Head to Head: Sony VAIO P vs. HP Mini 2140

by Jerry Jackson

Business professionals have always wanted a computer that is small enough to take everywhere yet powerful enough to do basic business tasks without all the bulk and weight of a regular laptop. Over the last few years as the global economy took a turn for the worse, road warriors started wanting a low-cost solution as well. HP and Sony each developed their own solutions for this market, the HP Mini 2140 and the Sony VAIO P. These, compact, lightweight, and low-cost computers use the same technology found in cheap $400 "netbooks" and add the superior build quality and connectivity features you expect in a premium business notebook.

Which one of these travel companions is right for you? Which one did our editors like most in a Head to Head comparison? Keep reading and you'll find out.

Build and Design

Anyone who reads the reviews of "netbooks" (low-cost, compact laptops) on NotebookReview.com knows that most of these bottom-rung laptops look and feel cheap. All-plastic construction, horribly small keyboards, and tiny screens with low resolution add up to a rather unimpressive user experience. This is why our editorial staff loves both the HP Mini 2140 and the Sony VAIO P. These computers might share much of the same internals as "netbooks" but both of these tiny laptops look and feel like premium electronics. Pick up either of these computers and you immediately understand why neither HP nor Sony want people to call them "netbooks."

HP was the first notebook manufacturer to come out with what could be described as a "premium netbook" in 2008 when they released the HP Mini-note 2133. The 2133 was a remarkable little laptop with the best build quality and the best keyboard we had ever seen in a notebook that small, but in order to bring the price down well below $1,000 HP decided to use a low-power processor and low-performing graphics. The combination of amazing design combined with sub-par performance made the old 2133 a failure in the eyes of most journalists and consumers alike. This year, when the HP Mini 2140 was announced, it was clear that HP learned a valuable lesson and was committed to making a true premium business netbook.

HP Mini 2140

Conversely, the Sony VAIO P has all the style and sexiness of ... well ... a Sony.

Sony VAIO P

Sony's VAIO notebooks have long been considered some of the most stylish laptops on the planet. Even Apple has been known to "borrow" a few ideas from Sony designers over the years. If there's one thing Sony knows how to do it's design electronics that people want to buy. It's no surprise then that Sony makes the coolest looking netbook on the market. In fact, with its slim design that fits into your back pocket or your purse, the VAIO P is labeled as a "Lifestyle PC" rather than a netbook on the SonyStyle website.

That said, the VAIO P suffers from some of the same limitations of low-cost netbooks: limited port selection, a tiny keyboard, and a physically small screen. Sure, every member of our staff agrees they would rather own a Sony VAIO P than a MSI Wind netbook, but both computers have strikingly similar features and performance.

At the end of the day, both the Mini 2140 and VAIO P are among the best-built netbooks on the market. These laptops are so much better than the average netbook that it almost makes you consider not calling them netbooks ... almost. That said, the larger keyboard, touchpad, and aluminum and magnesium alloy construction elements of the HP Mini 2140 place it head and shoulders above the VAIO P despite the sexy appeal of the Sony.

Advantage: HP Mini 2140

Features and Specs

The fact that both HP and Sony hate the tem "netbook" should serve as some indication that these ultramobile laptops are loaded with reasonably impressive specs. For starters, the HP Mini 2140 is one of the only Atom-based notebooks currently on the market that features an ExpressCard slot for expansion. Most netbooks only have USB ports for connecting accessories, so the fact that the HP offers an ExpressCard slot makes this product stand out. The ExpressCard slot means you can add eSATA, FireWire, additional USB ports, or any number of other adapter cards or broadband wireless cards to the Mini 2140. Bottom line, the ExpressCard slot opens up a world of possibilities you won't find in other netbooks.

Unfortunately, HP doesn't offer the Mini 2140 with built-in 3G mobile broadband, so you have to use the ExpressCard slot or a USB port to connect your notebook to a broadband wireless network like Verizon or AT&T.

Sony, on the other hand, includes the option of built-in 3G mobile broadband, GPS, and even has two memory card slots (a nice way to transfer photos or other files and use the other slot for Windows ReadyBoost). The other primary advantage that the Sony VAIO P has over the HP Mini 2140 in terms of features and specs is the screen. The Sony features an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1600 x 768. The base model of the Mini 2140 features a 10.1-inch screen with a meager resolution of only 1024 x 576. The screen on the VAIO might be physically smaller, but you can fit more text and more images on the VAIO's screen. Websites look normal on the VAIO P while the bottom of your favorite home pages might get cut off on the HP Mini 2140.

