Last week we heard that HP could be preparing a new version of the HP Mini-Note laptop with a 10 inch display and an Intel Atom processor. The current generation has an 8.9 inch screen and packs the sluggish VIA C7-M CPU. But now DigiTimes (the same source of last week’s rumor) reports that HP has placed orders for for VIA Nano chips.

The Nano is VIA’s upgraded version of the C7-M. It’s reportedly much faster, but still consumes less energy than traditional processors. And perhaps most significantly, it’s interchangeable with the C7, which means HP and other companies currently using the C7 chip won’t need to manufacture new motherboards or other parts to use the new CPU.

In other words, HP could start shipping Mini-Note computers with VIA Nano chips pretty much as soon as VIA pushes them out the door. No need to design a new computer or retool the assembly line very much at all.

Does this mean HP won’t be releasing a new model with an Intel Atom chip? Not necessarily. The netbok market is continuing to grow, and there’s no reason HP couldn’t offer customers two completely separate devices: a Mini-Note that looks practicaly identical to the current generation, but which uses the new VIA chip, and another one that may look a bit different (10 inch display, new motherboard — or at least a new CPU socket) and have an Atom chip.

Of course, since the Atom and Nano chips are both aimed at the same market, it’s not entirely clear why HP would want to bother placing orders for both. But perhaps the company is just hedging its bets. If one chip winds up becoming far more popular than the other, HP can always kill off the underperforming product line, which may be easier than launching up an entirely new product.

[via Small Laptops]

While we’re hearing rumors that HP is already working on its next generation Mini-Note computer, the company has yet to make any official announcements. So we don’t know for certain if the next HP subnotebook will have a larger screen, faster processor, or different type of storage. But it’s a safe bet that it will have at least one or two of the three.

In an interview with PC World, HP’s Phil Devlin said the company is also thinking about adding a touchscreen display. When HP sends Mini-Notes to clients using the computers in educational settings, he says they often come back with fingerprints. That would seem to indicate that people, or kids at least, want to put their fingers on the screen. So why not make sure the screen responds when you do that?

Devlin says the company isn’t committed to touchsreens yet, but he says it is something HP is considering. HP is also thinking about using high capacity solid state disks in lieu of hard drives. Right now HP offers one HP 2133 Mini-Note model with a 4GB SSD. But higher capacity SSDs (think 32GB or 64GB) cost a lot more money and it’s more cost-effective to put a 120GB hard drive in a PC than a 32GB SSD. On the other hand, SSDs have no moving parts which makes them durable and typically much faster than hard drives. And those are features that can be valuable in educational markets.

Online shoe retailer Zappos is apparently expanding its operations. If you browse the store’s electronics and computers categories, you’ll find a decent array of cheap subnotebooks like the Asus Eee PC and HP Mini-Note as well as some pricier, more traditional laptop computers.

As bloggers Dave Zatz and Kevin Tofel point out, Zappos does appear to be charging a few bucks more than other online retailers — but just a few bucks, like maybe $4 or so on most models.

And what does your extra $4 get you? Free shipping both ways. Zappos is known for letting customers order shoes, try them on, and send them back for free if they don’t fit. Now you can do the same with computers and other goods. Zappos is also renowned for having excellent customer service. But I can’t help but wonder if the customer service agents will be as well equipped to handle computer questions as they are shoe questions.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note is probably the most professional looking low-cost mini-laptop on the market today. It’s got an attractive aluminum case, a shockingly high resolution 1280 x 768 pixel, 8.9 inch display, and a nearly full sized keyboard. But HP has stretched the definition of low-cost to some degree, with some versions of the HP 2133 costing upwards of $800.

And then there’s the VIA C7-M CPU. While other companies have flocked to the new Intel Atom processor, HP’s machine uses the low power, and relatively low performance VIA chip. To be fair, the Mini-Note was released before the Atom was available, but even the 900MHz Intel Celeron chip in the Eee PC 701 seems to offer better performance than a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M chip.

There’s been much speculation regarding the future of the Mini-Note line. Will HP eventually make the switch to the Intel Atom processor? Or will the company hold out for the next generation chip from VIA, the Nano? HP is doing nothing to clear up that question, but an HP rep has told Australia’s APC Magazine that the company does have plans for a second generation Mini-Note.

In a nutshell, HP will continue producing the business-class HP 2133 Mini-Note. But the company will also be releasing a cheaper model that has a better shot of competing in a market crowded with sub-$500 laptops. The new model will share some features with the HP 2133, but it’s described as being both cheaper and less durable.

In other words, HP had better have a higher performance processor up their sleeves. Because the main advantage the current generation of Mini-Notes has is decent build quality. Take that away, and there won’t be much left to make HP’s offering stand out from the crowd.

HP may not include recovery discs with the HP Mini-Note, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. This morning I called HP support and after spending a few minutes on hold and being transferred a few times, I finally got someone who handles support for the Mini-Note. Apparently the folks who provide general technical support for HP laptops aren’t responsible for the Mini-Note. There’s a special division for that.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that you won’t hear the HP Mini-Note mentioned at all if you try to go through the automated voice directory system. So just go ahead and shout “agent” into the phone to speed up the process a bit. When you do finally get to the right person you’ll need to read off your serial number (which should be on the bottom of your computer). And that’s about it. Hopefully I should be receiving a SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop restore disc within a week or two. I don’t actually expect to use it, since I’m pretty happy with Ubuntu on my Mini-Note. But it’s nice to have options.

HP is now selling 6-cell batteries for the HP Mini-Note. And while I reported a few days ago that HP would be charging $191 for a 6-cell and $207.10 for a 3-cell battery, it looks like you can pick up a 6-cell battery today for the low, low price of $129. Yeah, that still seems like a lot of money for a battery for a $499+ computer. But laptop batteries have always had unreasonably high price tags.

Want a spare battery for your HP Mini-Note? You’d better have $200 or so to spare, because HP is charging $191 for a spare/replacement 6-cell 55Wh battery. Yep, a single battery will cost you almost 2/5ths the price of the cheapest Mini-Note laptop.