A smart option for road warriors and students, the HP Mini 5102 (starting at $399; $424 as configured) is more durable and secure than the typical netbook, and won’t need to see an outlet until the end of your work or school day. Like its predecessor, this 2.8-pound sequel sports an all-metal case and a comfortable keyboard, but HP has added new color options, facial recognition, and an optional capacitive multitouch display. But the most important addition is Intel’s ultra-efficient Atom N450 processor, which enables the 5102 to last more than 10 hours on a charge. You’ll pay a bit more for the Mini 5102’s sturdy design, and it doesn’t really outperform competitors, but overall it deserves our Editor’s Choice Award.
Design
Like the Mini 5101, the 5102 very much looks and feels like a shrunken HP ProBook, which is a compliment. With little additional cost over a regular netbook, you get a case with anodized aluminum on top and magnesium alloy on the bottom. Add in a soft-touch treatment on the deck and a clear HP DuraKeys coating for the keyboard, and you have a netbook that can stand up to a fair amount of abuse. Not that the 5102 doesn’t have style. The lid on our unit was a slick black, but you can also choose red or blue, a color treatment that carries over to the deck.
Weighing 2.8 pounds (with the six-cell battery) and measuring 0.9 inches thin, the Mini 5102 can easily slip into a backpack or briefcase. The six-cell battery itself protrudes a bit from the bottom of the system, but it’s hardly noticeable. To make the 5102 more attractive to students, a carrying handle is available as an option; it screws on and replaces the rear feet.
Keyboard and Touchpad 
The island-style keyboard on the Mini 5102 remains one of the best in the netbook category. At 95 percent full-size, we had no problem typing this review at a fast clip using the included copy of Corel Home Office. We especially like the relatively large right Shift key and Enter key. Some may find the feedback a little mushy, but we found it to be snappy enough. Above the keyboard you’ll find a row of keys—such as brightness and volume controls—that don’t require the Function key to activate.
The touchpad on the Mini 5102 is a bit small at 2.5 x 1.4 inches (compared to 3.1 x 1.6 inches for the Toshiba mini NB205). We’re also not fans of the glossy black surface; the resulting friction made it somewhat difficult to move the cursor. Still, the dedicated left and right mouse buttons, which received a soft rubberized treatment, responded well.
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