In short, the combination of wireless features and superior screen resolution make the Sony VAIO P a stronger candidate in terms of features and specs. The ExpressCard slot on the Mini 2140 is fantastic, but the base model needs a higher resolution screen.

Advantage: Sony VAIO P

Ease of Use

There are a number of factors to consider when you talk about "ease of use" but one of the most important is the keyboard. Let's face it, everyone loves the idea of a small and lightweight travel laptop, but nobody wants a tiny keyboard that is painful to use. Netbooks are infamous for having painfully small keyboards with bad layouts, but both the HP and the Sony offer viable alternatives to typical netbook keyboards.

The keyboard on the VAIO P is less cramped than what we've seen on the 7-inch and 8.9-inch netbooks, but the Sony keyboard is still very compact. You may still want to use the "hunt and peck" method of typing with the VAIO P, but since the keys have more spacing in between them it's a little easier to use standard touch typing methods. Bottom line, you can type long emails or reports without too much discomfort ... but you'll probably want to invest in an external keyboard if you plan to use this as your primary office computer.

In contrast, the keyboard on the Mini 2140 is simply fantastic. Last year we said the keyboard on the Mini-note 2133 "is the best keyboard we've seen on a notebook this small." That statement holds true for the new Mini 2140 as well. Sure, you can find better keyboards on larger notebooks, but HP currently has the best keyboard we've tested on 10-inch and smaller netbooks. The keys have the silver "HP DuraKeys" finish that makes them resist dirt and makes the letters printed on the keys last longer over time. The surface of the keys is also smooth to the touch.

The second part of the "ease of use" section probably needs to be dedicated to the touchpad. Most people find using the touchpad on the Mini 2140 a little awkward. The right and left click buttons are what catch you off guard. The buttons are located on the sides of the touchpad and it's easy to forget where they are located if you're used to a regular touchpad. I would have liked the palm rest area to be a little bigger so the buttons could have been relocated below the touchpad like on standard notebooks and most netbooks. The button above the touchpad is a convenient feature that turns the touchpad off and makes it inactive when you are typing or using an external mouse.

The Sony VAIO P actually doesn't have a touchpad at all and uses at touchpoint or trackpoint similar to what you find on many business notebooks. The trackpoint is quite sensitive and easy to use, and even though I usually prefer to use touchpads I found the trackpoint to be very enjoyable. The left and right touchpoint buttons are located in the correct position beneath the space bar and have a shallow feedback and produce a light "click" when pressed.

At the end of the day it all boils down to the keyboard in this section. Although I understand that Sony had to use a smaller keyboard to make the VAIO P fit in your pocket, the HP Mini 2140 simply has the best keyboard we've used in a laptop this small.

Advantage: HP Mini 2140

Performance

Every Intel Atom-based netbook we've reviewed since the Intel Atom processor first arrived in 2008 has virtually identical performance. The synthetic benchmark charts we use to judge performance look painfully boring whenever you compare netbooks. Any Atom processor has enough performance for basic tasks like web browsing or working in Microsoft Office ... you just can't expect to use them for multimedia entertainment beyond playing audio files or low-resolution video.

That said, neither the HP Mini 2140 nor the Sony VAIO P scored particularly high among netbooks. In fact, they're both among the lowest scoring Atom-based computers we've reviewed. Nevertheless, both the HP and the Sony felt as fast as any other Atom-based laptop in real-world use. Although the Sony VAIO P feels a little sluggish under Windows Vista, it also benefits from the new Sony XRoss operating system ... a Linux-based OS that allows for virtually instant access to the web, email, and multimedia applications.

Our full reviews of both models have detailed performance information and synthetic benchmarks if you need more information. Be sure to check out the links to the full reviews at the end of this article.

Obviously, either of these computers is more than capable of browsing the web, checking email, typing a Word document, or giving a PowerPoint presentation. Given the fact that the Sony VAIO P offers built-in 3G broadband, GPS, and a quick-start operating system that allows you to instantly jump online, share photos or listen to music, my preference leans toward the Sony. Yes, the Mini 2140 offers an ExpressCard slot, has better synthetic benchmark numbers and comes pre-installed with Windows XP rather than Vista, but in real-world use the VAIO P just seems to take the top spot.

