Get a HP Mini for only $288!

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217 posts

Master Geek

#288189 8-Jan-2010 15:54

dolsen: But - what if their alternative is a better speced machine? You may be doing yourself & others out of a better deal.

I don't think anyone would object to the 1197 as a substitute, and if the alternative is likely to be a higher specced machine than the 1197, then you would think that HN would be actively promoting it to us as the alternative, rather than keeping us all in the dark.

andy14: got a receipt which indicated I acknowledged brand and specs may vary

When I paid, I wasn't told that it might be a different brand. Just to be sure, I just checked my receipt again and it reads as follows:

VU457PA
HP MINI 110-1111TU HN EXCLUSIV
Pickup Scheduled 29/12/09
STOCK B/O from Store/Store

**************************
please call customer when stock arrives
**************************

Now, I'm no lawyer but doesn't the above mean that I should be getting a HP and not another brand? There's nothing about substitute brands.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#288195 8-Jan-2010 16:02

photoman:
dolsen: But - what if their alternative is a better speced machine? You may be doing yourself & others out of a better deal.

I don't think anyone would object to the 1197 as a substitute, and if the alternative is likely to be a higher specced machine than the 1197, then you would think that HN would be actively promoting it to us as the alternative, rather than keeping us all in the dark.

andy14: got a receipt which indicated I acknowledged brand and specs may vary

When I paid, I wasn't told that it might be a different brand. Just to be sure, I just checked my receipt again and it reads as follows:

VU457PA
HP MINI 110-1111TU HN EXCLUSIV
Pickup Scheduled 29/12/09
STOCK B/O from Store/Store

**************************
please call customer when stock arrives
**************************

Now, I'm no lawyer but doesn't the above mean that I should be getting a HP and not another brand? There's nothing about substitute brands.

Mine says almost the same as yours, from the Lower Hutt store, and they haven't phoned yet. Apparently someone was phoned today on the GP forum, from another HN franchise store, and picked up their HP mini today, so maybe their supplier does have a few to cover these backorders.

Yes I am certainly sceptical about the substitute as their head office would almost definitely know
the full details by now prior to phoning most people. What is their reason for not disclosing the model it is based on?

andyj14

47 posts

Geek

#288204 8-Jan-2010 16:17

robbyp: My receipt didn't say anything about that I acknoledged the brand and specs may vary. It simply say HP Mini 110 .... Backordered, along with the price and discount. No mention of raincheck or that specs and brand may vary. They also didn't tell me verbablly, he just said that they would phone back next week when it comes in. I suppose only time will tell. If it is the ASUS 1005HA that is provided, that does look like quite a nice unit, and better than the 1000xx unit.

@ robbyp & photoman

Yeah, as I say, I went into pay on the Monday afternoon so I was prepared to make concessions to get the good price. They had a code in the system specifically for the HP Raincheck and the sales guy put it under that on my invoice and asked me if it was okay if the brand/spec might vary. I said that seemed fair provided it was very similar specs and that I had the right of a refund if it wasn't to my satisfaction. He agreed then typed the proviso into the system.

I would say you guys got into your branches earlier than me when the plan from HN wasn't so certain. Maybe they didn't have the code in the system then for the raincheck? I'm assuming the code was added at head office and not just a local branch thing. I spoke to the manager, who then handed me off to a sales guy. They both seemed pretty helpful and up to speed with what was going on so I was happy with the overall result.

tons

48 posts

Geek
Inactive user

#288210 8-Jan-2010 16:24

Here is a better side by side comparison of an HP Mini 110 and an Asus 1005 (from Best Buy site in the US):

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Netbooks/cfcat/olspage.jsp?id=cat13504&type=page&pageIdentity=searchDriven&useProductString=true&productString=1218122580574*1218127629563&unProductString=1218124205088*1218123849388*1218131340776*1218127632119*1218124800014*1218124996275*1218126041328*1218093379170*1218125777923*1218127624837*1218125774478*1218122580711*1218127624998&catId=pcmcat164200050013

Note only main difference in this comparison is the HP has a six cell battery.

However also note the HP is $20 US more expensive.

So if it were to have a three cell battery, it would probably be the same price.

Come on HN, give us the specs of the rainchecks (it better be a 1005)!

