1005ha-p is certainly the best for battery life fanatics, with an upper limit of 10.5 hours – the 1005ha-v comes in second-ish at 8.5. These both have less protrusive batteries and weigh about .5 lbs less, which are plusses. This, unfortunately, highlights some of the Mini 110′s flaws, as it only manages an acceptable 5 hours, or closer to 4 browsing the internet at medium brightness. However, it does offer enough advantages to outclass the 1005ha. First, Asus netbooks are notably dark, and can only be brought up to a reasonable brightness with a tool that may void warranty. Also, their glossy screens make them generally less utile in suboptimal lighting conditions. The 110′s matte screen and decent brightness make it a better mobile companion in general, if a very slightly less portable one. Perhaps more importantly, Eee’s are simply not as well-built as the Mini 110. They range from the flimsy seashells of the 1005 and 1008 to the less-than-aesthetically-pleasing 1000he. The Acer Aspire One 531 falls short in the backlight category. – its display doesn’t allow for as much mobility.

However, the Asus Eee 1002ha is a good candidate, with a non-glare matte display. In fact, at about $20 more, and for a much slicker design, I’d recommend it every bit as much as this one. Keep the darker backlight, that bane of the Eee PC, in mind, but the 1002ha is the one to compare. There are multitudinous brands that offer 6-cells and similar, often better, battery life. I’d recommend looking at the 1000he, which is a sturdy model with about 8.5 hours – if you’re willing to pay the premiums for battery life, at the cost of a lower-quality screen. For those who simply can’t stand the aesthetics of the 110, or prefer glossy screens, look at the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 or 10v. They’re prettier, and pretty similar in terms of weight and hardware. The screen is the main difference – remember that glossy screens may be an issue. Overall, the Mini 110 is probably the best value for your dollar – other netbooks don’t justify their price.

That being said, the Amazon price does come at the cost of some features of the HP Mini 110 some buyers would appreciate, versus the customization options at HP. The standard definition screen, at the 1024×576 resolution, is not the best available – HP allows you to customize it with an HD screen at a resolution of 1366×768. This bears keeping in mind, but with the 10.1″ display, the higher resolution makes it difficult to read, and the lack of an optical drive makes movies out of the question anyway. Both are matte screens. The processor is the 1.60GHz model, not the 1.66GHz processor that HP offers as a choice – not really a deal breaker, and a trivial sacrifice for the money. The 160GB 5400rpm SATA hard drive included with the Amazon model can be compared to 16 gig or 32 gig solid state hard drives, and as these are developing technologies, they’re probably safe to pass on. The only real loss against buying from HP is the lack of Bluetooth, as this may be of particular importance to some. But remember that running Bluetooth drains battery life, and that’s not really the point of a netbook. Overall, this model saves upwards of $100, or potentially more, for very minor sacrifices, perhaps excluding the wireless card. This is definitely the place to buy, though I haven’t looked closely at the other Amazon packages. The point is, make sure to compare, and see what options you get.

As for my personal impressions, I’ve found the 110 to be at least at par. Starting again with the negatives, the wireless connectivity isn’t awesome. It’s been reliable so far, but the speed isn’t excellent. This is, however, symptomatic of netbooks at large. But try not to stream any massive videos – netbooks tend not to love those, and my Mini110 is no exception. I don’t want to be too critical, as their isn’t any really noticeable difference from your average, full-size computer. But don’t expect your stripped-down netbook to be remarkably speedy, as their built for lightness and portability, not power. However, I’m generally pleased with the performance – WoW fans rejoice, as a very tiny version of World of Warcraft, albeit a bit laggy, can run on this computer. Gaming on netbooks, while inconvenient, is a possibility on this generation of netbooks, which speaks well of the Mini 110. Keep in mind, though, that this is possible on most comparable models on the market today. Other than that, no complaints, except for the surprisingly hefty battery recharge time. Just keep that in mind while charging. I can really only enumerate the quirks, but as for positives, no news is good news. The Mini 110 connects and performs without a major fuss.

Overall, my comment on the value stands – this is the best value for a netbook you’ll find, especially if you can grab it at the price’s low ebb. I’m a huge fan of the matte screen, and not many netbooks offer it – keep that in mind while comparing. For the HP Mini 110, I can say that it provides you with no regrets. Generally, a netbook should be lacking in any frills, as they have a way of putting a weight on the machine, in terms of physical weight and drain on the battery life. The Mini 110 has no bloat – it’s a good portable companion. Before buying, check out the Asus Eee PC 1002ha and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10. They’re both good, durable machines – keep in mind the downsides I listed, and you may just come back to the Mini 110. But in terms of build, display, and performance, the Mini 110 is the best value on the market today.

Cons: I always hate HP’s love affair with Norton. I uninstalled that immediately and installed a much better anti-virus software.