Advantage: Sony VAIO P

Price and Value

If there's one area where the HP Mini 2140 absolutely destroys the Sony VAIO P, it's price. There's just no way to say the Sony VAIO P has a better price and value than the HP Mini 2140 when the base price is $400 more expensive. True, the Sony can fit in your pocket and offers a higher resolution screen than the HP. However, the difference between $499 and $899 is pretty huge in today's economy. If you're still looking for a reason to pick one over the other, the Mini 2140 gets our pick in terms of value in this comparison.

Advantage: HP Mini 2140

Conclusion

The staff at NotebookReview.com follows a very simple philosophy: "There's a notebook for every buyer and a buyer for every notebook." We believe that no matter what you're looking for there is a notebook that's perfect for you. Likewise, regardless of whether you think a notebook is great or a piece of junk, there's someone out there who thinks that notebook is perfect. That's why it's so hard to pick a winner in comparisons like these.

Both of these computers are perfect ... for somebody.

That said, if we make a decision (based solely on the categories above) for the average consumer about which premium netbook to buy, we would have to ultimately choose the winner as the HP Mini 2140. The build quality, ease of use, and price are all strong reasons to suggest the Mini 2140 if you're an average Joe or Jane looking for a premium netbook for business travel. Just keep in mind that the Sony VAIO P has some strong advantages of its own.

 

Great head to head Jerry. I am keeping my eyes on these two, I am in the market for the perfect replacement for my Sony Z11WN.
Although, I agree with you that confronting these two, the HP offers more than the P (especially for the price), I am leading towards the P just because of the small chassis. All the other netbooks has similar design and chassis (HP 2140, MSI Wind, Acer Aspire One, Asus EEE), but the Sony P series is really something different. Is much much smaller and the built-in 3G made me pull the trigger on this one.

 

How can you talk about design without talking about weight? The HP at 2.6 lbs is 0.4lbs heavier than my 11.1 inch TZ and 1.2lbs more than the P... ie. its almost 2x the weight of the P!

The base HP also has a 1024 x 576 screen, which is awful, and only 1gb ram.

 

I agree with you about making note of the vast difference in weight (though in reality both are extremely light). I disagree about the HP's resolution being "awful." Almost ALL 10-10.2" netbooks have a resolution of 1024x600, which is virtually the same as 1024x576, therefore, comparatively it's just fine. Readability is often more important to users than screen real estate.

 

Nice review, though I don't like netbooks (or whatever they are called)
When will we have some review like this for the Goliaths ??(Aka HP 8730w vs Dell Precision M6400 vs Lenovo W700)

 

You will start seeing these "Head to Head" articles on a semi-regular basis going forward ... based on what review units we have in and whether they make sense for a Head to Head comparison.

 

+1 for this one,also,one for m4400 vs 8530 vs w500!

Cool!love H2H

 

There are at least a few more Atom-Powered notebooks on the market that have Expresscard slots. The Lenovo Ideapad S10 has an Expresscard slot. A tablet netbook by Gigabyte also has the slot but is not available in the U.S. The Asus N10 also has an Expresscard slot.

 

wow a vs on this website? Cool

Sont should have priced the P at $700-$750 i think there is still netbook buyers that are willing to pay in that range

I like the sony because the trackpad is actually really good

The HP is probably the better buy though.

I think you summed up good though its basically different netbooks for different buyers....so apple where is your netbook?

 

I believe apple made a statement that they would never make a Apple Netbook.

 

I rather have a trackpoint than a touchpad.

 

I am sorry to say, but this is not a good review, at least not up to nbr standards.
The performance comparison is a joke. Not a single word about battery life (hello! we are talking about netbooks...). Screen resolution is important, but so is matte vs. glossy option (the former option is crucial for a netbook, who wants a mirror outdoors?). And then why "Sony vs. HP"?? What about asus s101 (same performance, same price range, same "design appeal")?

 

To clarify: both "stand-alone" reviews are really good. But this Sony vs. HP thing... Just weird.

 

The point of this content is to examine two similar notebooks without completely repeating everything that was written in the full reviews and to share the opinions of our editorial staff about the strengths and weaknesses of these notebooks (or netbooks) compared to one another.

As I mentioned earlier in this discussion, our staff writers will be doing more Head to Head articles like these in the future that compare two notebooks that are targeted at similar buyers.

These Head To Head articles are not meant to be stand-alone reviews. Our goal here is to help people make a buying decision if they're on the fence between two products.

I know it's hard for our regular forum members and contributors to see it from the viewpoint of a "newbie" but many people who visit NBR need more help figuring out which notebook to buy. Although we have the wonderful " What Notebook Should I Buy" forum, many visitors who find our reviews via Google never bother to check the forums.

