HP Mini Is Built for the Road, Not the Desk

PALO ALTO, Calif. (TheStreet) -- Dell(DELL Quote), Lenovo Group and Samsung Electronics have been pitching low-priced laptops to small businesses to try to drum up interest for big-ticket products.

A notebook computer can now be had for less than $500. And if you're willing to do some shopping, you can find even cheaper models. I recently found a 15.6-inch Compaq computer from Hewlett-Packard(HPQ Quote) at Staples(SPLS Quote). It came with 3 gigabytes of memory, a 250-gigabyte hard drive, a free upgrade to Windows 7 and a printer. The price: $350.

Then you have netbooks, which have been crowding out entry-level laptops. Netbooks are usually cheaper and lighter than laptops, but offer less power. They lack DVD and CD drives, and the largest ones have 11-inch screens.

Computer makers haven't been shy about targeting entrepreneurs with these devices. I've been testing the HP Mini 5101, a netbook designed for businesses, in recent weeks.

What you get: The Mini 5101 is a cheap, four-pound computer that can do plenty of heavy lifting for small-business owners. And do it in style.

The model hit the market earlier this year as part of H-P's attempt to give netbooks an upscale -- and dare I say, corporate -- vibe. By and large, the effort was a success.

Its keyboard and durable design are its most impressive features. While the keyboard is far from full-size, I could type on it comfortably. And the casing seems ready to withstand the life of a road warrior.