Summary: This is for the person who does not want to lug around their 17″ widescreen. As Much as I love my Laptop (Toshiba Satellite P105 A few years old but still plugging away nicely), however, it’s not travel friendly. Now I can’t vouch for this Mini in business applications, but for the internet junkie who has facebook or Hi5 or Twitter or MySpace on the brain and the thought of not checking your e-mail or your twitter while on the go and an iPhone is just way too small for some of us to read… this is your answer. Small, lightweight and really designed for the social networking surfer in mind who travels or is on the go frequently. I love mine.

I’ve heard through the grapevine people sometimes have intermittent trouble with the webcam being very “Dark”… I cannot say one way or the other since I NEVER use the built in webcam. I had skpye for a while YEARS ago but goodness, how many times did someone in my contacts wanna talk before I combed or washed my hair? Too Many!

Nope, not letting people catch me unprepared, I don’t use skpye anymore. So webcams are rather neither here nor there for me. So if you are a person addicted to Skype, read more on the webcam reviews on cnet or other unbiased source.

So check this out… I inherited an HP Pavilion dv1000 series 14″ notebook, probably purchased in 2005 or 2006.

The Pavilion notebook came with: Windows XP Home, 1.50Ghz Intel processor, 1GB RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a 6-cell battery…

This Mini has: Windows XP Home, 1.60Ghz Intel processor, 1GB RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 6-cell battery!

So I’m a tad bugged that I spent so many hours upgrading all the programs on the laptop, and time and money researching and buying a better battery, better charger, upgrading to 2GB RAM, and upping the processor to 1.86Ghz. You know why? Because ever since I bought this netbook, I haven’t touched the notebook! The Mini even runs faster and the battery lasts longer than the upgraded notebook.

I am glad, though, because lugging around even a 14″ notebook made it clear to me that I have absolutely no interest in a larger laptop. I do not want a laptop instead of a desktop… I enjoy having a powerful desktop computer, which is much more comfortable to use than any laptop will ever be. But for travelling, ANYWHERE, and for just sittin’ on the couch cruisin’ the net while letting the family watch something on TV that I’m not all that interested in (like right now), this little HP Mini is the one for me. It’s just so light and easy!

So, as another reviewer experienced, mine also worked perfectly right out of the box. I put the battery in, gave it AC power, and immediately began removing the programs I didn’t want, and installing the ones that I did. It did come with some Roxio backup software that I thought was more junkware, so… maybe you want to remember to keep that on there! I removed Norton and installed my favorite security software, I hooked it right up to my wireless network, and I’ve had zero errors! ZERO! That’s pretty amazing. No popup boxes telling me that such-and-such a program has stopped responding. Zilch. Nada.

I have the HP NF869AA Mini Notebook Sleeve. The sleeve is a simple sleeve that serves its purpose, and fits the Mini, larger battery and all, quite nicely. I can even store the AC power cord in the sleeve in the gap that the battery leaves under the netbook. When I read one reviewer who said he carried his Mini around by the battery, I thought, really? Isn’t that dangerous? But it’s true! The battery is quite secure. It’s a tiny annoyance, actually, how the slides to remove the battery make you wish you had three hands.

I upgraded the RAM to Crucial Technology CT25664AC800 2GB 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-6400 Memory Module, which is actually cheaper right now through Amazon or the Amazon Marketplace than it is on Crucial’s own web site. Well worth it, and soooooo easy to install, although I did have a bit of a fight with the itsy bitsy screws. Could be because I didn’t have a #0 Phillips screwdriver and was too impatient to wait until I could obtain one.

Cons: I didn’t like the keyboard at first, but quickly got used to it and now type almost as quickly as with my favorite normal-sized keyboard. The power button is awkward but certainly not a deal breaker, and mine has never stuck. The battery sticking out may be a con for some people, but I don’t mind it at all, and had already done the same thing to the aforementioned 14″ notebook. It leaves a gap under the Mini that allows airflow, which makes it run cooler, which helps it run faster. Make sure you run the HP Battery Check though, as mine said the battery has a problem and HP had to send me a new one (free and easy warranty replacement, and I hadn’t even registered it yet!). My Mini runs a little hot, so I use the Targus Chill Mat for 10.2 Inch Netbooks (Gray) AWE39US under it, which fits perfectly, and works beautifully, using one of the Mini’s three USB ports to power itself. I have no issues with fan noise, as both the Mini and the Chill Mat are very quiet. The outside top of the Mini is quite glossy and gets prints all over it, but I use the included microfiber screen cloth the wipe it down. It only allows one resolution, so sometimes I will end up with a popup screen on the internet that I can’t scroll to the bottom of. So I’m stuck, unable to reach an “OK” or “Submit” button. It’s only happened twice, but I don’t know how to solve it. [Any ideas, other than connecting the Mini to another screen?]

If you’re looking for a gaming machine, or something to watch movies on, perhaps you should look elsewhere. While this machine can certainly do those things, it is not what it was designed for, and it is certainly not optimal for those uses.