Hands-on with the MSI Wind ultra-portable

PEN1S ...this thing is sexy.

There is a definate need for a black version.. BLACK BLACK.

Once you've gone black, you'll never go back!Bring on the almighty blackness!

[quote]We didn?t run any benchmarks, but the MSI Wind felt extremely snappy in general use ? little different to a laptop with a mid-range Intel Core 2 Duo processor, in fact[/quote]FFS! Any newly installed system on moderately modern hardware should be snappy in "general use" you don't need a core 2 duo or anything approaching it to run XP or Linux desktops for everyday tasks, this thing has 1GB of bloody DDR2 RAM, it's bound to be snappy until it starts to get bogged down and that 5400rpm drive gets involved.I'd be interested to know how it coped with cpu intensive graphics manipulation tasks under a memory load which causes extensive swapping. Not that i'd want a machine like this for such tasks, it's an ultraportable designed for basic tasks and a good battery life, afterall.

another one without hsdpa card?

Clearly someone who hasn't used the HP 2133 Mini-Note... That's a laptop that *does not* feel snappy.We're interested to know how the Wind copes with CPU intensive tasks too, but until we get one in for review proper (this was a flying visit), a general 'feel' is the best we can do. Which is what this article kinda said...

What is the deal with the Fn key in the corner!!!Whoever designed the keyboard has never actually used a computer! That's almost as unforgivable as the enter key stretching up to the backspace key.

I think the $650.00 price tag misses the sweet spot. In order for these ultra-portables to really catch on, they need to be priced well under a full sized and full featured laptop. I sense an upward price creep in these new mini-laptops hitting the market lately. For me, the $350.00 eeePC felt like a great little computer for a very good price. I have been very happy with it and the size and price creates a stir whenever I use it in public. Bring on the race to the bottom!

Is defin[b]a[/b]te the hacker spelling of definite?

why are wide bezels popular again?? I don't get it - I have an old Dell and an old IBM - both has nice thin bezels. I don't get it!!!

while we all love super thin bezels i'm guessing they're not possible when trying to balance a usable keyboard with a 10" screen. presumably it's not possible to make a 1kg 12" or 13.3" sub notebook yet. [witness the macbook/airs raw tonnage]

[quote=watson]while we all love super thin bezels i'm guessing they're not possible when trying to balance a usable keyboard with a 10" screen. presumably it's not possible to make a 1kg 12" or 13.3" sub notebook yet. [witness the macbook/airs raw tonnage][/quote]eeeh, my 12.1" LG TX-42 is a 1kg :-s

Why didn't you measure the actual battery life?

Then surely you should just pan the HP machine in your review, rather than using it as a benchmark against which to test other machines, there's obviously something wrong with a machine that doesn't cope with such an old operating system on modern hardware.

I'm going to buy a Eee PC 901.Reasons :1. Asus are sprucing up Linux on the 901 - adding more software and updating other packs, maybe even updating the distro.2. The 901 will have the Atom CPU and a better GPU3. Asus make better products4. Asus already have a lot of experience with making netbooks.5. The Wind is a bit too deep. 18cm is a lot.6. The keyboard is wierd on the Wind - I *hate* Fn keys on the corner.7. The 901 should be a lot quieter than the 900.8. The Wind has a smooth shape - I don't think this works well with such a small form factor. One needs something angular.9. The SSD's on the Eee PC's are ideal - shockproof, and increasing in size with every update.10. I don't like the Wind's packaging.:P

[quote=kerberos]why are wide bezels popular again?? I don't get it - I have an old Dell and an old IBM - both has nice thin bezels. I don't get it!!![/quote]One reason is all the wireless stuff. The best place for the aerials tends to be top of the screen. wireless-G, A, N, Bluetooth, 3G cellular all need their own... Then cram in a webcam too.

329 pounds? I recently bought a new Lenovo dual processor notebook for $A595, 290 pounds.

You mean that to get the larger display, I have to give MS money by buying XP? Forget about it!