During 2009 you will see many, many more articles that are written with the intent to help "newbies" make an educated buying decision. Most of our non-forum visitors are looking for advice on what notebook to buy but find the reviews too in-depth to make an easy decision. Rather than make our reviews shorter (and less informative) we're going to create additional articles to help out those "newbies."

Some people need our content to be as simple as possible. For those folks we're going to have content that says, "If you have to choose between X and Y, you'll probably want to buy X." or "If you're looking for a 15-inch multimedia notebook, consider X,Y, and Z."

We will continue to write in-depth reviews on NBR so our regular visitors won't have anything to worry about. We just need to make sure we're serving all our visitors ... not just the ones who are in the forums.

 

if only the sony p wasnt so expensive

 

If you're a sucker for small and pretty the VAIO P is most definitely the standout, but for the purpose of practicality the HP Mini 2140 does make sense as the winner. The light weight, slick looks and solid feel of the VAIO P is what makes it something that will truly appeal to those looking for a lifestyle device that expresses something about the user. The Mini 2140 doesn't really make much of a statement.

Regarding the built-in WWAN VAIO P over HP 2140 advantage, to me the built-in 3G is not much of an attraction with any of these netbooks. If I'm buying a netbook it's as a companion PC and I'll probably go with using a USB or ExpressCard style EVDO modem card instead of built-in. If people are carrying a main laptop (say a 14" or larger Core 2 Duo powered work horse) and a "companion laptop" in the form of a netbook it makes more sense to me to have a WWAN connection device that can be used with either. Built-in 3G locks you to using that $79.99 data plan with that one device, if I have two or more laptops I'd rather be paying once and sharing that connection around depending on the machine I'm using.

 

I think the inclusion of a trackpoint already makes the Vaio P a winner as far as practicality goes. I can not stand normal size trackpads, let alone small ones.

As for the built-in 3G, just slot in a sim card and off you go. You do not even need to purchase an extra modem card. When you want to use it with another device, pop out the sim card and slot it inside your other notebook. I honestly do not see what the problem is.

 

I think the weight difference is significant if you're going to carry it around all day (the HP weighs twice as much), and the trackpoint thing is HUGE. People who don't like them will not want the Sony. People who don't like touchpads, on the other hand, will not enjoy the HP. I'd also be curious to compare the higher speed (Japanese) Vaio P - with a 40% faster processor you might see nontrivial day to day performance differences.

 

That works anywhere in Europe, the way wireless providers and modem cards work in the U.S. is quite different, especially with Verizon and Sprint who don't offer Sim cards or use the GSM standard. You'd have to pull out the Mini PCI card each time and depending on the notebook that could either be either a trivial 2 minute switch or a 20 minute project each time.

 

It is not expensive for what it is: a high-build quality, hi-res ultra-portable light duty computer. Compared to the very similar Fujitsu U810/U820, Raon Everun Note, etc, the price is just about right.

While I did enjoy this head to head comparison, I cannot agree that the HP is the "better" buy. Right now the HP is not available with the hi-resolution screen. When it is available, it will have to be loaded with Vista (unless Windows 7 is released to OEMs in April) or some flavor or Linux. Price at that point will be very close to that of the Sony P, but for a machine that is much bigger, much heavier, not much more powerful and still will have a lower res screen than the VAIO P.

 

The €1390/$1835 for the Vaio P (VGN-P19VN/Q) with an Atom Z530 1.66 GHz and 128 GB SSD, is expensive though .
Such a price (and performance?) puts in a whole different class of netbooks.

 

Just a few things that I think would have made this comparison better

a) Some side by side photos. I'd like to see how they stack up against each other size wise.

b) Battery life comparison, including both the standard and long life batteries for both.

c) I also think it would have been more relevant to compare the Vaio P to the top spec HP 2140 with the higher res screen and vista. To not even mention that there is a move expensive, more SIMILAR specced version to the Vaio is a bit of an odd omission in my opinion. I find it less likely tha people would be deciding between the Vaio and the lower spec HP. Much more likely that if they are considering the Vaio at all, then they would be considering the top spec 2140.

 

I think what vaio p is better.

 

HA! There is no perfect notebook for me. Not even close. Hopefully by the end of the year when more systems use LED backlighting?

 

All netbooks so far use LED backlighting?

 

Are you serious? Trackpoint is generally more usable, Vaio P is built from carbonfiber base, plastic frame and aluminum lid, it weighs much less, is easier to carry and keyboard is designed to the smallest usable keyboard size, hence the formfactor. Build and design go to Vaio P a mile ahead.