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#288211 8-Jan-2010 16:26

andyj14:
robbyp: My receipt didn't say anything about that I acknoledged the brand and specs may vary. It simply say HP Mini 110 .... Backordered, along with the price and discount. No mention of raincheck or that specs and brand may vary. They also didn't tell me verbablly, he just said that they would phone back next week when it comes in. I suppose only time will tell. If it is the ASUS 1005HA that is provided, that does look like quite a nice unit, and better than the 1000xx unit.

@ robbyp & photoman

Yeah, as I say, I went into pay on the Monday afternoon so I was prepared to make concessions to get the good price. They had a code in the system specifically for the HP Raincheck and the sales guy put it under that on my invoice and asked me if it was okay if the brand/spec might vary. I said that seemed fair provided it was very similar specs and that I had the right of a refund if it wasn't to my satisfaction. He agreed then typed the proviso into the system.

I would say you guys got into your branches earlier than me when the plan from HN wasn't so certain. Maybe they didn't have the code in the system then for the raincheck? I'm assuming the code was added at head office and not just a local branch thing. I spoke to the manager, who then handed me off to a sales guy. They both seemed pretty helpful and up to speed with what was going on so I was happy with the overall result.

That sounds about right. I was also never told I had a right to a refund either, so maybe those first few orders such as me and photoman who weren't phoned maybe getting treated differently, as I can't see how they can get out of that contract. I will certainly be following it up with the head office next week.

photoman

217 posts

Master Geek

#288214 8-Jan-2010 16:31

andyj14:
robbyp: My receipt didn't say anything about that I acknoledged the brand and specs may vary. It simply say HP Mini 110 .... Backordered, along with the price and discount. No mention of raincheck or that specs and brand may vary. They also didn't tell me verbablly, he just said that they would phone back next week when it comes in. I suppose only time will tell. If it is the ASUS 1005HA that is provided, that does look like quite a nice unit, and better than the 1000xx unit.

@ robbyp & photoman

Yeah, as I say, I went into pay on the Monday afternoon so I was prepared to make concessions to get the good price. They had a code in the system specifically for the HP Raincheck and the sales guy put it under that on my invoice and asked me if it was okay if the brand/spec might vary. I said that seemed fair provided it was very similar specs and that I had the right of a refund if it wasn't to my satisfaction. He agreed then typed the proviso into the system.

I would say you guys got into your branches earlier than me when the plan from HN wasn't so certain. Maybe they didn't have the code in the system then for the raincheck? I'm assuming the code was added at head office and not just a local branch thing. I spoke to the manager, who then handed me off to a sales guy. They both seemed pretty helpful and up to speed with what was going on so I was happy with the overall result.

I didn't go in until Tuesday lunchtime, after I heard the offer on the radio that morning on the way to work. So far as anything verbal from the salesperson, it was a case of pay up front ot guarantee that I would get it for that price, which seemed fair enough.

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andyj14

47 posts

Geek

#288222 8-Jan-2010 16:42

tons: Here is a better side by side comparison of an HP Mini 110 and an Asus 1005 (from Best Buy site in the US):

Note only main difference in this comparison is the HP has a six cell battery.

However also note the HP is $20 US more expensive.

So if it were to have a three cell battery, it would probably be the same price.

Come on HN, give us the specs of the rainchecks (it better be a 1005)!

Nice comparison tons. There was a second main difference between the two machines, namely the ASUS had a 250GB hard drive fitted. With respect to the 6-cell battery, I'd certainly be happy to get a 1005 with the 6-cell, but I believe the HP 1111's that HN were selling cheap had a 3-cell battery. Maybe one of the people who got one in the sale can confirm that?

Both the HP and the ASUS have been sold in 3-cell and 6-cell variants. That's the beauty of a removable battery. If we end up getting supplied with the 1005, I'd expect it to have a 3-cell installed. It would match the HP then and be cheaper for HN.

andyj14

47 posts

Geek

#288232 8-Jan-2010 17:01

robbyp: If it is the ASUS 1005HA that is provided, that does look like quite a nice unit, and better than the 1000xx unit.

Yeah, I'm hoping it will be the 1005, as the most recently produced ASUS based on the Atom280 and XP. Logically it would seem to be the one ASUS are most likely to have stock of, being a June/July 2009 release. The ASUS 1000 is definitely a bulkier machine, even though it's specs are identical (aside from size) to the 1005.

