Netbooks are always competing with each other in terms of price. Functionality is alright but 99% of people use these just for word processing and spreadsheets. When it comes to price, nothing can go lower than the $300 HP Mini 1103. Speed is neglected but some features make up for it.
The HP Mini 1103 has a simple design. It has a matte, black plastic chassis. The glossy finish on the netbook did not, in any way, aid in the retention of fingerprints. The light materials used give the Mini 1103 a weight of 2.8 pounds only making it very portable.
You should not expect HD videos to be played by this netbook. The resolution is capped at 1024 x 600. This is still good enough to play videos on Youtube and other sources. 2D gaming is also possible while 3D gaming is out of the question.
The keyboard is only 93% size but is perfectly comfortable for typing. The keys have raised surfaces which gives the keyboard a different feel. Despite that, some keys are known to squeak when pressed. One unique feature of the HP Mini 1103s keyboard is its spill resistivity. Any accident regarding liquids can be safely overlooked thanks to this feature.
The touchpad on the device allows multi-touch gestures. It responds fairly well with no problems when used. The problem is that it is very small. A business card would be bigger than the touch pad on the HP Mini 1103, no joke.
The HP Mini 1103 offers only the standard hard drive which is 250GB but with a faster RPM rated at 7200. This is a big surprise given that it only costs $300. A 7200 RPM drive inside is really a steal if you think about it. There are some $600 netbooks that still have 5400 RPM drives inside.
An even more unexpected feature is the built-in Bluetooth. Some mainstream laptops, like the HP Pavilion dv7-4190us, do not even have it inside. The $300 price tag is definitely worth it with bonus features such as these. Additionally, there is a web browser that can be accessed prior to the loading of Windows. You can easily access the web using QuickWeb without the need for Windows to start.
The battery of the HP Mini 1103 is a 55Wh battery that allows it to last for 7.25 hours. This is an indication that it is not that efficient considering that it only has a single-core processor and a 10-inch screen. Still, some brands only manage to get in 6 hours of battery life. 7.25 hours is not half-bad.