HP's new Mini 2140 stuffs Atom, larger screen into original form factor

Just when we thought HP had moved on, what with the Mini 1000 getting all the love these days, HP has returned to its original Mini-Note 2100 series of netbooks with the 2140. Supposedly aimed at businesses, the new netbook loses that sluggish VIA C7-M of its predecessors and replaces it with -- you guessed it -- a 1.6GHz Atom processor. There's also a 80GB or 160GB hard drive onboard and a 10-inch screen available in 1366 x 768 and 1024 x 567 resolutions, plus that lovable ExpressCard / 54 slot hasn't gone anywhere, but the machine remains otherwise mostly unchanged. Prices start at $499 for the base model, and OS choices include XP Home / Pro, SuSe Linux, FreeDOS and Windows Vista Home Basic / Premium. The laptop is certainly a nice step up over the Mini 1000, but we sure could use a bit more power under the hood. You know, for business.