HP’s 2133 Mini-Note PC and the Asus Eee PC 900 are two examples of the new trend towards miniature laptops that do not cost a premium when compared with standard-sized mobile PCs.

Of the two systems, HP’s Mini-Note is likely to be the model preferred by corporate buyers, not only because it comes from an enterprise vendor, but because it has a better keyboard, longer battery life, and more storage space for applications and data. That said, it is difficult to fault the Asus Eee PC; a £285 laptop that weighs under 1kg yet runs Windows productivity applications with ease will have appeal for many potential buyers.

While the Asus Eee PC has a footprint only slightly larger than an A5 sheet of paper, HP’s Mini-Note is noticeably wider, making space for a keyboard that is almost full size. The keyboard on the Asus feels cramped by comparison, but we were still able to type on it at a reasonable speed.

HP’s Mini-Note has the better build quality of the two models, with a brushed aluminium case that looks stylish and feels durable. While it is available in a Linux version, we tested the Windows model, which has a larger six-cell lithium-ion battery that pushes up the weight of the Mini-Note to 1.46kg.

The battery pack protrudes down from the rear underside of the HP’s case, and we found this makes the Mini-Note less liable to tip over when sitting on your lap. However, the larger battery actually stops the screen from being pushed all the way back, which may prevent the user from getting an optimum view.

Neither system has an ideal choice of operating system. HP’s Mini-Note ships as standard with Windows Vista Business Edition, which is ill suited to a low-powered compact system such as this, while the Eee PC has the Home edition of XP, which lacks many features of XP Professional, the most important of which is the ability to join a Windows server domain. HP said it will offer the option to install Windows XP instead of Vista for no extra cost, but does not yet have an availability date for this.

The two systems are close in specification, with HP’s Mini-Note based on a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor and an impressive 2GB memory, while the Eee PC has a 900MHz Intel ULV Celeron M chip and 1GB memory.

Asus chose to equip its model with 12GB of Flash solid-state storage, however, while HP has installed a more conventional 120GB 2.5in hard drive. This makes the Asus quieter in operation, but business users are likely to prefer HP’s greater space for applications and data.

Both models have Wi-Fi and Ethernet, at least two USB ports and VGA for an external monitor. Both also have an SD Card slot, while HP’s model additionally has an ExpressCard slot and Bluetooth.

While both models have an 8.9in screen, the Eee PC has a native resolution of 1024x768, while HP’s is a step higher at 1280x768. This means that the HP can display more, such as a greater portion of a spreadsheet, but text can be difficult to read at times.

We used the PCMark05 benchmark suite to measure the performance of the two systems, as this supports both XP and Vista. The results showed that the Asus had the higher performance, with 1,137 PCMarks against the 662 of the HP Mini-Note. The component-level tests rated the Asus with higher CPU, memory and graphics scores, but the Mini-Note came out with a much higher disk performance score.

However, both systems have ample performance for running productivity applications. Our Mini-Note evaluation model had Office 2007 installed (However, this is not included as standard and costs extra), while the Eee PC ships with Microsoft Works.

Performance is not the only consideration on ultra-portable systems such as these. We found that while running on battery with Wi-Fi active, the Asus was practically out of power after only an hour and a half, while the HP lasted for close to three hours before needing a recharge. This reflects the fact that the four-cell battery of the Eee PC has about half the capacity of that supplied with the HP Mini-Note.

To summarise, we believe that the HP Mini-Note is the best choice for business users needing a highly portable system, thanks to its combination of decent keyboard, longer battery life and overall build quality. However, we would prefer to see this system ship with XP instead of Vista.

The Asus Eee PC is a good system for those that need the ultimate in portability, providing users do not need to use it for too long away from mains power. However, because it ships with XP Home, the system cannot be joined to a corporate domain unless buyers upgrade to XP Professional.

Findings: HP 2133 Mini-Note PC

HP’s Mini-Note has a decent sized keyboard and ample power for productivity applications in a compact package, but Windows Vista is a drag on its performance. The system may appeal to mobile workers if it can be obtained with Windows XP Professional instead.

Price: £385 + VAT (with Windows Vista Business Edition)

PROS: Good keyboard; Relatively long battery life; Ample storage

CONS: Windows Vista hits performance; Heavy compared with Eee PC

FINDINGS: Asus Eee PC 900

The Asus Eee PC is excellent value and ideal if portability is a user’s prime concern. Its keyboard is not ideal, but the short battery life is what really lets this system down. Enterprise buyers will also want to replace XP Home with the Professional version.

Price: £285 (with Windows XP Home)

PROS: Light and compact; Good value for money

CONS: Low battery life; Cramped keyboard