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HP is ready to launch a new business class netbook in the form of the HP Mini 5102..

The netbook is powered by either a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor or a 1.83GHz Intel Atom N470 processor, a 10.1-inch touchscreen display with multitouch, a 1GB of RAM, an Intel GMA 3150 graphics chip, and a 160GB hard drive with the option to upgrade to either a 250GB or 320GB hard drive. Other specs include an optional GPS, 802.11n WiFi, Windows 7 Starter Edition and a 6-cell battery, which provides up to ten hours of operation time. Available in red, black and blue, the HP Mini 5102 retails for $399 upwards, depending on the specs. [Liliputing]
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The TM2 is the next-gen version of the TX2, also a 12.1-inch capacitive multitouch swivelling tablet. The TX2 had some issues—it was one of those 'just slap a touchscreen on Windows and now it's a tablet' tablets, which never really work that well. HP's TouchSmart software was okay, but was really better for its big brother, the all-in-one. But the TM2 is a huge step in terms of software, not least because Windows 7 is eminently more touchable than Vista or XP. The hardware is a typical bump from the TX2—same sized screen, 9-hour battery life, same chiclet-style keyboard and multitouch trackpad as the Envy line, Core 2 Duo proc and better graphics.



But what's exciting is the 'BumpTop' interface. It's essentially a desktop replacement that replicates your documents as well as various 'places' that you can toss them—toss a photo into the Facebook icon to upload it, or toss a document into the printer icon to print it. It's intuitive and works well, although it's tricky to use when the screen is flipped up in 'laptop' mode rather than down in 'tablet' mode. The TM2 also has the new TouchSmart software for things like music, video, Netflix and Hulu, which is good because they've eliminated the optical (DVD) drive. But this is still a Windows 7 tablet—it's best to think of it as a portable version of the TouchSmart all-in-ones. It's a normal computer with some fun touch extras built in.

It'll be available January 7th, starting at $950.
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The new HP Mini 210 is looking a lot better on the outside, with a new design, multitouch trackpad (like a miniature version of the ones in the Envy series) and new island-style (or chiclet) keyboard that's 92% the size of a standard keyboard. It's also available in craaaaazy new colors, like blue! And red! They're packing Intel's new Pine Trail Atom procs (the N450 at 1.66GHz, to be exact, with an optional Broadcom video accelerator), 10.1-inch screen, larger HDDs (160GB, 250GB and up to 320GB, which is huge for netbooks), and up to 1GB of memory (lame). The 2102 is pretty much the same internally as the 210, but with a brushed metal finish instead of the cute plasticky case of the 210.



The Mini 5102, the 'business' model, is a little confusing: It actually offers a multitouch screen like the TM2, but without the software and without the swivelling screen, so I'm not quite sure how useful it is. It has the 'premium' brushed aluminum finish and a 95% real-size keyboard, as well as a goofy handle so you can carry your netbook like a lunchbox. The 210 will start at $300, the 2102 at $330 and the 5102 at $400, with the former two available starting today and the latter sometime this month.