When Boing Boing released a Hackintosh Mini compatibility chart a few weeks ago I was surprised to see that the HP 2133 Mini-Note was listed as a netbook capable of running the Mac operating system. After all, Macs have Intel processors, while the HP 2133 uses a VIA CPU. It turns out that’s not a deal-breaker. The OQO handheld PC also has a VIA processor, and you can get OS X to run on it. And at least a few people claim to have done the same with the HP 2133.

Things are much simpler with the new HP Mini 1000/Compaq Mini 700 netbook. It has the same Intel Atom CPU as the MSI Wind U100, Dell Inspiron Mini 9, and other netbooks that people have been running OS X on for ages. (Or months, anyway). For some basic instructions on installing OS X on an HP Mini 1000, checkout the My HP Mini Forums. And to see what the finished product looks like, check out the video after the break. Ethernet and audio reportedly don’t work, but WiFi and USB does.

video via Asus Eee PC Hacks

Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks ago jkkmobile picked up a shiny new HP Mini 1000 netbook and then proceeded to rip the thing to shreds just to show us what lies on the inside. He’s pretty good at taking things apart and putting them back together again, but he didn’t exactly provide detailed instructions for those who want to follow suit. Fortunately Netbook Italia has done just that… for anyone who can read Italian (or ut up with a computer translated version of the web page).

Netbook Italia’s guide includes step by step instructions for disassembling a Compaq Mini 700 netbook, which is pretty much exactly the same machine as the HP Mini 1000. The only difference is the logo.  If all you want to do is upgrade the RAM, there’s an easy access panel on the bottom of the laptop. To get at the hard drive, you’ll need to remove the keyboard. And for more advanced surgery, you can strip the netbook down to its bones. Hopefully if you reverse the procedure you can put things back together again too.

via Engadget

The Compaq Mini 700 is pretty much the same machine as the HP Mini 1000 netbook. But it’s got a big Compaq logo on the cover instead.

HP announced the two netbooks on the same day in October. But the HP Mini 1000 launch grabbed all the headlines in the US, while only a handful of European blogs and news sites took notice of the Compaq Mini, which leads me to believe that we won’t see this particular model in the US anytime soon.

Italian web site, Netbook News, on the other hand has already managed to get their hands on a Compaq Mini 700 and they’ve posted an unboxing video. Aside from the lid, the netbook looks exactly like the HP Mini 1000. It has the same keyboard, screen, touchpad, and speaker. But don’t take my word for it. You can see it for yourself after the break.

via Blogeee

Read the rest of this entry »

While trolling around for HP Mini 1000 news, I noticed a number of stories in UK based publications including Pocket Lint and T3 about the Compaq Mini 700. At first glance, I just figured this was the UK version of the Mini 1000. But upon closer inspection, it appears that the Compaq Mini 700 has a few differences:

• You can pick one up with an optional HSDPA modem
• It has a Compaq logo instead of an HP logo

And that’s about it. Really. Spec-wise, the two netbooks look pretty much identical. At least one site claims they will have different screen resolutions, but the US version of the HP Mini 1000 has a 1024  x 600 pixel display, so I’d be surprised if the UK version actually has a 1024 x 576 resolution screen.

The Compaq Mini 700 is expected to be out in the UK in mid-December for £299 while the HP Mini 1000 will be available in Februrary for £399. No, I have no idea why it costs more.