Expert: Bobbert - 8/19/2009

Question
sir,
 this is venkatesh, and i am a college student at present.I am an engineering student(computer science).
 I like to take a laptop.so i have chosen hp mini mini 5101.because it is cheap and it is light waight and also very small to cary.I think it is capable of doing my practice job in programing and software development.
 is the Intel atom procssor capable of doing every thing except games and other heavy softwares? is this processor equal to p4?
 give me suggestions please.will it be useful for long time? and is it enough to me? or should i take up another one?
 thank you sir.

Answer
Assuming you're working with an IDE like the Eclipse Platform or Microsoft Visual Studio, and aren't trying to do anything too intensive (like playing Crysis), it should be no problem for your needs. As far as comparison to the Pentium 4, features wise everything will be supported (in that you have a modern SSE implementation and legitimate x86 ISA (as opposed to some emulated solutions, like Transmeta's processors)), although performance is likely not equal. However, for your application load, you shouldn't notice the differences too much. I would ensure the system has at least 1GB of RAM, ideally 2GB (if your budget allows), and sufficient storage for your needs.

Longetivity is a difficult question, the machine itself should function for many years, although your needs, as a result of more complex tasks in school, or later on in the workforce, may require you to have a more powerful machine available on a regular basis. I wouldn't hold this against the HP you've selected today, just keep in mind that in a few years, you may be looking to upgrade to some degree.

-bob