HP Pavillon 300-200 Mini Desktop PC

HP Pavillon 300-200 Mini Desktop PC-HP feels there is still room for desktop Windows-powered small, is connected in the living room or on the office table. The company's new Mini Pavilion which makes the cost cheaper than a Mac Mini, has a smaller footprint and offers the features missing from the Mac Mini, accessibility to internal components if you want to add additional RAM or a new hard drive to the front. Mini pavilion begins with an Intel Pentium processor, but can be configured with a fast Intel Core i3 CPU as well. Cheaper of the two configurations regular partner CPU Intel Pentium with a 7,200 rpm 500GB hard drive for $ 319 (£ 269 in the UK), while the $ 449 configuration (£ 349 in the UK) has an Intel Core i3 CPU and hard drive 1TB 5,400 rpm. Option is not available in Australia today, but the price is converted into approximately AU $ 535 or AU $ 690. Both have 4GB of RAM, but can support up to 16GB if you add more later.

HP Pavillon 300-200 Mini

A corresponding model, called the Mini Stream, using the same chassis (but blue), with an Intel Celeron CPU, 2GB of RAM and 32GB SSD only, and made for the purpose of streaming media or tasks with the cloud base. It costs $ 179 in the US. Configuration tested here is the more expensive of the two versions of the Mini Pavilion. At $ 449, it was a good match against $ 499 Core i5 Apple Mac Mini, as well as mini desktop such as Alienware Alpha, which also has a Core i3 CPU in the configuration of the entry-level priced at $ 499, but pair it with a graphics card custom for a decent gaming PC mainstream. The competitive landscape also includes a more affordable budget options like the Chromebook, 'The Chromebox' mini desktop and laptop Windows though filled as HP Stream 11, which are all sold for about $ 200.

To carry out daily activities and duties of the office, the HP Pavilion Mini proved adequate, but not particularly impressed. Performance is not far from the Mini Mac, but in the hands on testing it gave us an occasional slowdown. But for pure value, it has a good story to tell, with double the storage onboard Mac Mini for $ 50 less, and with the included wireless keyboard and mouse, Apple leaves out other features. 

Design and Features

If you do not know that Windows 8 desktop, the Pavilion Mini may look like it could be a number of consumer electronics devices, from Wi-Fi hub to an external hard drive to the micro-console to play games. With a round shape, curved bottom surface like a bowl, looks less utilitarian than the Mac Mini. HP Pavillon Mini has more than friendly (if unimaginative). 5.7-inch (14.5cm) square, has traces of a desktop that is much smaller than a Mac Mini or Alienware Alpha. Of the three, the Mac is the thinnest, 1.4-inch (3.6cm) high, compared to the size of 2.1-inch (5.3cm) for the HP Mini Desktop. While the Mac Mini's size comes loaded with features useful applications like the Pages and Keynote (like all computers OS X), HP includes a mixed bag of links to outside services, upsell pitch and desktop icons. HP get credit, however, for including a wireless keyboard and mice sets at no additional cost. Peripheral included is a plastic feeling and thick, and not even really look like they go together, the keyboard is matte black, glossy black while the mouse. But they work quite well, with a thick, chunky island style keys on the keyboard and ergonomic curves gently to the mouse. However, note that the USB dongle is required for a mouse and keyboard is quite large, and in addition takes up one of the four USB ports, it could potentially get in the way of other things that you might want to plug into the back of the system.

Connection and Performance

Two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel, with two more in the rear, along with both HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, audio jacks and an Ethernet connection. DisplayPort outputs are full-size plug, not found on most PCs with a mini version of the DisplayPort connection (connection Thunderbolt / DisplayPort on the Mac Mini and Mac mini DisplayPort other all sizes). Note that the connection jack audio input / output 8-inch combo simple, while the Mac Mini has a separate mic headphone jack. Even with the CPU upgrade to the Core i3 in a higher configuration, the Intel Pentium versus at the most expensive HP Pavilion Mini, your performance expectations should be kept simple. Between the Mac Mini's latest, which have i5 processor faster Core and Alienware Alpha, which also has a Core i3, the third system is done competitively, with trading positions on a Mac Mini and Alpha between them in multitasking and a single application of the test, but do not blow each other out of water.

HP Pavillon 300-200 Mini Desktop PC falls a little behind in every test, but not too far behind. On use, the Mini is often swift and smooth to surf the Internet and office everyday tasks, and play even HD video streaming is fine, but we also experienced a rare, but significant, slow down, especially when launching or switching between multiple applications , Your milage may vary, and for media playback that works well, but if I do all the work day mission critical peg would occasionally get annoying. With a low power CPU and Intel integrated graphics only, do not look for a serious game here.