HP’s Mini 210 is slightly more expensive than its super-cheap cousin, the 110, and at first glance only cosmetic changes justify the price hike. The 110′s glossy black has been replaced by a bright blue finish, and the matte interior has made way for chrome-effect plastic.

The 210 has a slicker-looking keyboard and trackpad. The traditional-style keys of the 110 have been replaced by a Scrabble-tile design, and it’s no bad thing: the gaps between the keys aid speedy typing, as do the firm base and responsive keys. The trackpad is just as good and, although we were skeptical about the decision to replace the 110′s physical buttons with a pair built into the trackpad, they’re almost as responsive.

The 110′s stingy 2,550mAh battery has also received a boost to a 5,800mAh unit. The difference is dramatic; the 210′s light-use result of 9hrs 11mins is one of the best here. Little else has changed: the single-core 1.66GHz Atom N455 delivered a middling benchmark score of 0.18, and Intel’s GMA 3150 graphics chip is shared with most systems this month. The 250GB hard disk is the only one here to spin at 7,200rpm, but the 1GB of RAM and 802.11bgn wireless is standard. The screen is similar to the 110′s, with a matte surface, 1,024 x 768 resolution and grainy finish giving slightly washed-out colours.

The battery life means there’s more to like about the 210 than its cheaper cousin, but the single-core processor provides relatively limited power. Its fine if you’re after a cheap, long-lasting netbook, but the dual-core Acer Aspire One D255 costs only £7 more.

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