If they provide a 1005, I'll consider I've won on the deal. I only wanted the HP because I've not owned one of their machines before, no other reason. In benchmark testing, the ASUS actually out-performs the HP, though admittedly we are talking about bugger all of a difference between the two.

I've owned many ASUS-powered gadgets and find them to be a reliable brand. My current desktop has an ASUS mobo, graphics card and DVD drive and, as I say, I find their gear to be good. So, an ASUS netbook for $288 will be an excellent result for me.

If they try to give us the 1008 with the fixed battery, not so happy! (though the 1008 has the latest shape so it might be a toss-up between that and the "uglier" 1000.)

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#288234 8-Jan-2010 17:02

andyj14:
tons: Here is a better side by side comparison of an HP Mini 110 and an Asus 1005 (from Best Buy site in the US):

Note only main difference in this comparison is the HP has a six cell battery.

However also note the HP is $20 US more expensive.

So if it were to have a three cell battery, it would probably be the same price.

Come on HN, give us the specs of the rainchecks (it better be a 1005)!

Nice comparison tons. There was a second main difference between the two machines, namely the ASUS had a 250GB hard drive fitted. With respect to the 6-cell battery, I'd certainly be happy to get a 1005 with the 6-cell, but I believe the HP 1111's that HN were selling cheap had a 3-cell battery. Maybe one of the people who got one in the sale can confirm that?

Both the HP and the ASUS have been sold in 3-cell and 6-cell variants. That's the beauty of a removable battery. If we end up getting supplied with the 1005, I'd expect it to have a 3-cell installed. It would match the HP then and be cheaper for HN.

Having a 6 cell also makes it thicker and heavier doesn't it? and some people would prefer a more lightweight netbook. It is possible that they could be upgrading an old model 1000xx varient, and upspecing it to make up for areas of it's specs where it doesn't match the hp mini. eg. it may only have a 270 chip, but they may be installing 2GB of ram to compensate for that. The 1002HA also has similar specs, but has the slower 270 chip.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#288236 8-Jan-2010 17:06

andyj14:
robbyp: If it is the ASUS 1005HA that is provided, that does look like quite a nice unit, and better than the 1000xx unit.

Yeah, I'm hoping it will be the 1005, as the most recently produced ASUS based on the Atom280 and XP. Logically it would seem to be the one ASUS are most likely to have stock of, being a June/July 2009 release. The ASUS 1000 is definitely a bulkier machine, even though it's specs are identical (aside from size) to the 1005.

If they provide a 1005, I'll consider I've won on the deal. I only wanted the HP because I've not owned one of their machines before, no other reason. In benchmark testing, the ASUS actually out-performs the HP, though admittedly we are talking about bugger all of a difference between the two.

I've owned many ASUS-powered gadgets and find them to be a reliable brand. My current desktop has an ASUS mobo, graphics card and DVD drive and, as I say, I find their gear to be good. So, an ASUS netbook for $288 will be an excellent result for me.

If they try to give us the 1008 with the fixed battery, not so happy! (though the 1008 has the latest shape so it might be a toss-up between that and the "uglier" 1000.)

Is a fixed battery such a problem these days? I guess it would be if you were on a trip and wanted a spare baterry to swap it out with when it ran out of power. I assume fixed batteries can be still be replaced relatively easily.

andyj14

47 posts

Geek

#288237 8-Jan-2010 17:25

robbyp: Is a fixed battery such a problem these days? I guess it would be if you were on a trip and wanted a spare baterry to swap it out with when it ran out of power. I assume fixed batteries can be still be replaced relatively easily.

I dunno if it's a problem as such, it just might be seen as an area of contention for HN as it doesn't match up with the HP machine as much? The fixed battery does actually make the older 1008 slimer than the newer 1005. Also, the 1008 only has two USB ports rather than the three of the HP.

The other major difference between the 1008 and the 1005 is that the 1008 had pull-off covers over the I/O ports. They were seen as a negative in the CNET review. The 1005 came out only a month or two after the release of the 1008 so maybe ASUS saw they had the design slightly wrong. The 1005 keeps the styley tapered shape of the 1008 but removed the covers and put in a removable battery. Maybe the feedback on the 1008 told them that was the way to go?

Anyway, in order of preference, I'd probably go 1005, 1008, then 1000 last.

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Paulthagerous

698 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 16

Trusted

#288239 8-Jan-2010 17:36

andyj14: For comparison, the HP 1111TU versus the ASUS 1005HA ...

