HP Launches Premium-looking Mini 5101 Netbook

HP today announced the HP Mini 5101, which might actually be the nicest looking netbook we've ever seen, even if it is a bit pricey.

With its aluminum and magnesium chassis, the Mini 5101 looks a little more professional than your average netbook; and with it packing Windows Vista Home Basic it's definitely another netbook dancing on the blurry line of "is it a netbook or is it a notebook?"

Specswise you’re looking at the usual Atom processor, a 10.1-inch WSVGA screen, 2 GB of DDR2, a choice of either a 4-cell of 6-cell battery (the latter promising “up to” eight hours), a standard 7200 RPM hard drive (complete with accelerometer for sudden motion protection) or alternatively, the option for either an 80 GB or 128 GB SSD.

Starting at $449, we’d be all for this machine, but the price could quickly rise with the optional USB 2.0 docking station, port replicator, as well as an external optical drive. Availability is pegged for late July. Check out some live pictures over at Engadget.