HP has been quietly at work prepping their latest Ultra-Portable device, now called the HP Mini-NB.

Current understanding is that HP intends to go head-on with ASUS' EeePC units, and in line with this, HP has ordered 2 MILLION of these little systems from their plants in Taiwan - so we can probably expect an aggresive advertising campaign and lower than usual pricepoint.

Although it's not a tablet, it does come equipped with the standard affair: wireless Lan, integrated webcam, ExpressCard/54 slot, ethernet, USB2.0, what appears to be firewire (why?), and video out.

Additionally, the screen is 8.9 inches of scratch resistant glass (1366x766 WXGA - another odd resolution), and the whole unit is packaged up in shiny, anodized aluminum. You'll notice that there's no ports on the back, which is a refreshing change, but it raises a fairly serious question about the lack of fans and heat dissipation. Otherwise it is appropriately shiny.

Performance specs are currently thin, but it's confirmed to have a VIA cpu. Everything else is pretty much hearsay.

The Mini-NB is predicted to launch in late April, with a tag of roughly $630 (NT$20,000) - which seems fairly reasonable given the lack of touchscreen.

Specs
- HP2133 / Mini-NB Specsheet @umpcportal.com

More Resources
- HP MiniNB Gallery @umpcportal.com