HP 1111TU

- Windows XP Home
- Intel® Atom™ Processor N280 1.66 GHz, 512 KB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB
- 1024 MB DDR2 533 MHz RAM
- SATA Hard Disk Drive 5400 rpm 160 GB
- 10.1” Diagonal WSVGA LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display
- Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
- 3 USB 2.0, VGA, RJ-45, Headphone-out/Microphone in combo jack, AC adapter
- 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
- Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone
- Keyboard 82-key (92% Full size)
- Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
- Bluetooth® wireless networking
- Dimensions and Weight 1.17 kg 26.15 cm (L) x 17.2 cm (W) x 2.63 (min H) / 3.27 cm (max H)
- Battery type 3-Cell Lithium-ion (28Whr)

ASUS 1005HA

- Windows® XP Home
- Display 10.1" LED Backlight WSVGA Screen (1024x600)
- Intel CPU & Chipset Intel® Atom™ N280
- Memory 1GB DDR2 SO-DIMM
- Hybrid Storage 160GB HDD
- Wireless Data Network WLAN 802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz
- Bluetooth2.1 + EDR*
- Camera 1.3M Pixel
- 1 x VGA Port, 3 x USB 2.0, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x Audio Jack (Head Phone / Mic-in)
- Card Reader: MMC/ SD(SDHC)
- Battery 3-Cell 23Wh Li-ion Battery
- Dimensions 262mm(W) x 178mm(D) x 25.9mm~ 36.5mm(H) 1.1Kg (with3-Cell Battery)

To be honest, when we are talking about 3 cell batteries, 5Whr's is a big difference. As battery life is one of the more important specs for many people (myself included), I would hope for at least the original's 28. Among my friends, a 23 will not quite last 2 lectures whereas a 28 will just (both running word + firefox on xp, all else very similar)

robbyp

1199 posts

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#288260 8-Jan-2010 19:14

dolsen:
mattwnz: Under contract law they would be required to provide the brand and model that is on the receipt, or to negotiate another model if they can't source it. I will also be contacting their manager to discuss this.

But - what if their alternative is a better speced machine? You may be doing yourself & others out of a better deal.
I thought other stores were requiring you to come in and pay in full as well?

Thats why I am waiting to find out what model it is. However to be fair, I would be more than happy with the HP mini, even if the ASUS is slightly better spec'd, because the HP is the model I paid for and expected to get.

This is a summary of what was on my tax receipt

SType: CASH SALE

Product Qty Price Total

*VU457 1 $799.90 $511.90 $288.00

HP MINI 110-1111TU HN EXCLUSIV

Pickup Scheduled 28/12/09

Stock B/O from Store/Store

Retain this docket as Proof of purchase

tons

48 posts

Geek
Inactive user

#288343 9-Jan-2010 09:10

andyj14:
Nice comparison tons. There was a second main difference between the two machines, namely the ASUS had a 250GB hard drive fitted. With respect to the 6-cell battery, I'd certainly be happy to get a 1005 with the 6-cell, but I believe the HP 1111's that HN were selling cheap had a 3-cell battery. Maybe one of the people who got one in the sale can confirm that?

Both the HP and the ASUS have been sold in 3-cell and 6-cell variants. That's the beauty of a removable battery. If we end up getting supplied with the 1005, I'd expect it to have a 3-cell installed. It would match the HP then and be cheaper for HN.

Yeah good spotting andyj14. I actually remembered this difference after I'd posted and shut my (current) PC down.

In this comparison then, the HP has a larger battery but the Asus has a larger hard drive, I guess those differences even things out.

So then the fact that the HP is worth $20 US more, should mean HN should easily be able to afford supplying us all with stock standard Asus 1005 machines.

It is very frustrating that HN haven't told people what the model will be. I mean, they must know.

And their excuses that their purchasing staff are all at CES 2010 in Las Vegas just sucks (unless we'll all be getting brand new PineTrail based HP Mini 210's, which clearly we're not). They have clearly made a decision, yet can't seem to spend 2 minutes putting an official and specific announcement up on their main website or Twitter page. Just ridiculous.

CYaBro

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#288379 9-Jan-2010 10:49

Hmmm just checked my receipt and there is no mention of any type of netbook or price.
All it says is Raincheck Item and shows my $100 deposit.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

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