[quote=Mark Smith]I'm going to buy a Eee PC 901.Reasons :1. Asus are sprucing up Linux on the 901 - adding more software and updating other packs, maybe even updating the distro.2. The 901 will have the Atom CPU and a better GPU3. Asus make better products4. Asus already have a lot of experience with making netbooks.5. The Wind is a bit too deep. 18cm is a lot.6. The keyboard is wierd on the Wind - I *hate* Fn keys on the corner.7. The 901 should be a lot quieter than the 900.8. The Wind has a smooth shape - I don't think this works well with such a small form factor. One needs something angular.9. The SSD's on the Eee PC's are ideal - shockproof, and increasing in size with every update.10. I don't like the Wind's packaging.:P[/quote]most your comments are subjective.-It is expected that both eeepc901 and wind to have the new atom-revised linux with more software doesnt mean a thing, when you can get the same thing installed once you get it.(try ubuntu in the wind)-ssd just adds to the price and lowers extra features that could have been added. Like more usable space?-dont expect any real upgrade on video card unless they go with a dedicated gpu, which wont happen (battery life and price reason). My guess? same video card.-ive used asus and msi hardware and both are good.No need for favoritism

I really don't understand why everyone want a black msi wind. In every poll I've seen it's about the double amount of the ones wanting the white one.I'm definitly going for the white. I mean, just think about it. When you go outside, to sit in the sun writing a paper or surfing the web; the white colour won't attract as much heat as the black one. And as it is a netbook (which purpose is the be versitale and portable) I really think white is the best colour to go for.

[quote]most your comments are subjective.[/quote]Points 5 and 10 are subjective.The rest are not.With regard to quality - Asus were recognised for high quality products. If one was to base purchase on quality Asus would just edge out MSI. Having said that - no, I don't see a problem with MSI goods, I think they are high quality as well. My personal preference is for Asus though but if MSI's solution was better suited to my needs I would buy MSI.[quote]-revised linux with more software doesnt mean a thing, when you can get the same thing installed once you get it.(try ubuntu in the wind)[/quote]Well yes and no. The distro is being updated and it's better for the manufacturer to do that update.[quote]ssd just adds to the price and lowers extra features that could have been added. [/quote]Good point. However SSD's are ideal for portability. Larger SSD's will impact on the number of other extra features.

[quote=Dennis]I really don't understand why everyone want a black msi wind. In every poll I've seen it's about the double amount of the ones wanting the white one.I'm definitly going for the white. I mean, just think about it. When you go outside, to sit in the sun writing a paper or surfing the web; the white colour won't attract as much heat as the black one. And as it is a netbook (which purpose is the be versitale and portable) I really think white is the best colour to go for.[/quote]I owned the white Macbook and over time the white products show their age more than black. The oil and sweat from skin creates a dull sheen. The white ones do look more stylish out of the box but I will now buy black every time. I have just ordered the Black Wind with XP from cclonline for £304 incl Vat and they state it is due July 9th. (This is cheaper by far than expansys). Paul

[quote=Mark Smith]I'm going to buy a Eee PC 901.Reasons :1. Asus are sprucing up Linux on the 901 - adding more software and updating other packs, maybe even updating the distro.2. The 901 will have the Atom CPU and a better GPU3. Asus make better products4. Asus already have a lot of experience with making netbooks.5. The Wind is a bit too deep. 18cm is a lot.6. The keyboard is wierd on the Wind - I *hate* Fn keys on the corner.7. The 901 should be a lot quieter than the 900.8. The Wind has a smooth shape - I don't think this works well with such a small form factor. One needs something angular.9. The SSD's on the Eee PC's are ideal - shockproof, and increasing in size with every update.10. I don't like the Wind's packaging.:P[/quote]Looks like an asus fanboy

you're right about the price ,, but I saw on the MSImobile site that they were selling to America for 480.00 - and on some sites 500. But if its more than 550-600, then it definitely misses out on the point of cheap.

as far as i heard these are $5oo in the us and 330 quid over here, thats bad.

