Closer look at HP’s new designer edition netbooks

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HP recently introduced two new designer edition netbooks, the HP Mini 110 Tord Boontje edition and the second generation Vivienne Tam Edition netbook. The Tord Boontje netbook is basically an HP Mini 110 with a designer finish that covers the lid and portions of the netbook’s interior. There’s also an optional matching mouse.

We don’t know much about the new Vivienne Tam Edition netbook yet. It will be available in the Spring with the designer’s new collection. Odds are that HP will have a new line of products out by then, so there’s no telling how much the laptop will cost or what kind of specs it will have under the hood.

The company was showing both laptops off at a recent event in New York and I got a chance to snap a few photos. The Vivienne Tam notebook was locked up behind glass so I couldn’t see any real details or even snap a good photo easily. The Tord Boontje edition was hanging out in plain site so I was able to shoot it from a few different angles. While it’s still a rather flowery design, it’s much more subdued than the Vivienne Tam netbooks. I’ll leave it for you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not.

More photos after the break.

Monday, September 21st, 2009, 5:24 pm by Brad | Tags: , , , , ,

HP launches Mini 110 Tord Boontje designer edition netbook

HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje - right rear facing

HP is partnering with another well known designer on a customized netbook. The company first took this approach with the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition, which was launched late last year. This time, it’s designer Tord Boontje’s turn to slap a few designer touches on an HP Mini 110.

The HP Mini 110 Tord Boontje edition has a lid designed by Boontje, with ink layered into the netbook’s polycarbonate shell. HP says it gives the design a three dimensional effect and that you’ll be able to find hidden patterns when you look at the laptop from different angles.

The designer edition netbook will also come with 15 custom wallpapers designed by Tord Boontje. Now, here’s the interesting part about that: The laptop will ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition. And while Microsoft prevents users (or HP) from changing the desktop background in the low cost version of the operating system, HP has partnered with StarDock to load the MyColors software on the designer netbook so that users can select the special backgrounds.

The netbook will start at $399, which makes this designer edition seem much more approachable than the Vivienne Tam Edition, which started at $699.99. There’s no word yet on how much the second-generation Vivienne Tam Edition introduced this weekend will run.

More photos after the break.

Update: Engadget has some hands-on photos that really do better justice to the “HP Imprint 3D” lid design than the press shots.

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Tuesday, September 15th, 2009, 12:40 am by Brad | Tags: , ,