After many brief ("leaked") appearances, HP's much-hyped 2133 Mini-Note PC is now officially launched. As expected, the 8.9" mini laptop is designed for the growing education market (or Eee market), and intents to help schools offer affordable computing to every student. The under $500 ultraportable is actually a fully-featured laptop in small form factor, meaning it could be a good buy for business professionals who are always on the road, and doesn't require graphics fire power. On the downside, HP's mini system relies on low-powered VIA chip and doesn't include an optical drive, so no movies on the road.

System Highlight

1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV Processor
2GB DDR2 RAM
160GB SATA HDD (5400-/7200rpm) or 64GB SSD
8.9-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 768) display
In-built Stereo Speakers, Microphone
802.11a/b/g Wireless, Bluetooth 2.0
ExpressCard/54 Slot
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Optical Drive via External MultiBay II
Windows Vista / Linux

The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC starts at $499 and is expected be available later this month.