MSI Wind review: Te enamorarás! Yes, it's an Eee-killer
MSI's Wind is a 10" subnotebook coming soon in a $400 512MB linux version and a $550 1GB Windows XP version—you get Bluetooth and a 7-hour battery with the latter, explaining the price hike. The XP model is great, according to Chilean hardware site CHW. Google translates its conclusion like so:
" What we tested, and we are thrilled with the HANDS. The MSI Notebook Wind is all that the EEA is not PC and more. Clearly these teams have a clearly defined and limited niche in the market and it is timely for those seeking one second laptop or a supplement to your desktop computer that is ultra-mobile or for those who do not have high demands for power. If this goal within this segment, CREEN. Fall in love."
I'm thinking it might be slightly too big, with that 10" screen, to quite capture the Eee's portability. At 2.8 pounds with that long-life battery, however, what the hell am I complaining about? Talk about a dark horse: Asus and HP have a real competitor to deal with here.
Translation [CHW via UMPC Portal]
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Seven hours?
just wow.
dangit ... why do these reviews refuse to give us the screen resolution. I don't care how big the screen is if the native resolution is too low. 1280x768 is the lowest I'll go and only HP has that so far.
1024x600 according to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSI_Wind_PC
Battery life is the number one problem with the EEE. What's the point of a tiny laptop if you have to plug it in wherever you go? If this thing really lasts 7 hours, that's huge.
It's too big. If you can't put it in your pocket, why not just carry a 12.1" notebook with all the power and screen resolution you need?
When do they release the upper model without XP? That might be the best deal of them all.
I wouldn't label this as an EEE killer quite yet...
If you care to hear my reasons, here they are: 1. No SSD drive. That is pretty much the dealbreaker for me and a good number of other people that equate ultra-portable with ultra-durable. 2. That claimed battery life of 7 hours is with the extended battery which bumps up the final weight to 2.6lbs. While still awesomely light, it's starting to get into a territory where with a larger investment you can get a laptop of same weight with all/most of the features of a regular laptop. And, while the EEE currently lacks this battery power, once it gets an Atom refresh battery life should improve. I believe the current weight of the EEE 900 is 1.99-2.1lbs (depending on which source you read). Hopefully it call manage to squeeze 5-7 hours with an extended battery and Atom at 2.3-2.4lbs.
Besides that, things are looking cool. All these new ultraportables are really exciting. I can't wait to see what Dell has in mind.
ASUS is a top-notch brand. But MSI? Get real.
I like it, but it needs a better battery life for such a small device.
http://astore.amazon.com/buy.cheap.msi.wind.mini.laptop.sale-20