OStatic

The $379.99 Hewlett-Packard Mini 1000 MI netbook is a new Linux-based offering with a customized user interface shell dubbed MI for Mobile Internet. JKOnTheRun has been putting one of the first units through the paces, and offers up a photo tour. These guys try netbooks by the truckload, and they say that this new unit is the smallest and lightest one with a comfortable 10-inch display that they've used. It ships with Ubuntu, a 1.6-GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of memory, a multi-format card reader, HD audio and 16 GB of SSD storage. The built-in browser is a variant of Firefox, and it looks like it supports extensions. Check the svelte system out here, and check HP's site out for more.

News is swirling this week about new forms of competition in the market for sub-notebook computers, and open source is driving change in this space--especially in terms of price competition. As I wrote before, Linux-based laptops are going through a renaissance at the moment, especially driven by the $400 Asus Eee PC. These small, useful systems are moving from the VIA chips they were based on to Intel's Diamondville CPUs. Everex's $399 Linux-based Cloudbook laptops are also generating buzz. Now, Hewlett-Packard has a new entrant in the space, with its diminutive Mini-Note, aimed at shoolchildren.