The advent 4211 from Pcworld was shipped as the MSI wind... http://www.esrun.co.uk/blog/msi-wind-review/

It's an unfair compare... Asus has (soon) a model 1000, that's a 10 inch screen display (biger chasis too, so comparing this two products will be better...

well i went out and bought an msi wind the other day & have to say its the nuts. so small & portable that i can literally take it anywhere and surf the net via my htc kaiser mobile handset. i can say that the keyboard takes a little getting used to, but its nice to be able to have a laptop to hand in situations when i would not have considered taking the full size laptop around.performance is pretty good considering how small the machine is, and have to report also that the machine never gets that hot either, even under full power. will get the 6 cell battery when that comes out though. at the moment i seem to get about 2hrs use out of each charge on standard battery with the bluetooth turned on for the internet.

my gf's sis has a 701. nice but too small. so im totally hanging to break wind on a asus. :shock: msi for me...white with somekind of classy skin and keyboard protector. :P

I bought one but can only get underclocking to work. When I plug it into the power it wont overclock. Any ideas?

i dont see why people are complaining about the price, it has a 1.6 two core processor which you wouldent get on many laptops at that price,(pc world sell an advent version for £280 which is the exact same just rebranded, i strongly reconmend anybody buying an asus eeepc to have a look at this, the "netbook" title puts it down a lot its really a good laptop

If you sit in the sun with the white one, the sun will reflect off the laptop and into your eyes making you unable to do any work whatsoever. lol

I am in the buy for a low priced small factor Laptop too but ...CPU and Graphics should be quite similar along with performance with 1gb RamBut : 1)Battery Life: I won't go back to 2hours battery as mentioned for the MSI and I am not willing to pay extra for the 6 cell either 2)Heat: Ventilation for me is critical. What is the point of having a Laptop you cannot put on your lap, simply because you block all intake air-ducts and will eventually fry the thing ?!Especially in warmer countries (Greece for Example) this is not an option 3)Screen: I also find very important that screen has little reflectivity or otherwise working outdoors makes no sense at all...4)Colour: White or Black ? well white is heat repelling as sait but gets dirty ... I prefer to clean from time to time5)Form Factor: Also very important is fattiness of the Notebook (more than it being a couple of cm wider) ... I kinda noticed on MSI that the back end of the Notebook gets really fat compare to the front end when closed, and also it has extruding rubbery bits in the under side (obviously to let air flow as intake ducts are under there). All this makes me think that putting it in and out of a bag with papers or tight fitting will be problematic. 6) Also key board quality is essential! I don't want keys popping out after 3-6 months of heavy use... I saw an exhibit piece of eeePC 701 with 2 keys missing (they get roughed up of course but still)7) HDD or SDD? I heard that (beyond shock proof) SDD are a lot faster than typical 4200 or 5400 HD... This is bound to have effects on the overall performance. With the price and size of external HDD (WD passport for example)it makes no sense to go for 80 HDD instead of 40 SDD... I need 250 Gigs on the move ... little I care about the 40 gig extra if they are going to slow down performance ...8) Upgradability: very important to know if it is going to last you a couple of years (as you keep cramming your Notebook with softs you don't need). Memory slots, pci ? other ? So to wrap up?1) Battery : winner ASUS2) Heat: No idea? ASUS seems to use more lateral heat ducts but can't really say (any one?)3)Screen: No idea (any one ?)4)Color : Even (I would very much like other colors too like Dell or Sony colors)5)Form Factor: eeePC 901 (it looks easier to slot in a bag but i cant really say until I get both ;-)6)Keyboard: No idea (even though I certainly hope MSI did a better job than ASUS on this one)7) HDD vs SDD: ASUS for the SDD8) Upgradeability: No idea but looks like ASUS has surpises under the hood for hackers (http://www.hackinthebox.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=26917&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0)Winner ? Cant really say yet but it looks like Asus...eeePC 901 that is; the 1000 is way too expensive and too close to a real notebook for my liking :roll:

