HP Launches Ion-based Mini 311

HP has finally launched its much-talked-about-but-never-confirmed Ion Mini 311 and, when it comes to netbook launches, this is about as refreshing as they get. A bit different from the usual blah specs that are associated of netbooks these days, the Mini 311 boasts a 11.6-inch HD (1,366x768) display, not a common occurrence in a netbook, as well as Nvidia's Ion LE for graphics and Intel's Atom N270.

Processor and graphics chip aside; you're looking at a 160 GB 5400rpm HDD, 1 GB of DDR3, HDMI, Altec Lansing speakers, 3 x USB 2.0 and VGA.

“This is another example [of] how good graphics can transform an entire category of products,” Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the GPU business unit at Nvidia, said. “Where last month netbooks were considered inadequate, this month HP delivers an amazing product with support for HD movies, games, video editing, and more. Why couldn't netbooks do this before? They lacked good graphics.”

Pricing is set at $399 for the U.S. Who's in?