Our Compaq Mini 311 Review

Design and Screen

Our first encounter with the Compaq Mini 311 wasn’t an ordinary one. From the very first look, the Compaq Mini 311 swept us off our feet with its classic design, light weight, compact frame, and generous screen size. This of course doesn’t come out of the blue, but rather a mix of different strengths from other netbooks and laptops in HP-Compaq’s product line.

A clear example of such blending is the black lid with HP’s classic swirl pattern that you usually see in more expensive, larger HP laptops. Add to that, the general build, the silver deck, and curves are identical to that of HP’s Pavilion Series. This of course is major turn on for anyone who’s used the Pavilion – as the design is simply gorgeous.

In terms of size and weight, the Compaq Mini 311 competes nicely with other 12-inch models. It felt great to carry the Compaq Mini 311around and it nestled comfortably in an ordinary backpack.

The Compaq Mini 311 sports an impressive 11.6-inch screen that’s ideal for web surfing and document viewing. This gives it a great advantage over other competitor netbooks with smaller screens. The screen has great viewing angles, however; it does suffer under the sunlight due to its glossy surface.

Keypad and Trackpad

The Compaq Mini 311’s keyboard is comfortable for typing at any speed. It didn’t take us much time to get used to typing in different emails or documents – something that’s quite remarkable given that most netbooks have quirky keyboard buttons. We can’t say that the Compaq Mini 311’s trackpad is as comfortable, as we’ve found its buttons to be a bit stiff and hard to press.

Performance and Battery Life

To be honest, we were a bit anxious when we first met the Compaq Mini 311. While it definitely inherited HP Pavilion’s design, we were concerned that it won’t live to our expectations in terms of performance. Such worries dissipated with our random performance tests. The Compaq Mini 311’s Intel Atom Processor delivers solid performance through different tasks.

One pleasant surprise was the NVIDIA graphics chipset rather than an integrated Intel one. The chipset brings screen performance that pushes the Compaq Mini 311 ahead in the netbook race.

Overall, the performance of the Compaq Mini 311 is stellar. It passes the test of running a virus scan, downloading an iTunes album, and viewing a movie with flying colours. This of course makes it Dell Latitude’s least expensive match.

The Compaq Mini 311 is the ultimate netbook for staying connected. Whether you’re surfing the internet at the local café through Wi-Fi, sharing files with your friends, or having a video call through your webcam, the Compaq Mini 311 is flexible and accommodating to your social needs.

Following the new power saving trend, the Compaq Mini 311 is an Energy STAR netbook. Its battery life is simply irresistible as it enables you to work nonstop without looking for a power outlet.

What We Liked

We liked the Compaq Mini 311 for its attractive design, powerful performance, and extended battery life.

What We Disliked

We disliked the Compaq Mini 311 for its screen performance under direct sunlight.

Our Final Verdict

The Compaq Mini 311 is the ultimate blend of performance and design. The compact frame of the Compaq Mini 311makes it great for anyone on the move without a compromise in features or performance. The Compaq Mini 311 is a smart purchase for casual and corporate users alike. Its affordable price tag makes it a great value for money netbook.

Compare Laptop Features

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	Compaq Mini 311
General
Dimensions	28.9 x 20.4 x 3.06 cm
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	Yes
Processor
Processor	Intel Atom
Processor Speed	1.6Ghz
Processor FSB	533Mhz
Memory
RAM	1 GB
Storage
Hard Drive Size	160 GB
Hard Drive Type	SATA
Hard Drive Speed	5400rpm
Graphics
Graphics Adaptor	NVIDIA ION LE Graphics card
Screen Type	HD LED (WXGA)
Screen Size	11.60 in
Screen Max. Resolution	1366 x 768 pixels
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	802.11b/g
Bluetooth	Yes
Ethernet	10/100BT
HDMI Ports	1
Multi Card Slot	5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
No. of USB Slots	3
Power
Battery Type	6-Cell Lithium-Ion
AC Power Adaptor	65.0 watts
Web Cam	0.3 MegaPixels
Speakers	Altec Lansing Speakers
Input
Pointing Device	Touch Pad with vertical Scroll
Software
Operating System	Windows XP Home
Cost
Typical Cost (£)	350

Compaq Mini 311 Full Specification

General

Connectivity

Processor

Memory

Storage

Graphics

Connectivity

Power

Input

Software

Cost