I am in the buy for a low priced small factor Laptop too but ...CPU and Graphics should be quite similar along with performance with 1gb RamBut : 1)Battery Life: I won't go back to 2hours battery as mentioned for the MSI and I am not willing to pay extra for the 6 cell either 2)Heat: Ventilation for me is critical. What is the point of having a Laptop you cannot put on your lap, simply because you block all intake air-ducts and will eventually fry the thing ?!Especially in warmer countries (Greece for Example) this is not an option 3)Screen: I also find very important that screen has little reflectivity or otherwise working outdoors makes no sense at all...4)Colour: White or Black ? well white is heat repelling as sait but gets dirty ... I prefer to clean from time to time5)Form Factor: Also very important is fattiness of the Notebook (more than it being a couple of cm wider) ... I kinda noticed on MSI that the back end of the Notebook gets really fat compare to the front end when closed, and also it has extruding rubbery bits in the under side (obviously to let air flow as intake ducts are under there). All this makes me think that putting it in and out of a bag with papers or tight fitting will be problematic. 6) Also key board quality is essential! I don't want keys popping out after 3-6 months of heavy use... I saw an exhibit piece of eeePC 701 with 2 keys missing (they get roughed up of course but still)7) HDD or SDD? I heard that (beyond shock proof) SDD are a lot faster than typical 4200 or 5400 HD... This is bound to have effects on the overall performance. With the price and size of external HDD (WD passport for example)it makes no sense to go for 80 HDD instead of 40 SDD... I need 250 Gigs on the move ... little I care about the 40 gig extra if they are going to slow down performance ...8) Upgradability: very important to know if it is going to last you a couple of years (as you keep cramming your Notebook with softs you don't need). Memory slots, pci ? other ? So to wrap up?1) Battery : winner ASUS2) Heat: No idea? ASUS seems to use more lateral heat ducts but can't really say (any one?)3)Screen: No idea (any one ?)4)Color : Even (I would very much like other colors too like Dell or Sony colors)5)Form Factor: eeePC 901 (it looks easier to slot in a bag but i cant really say until I get both ;-)6)Keyboard: No idea (even though I certainly hope MSI did a better job than ASUS on this one)7) HDD vs SDD: ASUS for the SDD8) Upgradeability: No idea but looks like ASUS has surpises under the hood for hackers (http://www.hackinthebox.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=26917&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0)Winner ? Cant really say yet but it looks like Asus...eeePC 901 that is; the 1000 is way too expensive and too close to a real notebook for my liking :roll:

[color=blue][/color]I got me an MSI Wind (Black) with the 3 cell battery. Well, I had no choice since a 6 cell unit is nowhere to be found. I figured that since I want this unit so much I might just as well wait it out for the 6 cell battery to come out and purchase that as soon as it becomes available. I was supposed to wait out anonter 2 months before getting this unit but when I found out it was available at my favorite computer shop, I just couldn't resist.The 3 cell battery that came with my unit is fine for now. But it my opinion it is a real deal breaker for those who really want an extended battery life given off by other netbooks. But in spite of this major faux pas of MSI, the Wind is a very good machine. I?ve since updated the drivers from their site.Laptop batteries are known to be notoriously expensive. I just hope if they eventually come out for the MSI Wind, they won?t cost as much as half the retail price of the unit itself. :lol:

[color=fuchsia][/color]The black one shows up finger prints and marks....will get white just cos its different

lovin the white one....classy!

Eee line is fine hardware, maybe the best. But beware not forget the soft !
If the Wind gets a Ubuntu inside, this is the one to go. Opensource, hundreds -literally- of programs at hand (installing with Synaptic a breeze) -- Vs a strange mix of free and proprietary code that you cannot download from nowhere, that cannot properly fit with other repositories than themselves (its deals with MS and other proprietary makers prevent their inclussion in the opensource Linux club). You can change it and install a custom adapted version of a 'regular' Linux, ok, but there you are mostly lost and alone. - have heard of FUD software ? Check Wikipedia...
I would forget Asus, unless they stop cheating with pseudo-Linux games.

I'm impressed with my MSI Wind with the six cell battery.

Not bad at all for price...

I have a Wind and LOVE it but have a recurring issue that does not happen with other keyboards ... when I am typing sometimes I find the cursor jumps back mid sentence or even mid-paragraph ... I end up with bits of sentence all over the place. Try as I have, I have not been able to find if I am hitting some 'shortcut' or what I am doing to cause it.
Can anyone help?

Turn off touch pad while typing may resolve