The real question in my mind is if these small laptop devices really have a future. As I sit down at my grandparent’s kitchen table, I type on keys that are 92% of the normal size keyboard. I hardly notice a difference in the quality, boot time, and options. My HP Mini 311-1000NR has a 1.6 GHz Atom Processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a surprisingly large 160 GB HDD.

I’ve sold my MacBook, and until I splurge on some sort of powerful desktop or laptop, I’ve got this brand new netbook. My expectations are quite high and I need everything to work. I keep saying in mind, I have papers to write and things to do – it all just needs to work.

Picking up the 3.2 lbs Mini, I know that I have a powerful and sturdy device in hand. The keys are responsive and the QWERTY part of the keyboard is well sized and perfect for my keystrokes. The start time is a little slower compared to other netbooks, but I hardly notice it because I’m constantly having it hibernate.

I start up and log in to Windows XP Home, the computer is slow to allow any start to applications, but I get something open soon enough. It has a convenient on/off button for the WLAN card inside that has b/g wireless capabilities. Which begs me to ask the rhetorical question, “Are you kidding me?” There’s a child-like card inside what’s supposed to be an ultra-portable netbook. At least throw in Wireless-N. But the switch is effective and nice to have either way.

Connecting to a network, I realize the potential power behind a device like this; I’m connected! Connected anywhere and everywhere these days; internet and open Wi-Fi spots seem to pop up constantly. And I have an on-the-go device that can effortlessly slip into my backpack and go unnoticed because of its svelte weight and dimensions.

But here’s where I run into trouble. The device is essentially incapable of running Flash videos. This cracks me up, we’re in the tech age right now – how the hell can’t these laptops play Flash video? I’m not the only one. Comment after comment on a number of different netbooks talk about “performance.” It’s not real performance that’s an issue – I can multitask relatively well. It’s video that’s essentially unplayable and intolerable.

Downloading the latest episode of the Totally Rad Show in HD, I find that the video plays back, and gets better as the video goes along, but it’s still stuttering and the frames per second are barely cutting it. The HP Mini 311, featuring an HD-resolution screen can’t even playback quality HD content! Seamless playback was never an issue on my MacBook. How does a 1.6 GHz processor and Nvidia Ion graphics card fail so miserably?

The answer is complicated, but the basic idea is that Flash media is processor and memory intensive. In future updates there’s hope that it’ll be reduced. It needs to be reduced before it’ll run on devices like the Motorola Droid in early 2010. There’s actually an update coming later this year or next for Flash 10.1, which can be downloaded in prerelease form here. Playback is mildly improved and analysts say that the HP Mini’s enhanced GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) will help assist Flash to deliver even better videos.

The bottom line is that I love the simplicity and portability of netbooks. There’s tremendous potential behind them and a growing market. People will be buying more of these, and makers of Flash and other HD content will become better producers of content for these devices. Now after a little less than a week of owning the device, I looked at Amazon.com to see the latest prices on my device and comparable ones; I’m shocked, Amazon.com is offering the bigger brother HP Mini 311-1025NR for $479.99 (probably for a limited time). It comes with an added boost in hard disk capacity, RAM, and is fit with Windows 7 Home Premium.

If you need something that can handle video whatsoever, I’d recommend the HP Mini 311-1025NR. But if you’re looking at pure portability, look at some of the latest Eee PC’s.

Tags: Google (GOOG), HP, ion, Laptop, MacBook, Mini, Netbook, netbooks, nvidia, Wi-Fi, wireless