HP Mini-Note 2133 with Vista Basic

HP Mini-Note 2133 with Vista Basic

I don’t know whose fault this is, but I sure am pissed at both HP and Microsoft for delivering such a crappy product. In case you’re thinking about buying the 8.9 inch laptop, you should consider buying the XP version if available; otherwise, you’ll be better off buying a separated OS or go with Linux.

The problem with the OEM pre-installed Vista Basic is it’s doesn’t come with recovery disk creator. Of course you can use the native system backup on Vista. But if I’m buying something as fragile as a Microsoft Windows, I would want a physical backup disk rather than just a recovery image. I really doubt Vista ability to fully recover a hard disk crash from a full backup of the system. And if I’m reformatting a corrupted hard disk, I might wish to erase my entire link to the past, including all program and picture that might be the death of me if my wife knows. And not to mention, I will need a bootable disk for one. One that does not rely on an OS that already corrupted.

It seems that, awkwardly, HP forgot to put it’s create recovery disk tools; the usual tools that you use in other HP laptop to create a factory setting recovery tools. That’s what’s missing in the OEM version of the OS. In my case it’s vista basic.

I haven’t played with vista a lot. But my first impression was; it’s an expensive, super slow, Operating System that 50% compatible with its predecessor… which means less than half of your hard earned software is junk. It does also eat your resource more vigorously compared with XP. For instance, I’ve used to run Office 2007 under XP, and it run seamlessly. Under Vista everything takes at least 1 minute longer.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ll definitely recommend Mini-Note for its cheap price and decent hardware performance. But buying a laptop with pre-installed OEM software without recovery disk creation utility is pretty frustrating.

I end up installing my old XP actually. And I’m very happy it.

If you’re wondering about the specs, I borrowed it from notebookreview

• Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Business, Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic 32, FreeDOS, or SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
• Processor: VIA C7-M ULV Processor (up to 1.6 GHz, 128 KB L2 cache)
• Chipset: VIA CN896NB and 8237S SB
• Memory: DDR2 SDRAM, 667MHz, one SODIMM memory slot, supports up to 2048MB
• Internal Storage: 120GB/160GB 5400 rpm SATA, 120GB/160GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard; or 64GB Solid State Drive; optional 4GB PATA Flash Module with SuSE Linux
• Display: 8.9-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 768)
• Graphics: VIA Chrome 9
• Audio: High Definition Audio, stereos speakers, integrated stereo microphones, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in
• Wireless support: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g, b/g, optional Bluetooth 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant Communications Broadcom Ethernet Integrated Controller (10/100/1000)
• Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot
• Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, optional VGA webcam
• Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone
• Software: HP Backup and Recovery Manager, Roxio Creator 9, Microsoft Office Ready 20078 Security Kensington lock, Symantec Norton Internet Security
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.05 (at front) x 10.04 x 6.5 inches
• Weight: 2.63 lb (with 3-cell battery and 4 GB Solid State Drive, 3.23 lb with 6-cell battery and 160GB hard drive, 2.86 lb with 3-cell battery and 160GB hard drive.
• Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter with HP Fast Charge
• Warranty: Limited 1-year and 90-day warranty options available, depending on country, 1-year limited warranty on primary battery

One advice for those who has the same problem, contact your distributor and ask for their help. In my case they send me the recovery image in a DVD form.