 

Nope, and anyway the story (and I) said notebook

Recent article said like 90% of netbooks use LED lighting, but way way lower for all notebooks. I just ran into an HP netbook at Circuit City with florescent lighting :-/

 

Ah sorry, I read netbook... since I thought that's what was the topic of discussion. But I'm pretty sure all netbooks so far have used LED backlight screens. At least the Atom processor ones, I never kept up with the 7" Asus ones from a couple years ago.

 

I like the head-to-head concept and the way you guys have implemented it. Kudos!

 

Nope. I just ran across an expensive HP that doesn't just last week. Apparently 10% don't right now, as per that article.

 

This sorely needed a comparison of the video performance (and related battery life) of the two machines. With HP's 16:9 display selection, and the P's even wider display and odd chipset choice, it was crying out for some h.264 action.

 

A thought - you know, I think a more interesting comparison with the Vaio P (or just as interesting) is the Fujitsu U820.

Same weight class, both have high res screens and built in GPS/WWAN, etc., only with somewhat different form factors.

 

What was the model? Did it have the Atom processor or was it an ultra-portable laptop?

 

It had an Atom and was a 'netbook'. I'm not sure of the model though, other than it was $450 and had your standard netbook specs. I might have picked it up if not for the screen.

 

The only HP system with an Atom CPU that's supposed to exist is the 2140 though. Curious.

 

I'd guess it was some Mini 1000 variant that for some reason had florescent lighting?

 

Yeah sure,
where's pictures of notes stacked up side by side/on top against each other?

or what this "vs." & "Head to Head" means?

 

Could be. HP began offering the Mini 2133 with either CCFL or LED, depending on the screen resolution. Maybe you've seen the HD version of the Mini 2140? Let us know if you run into it again anyway!

 

i got the chance to use vaio p today


color my impressed. today confirmed that im waiting for a price drop rather than purchase a any other netbook

 

is any other manufacturer planning a sub 1.7 lb notebook/portable pc w/ similar thin dimensions as the vaio P series?

If not it looks like I'm going to test out the x264/.h264 support on this VaIO P

and see how the batt life lives up to promises. the system might be $1199/ but if you add a spare battery it quickly spikes up to the 1500$ range.

great system for the go pros

 

yes i think i may do the same also i was thinking if you buy a used P you probably would be able to save as much as $200 even though it just came out.

 

The review really omits a few VERY important facts.

1. I don't know about VAIO P, but the 3 cell battery for HP 2140 (that is flush with the bottom) doesn't have a great battery life. HP told me their tests claiming "up to 4 hours" were done with wireless OFF....The 6-cell is just ugly and screws the whole slim design for which 2140 is known.

2. I can't understand all the complaints about the left and right click buttons on 2140. Their location is as convenient as having them below the trackpad. This parameter doesn't have any significance to me although its always mentioned in reviews as if its a big deal ...

3. I can't understand the benefits of the super big screen resolution on Vaio P with such a small screen. Won't you need a magnifying glass for reading the text with so many pixels crammed on a small screen?

4. I don't know about Vaio P but HP 2140 may have a problem using it on your lap cause the opening angle of the screen from the keyboard seems limited around 90 degrees.

Last, I've read comment from someone that works for HP about the difference between HP 2133 and 2140. One important difference is that the webcam of 2133 totally sucks (needs superintensive lighting to work) while the one on 2140 is way way way better.

 

I've been looking around for case recommendations for my Vaio P and came accross this thread.

Although I can understand the comparrison based on the "lifestyle" netbook aspect of these products, I don't think either of these represent a particular breakthrough in this respect. We've seen similar machines to both in the past, albeit without the netbook tag.

The bigger story and point I'm suprised you missed is the Pixel Density of the Vaio Screen. There's been a gaping hole in the market which has meant there hasn't been a suitable machine for many of us, as you suggested there was. I hope the Vaio P and other High Pixel Density notebooks are the first steps to address this issue.

This is the first ultra portable which I feel I can carry which actually means no major compromises:

- Small and light weight
- High Res Screen
- Built in WWAN
- Enough performance to achieve most tasks on the road
- With the extra battery (I got the VGN-P19 which comes with both batteries) I can last a day without having to find a socket.
- Cheap enough that I won't have to wrap it in cotton wool

In the past the reluctance/inability of manufacturers to go past a certain pixel density/DPI has meant the first two were mutually exclusive.