Review|MSI Wind U100

If you follow my humble blog then you'd know that I haven't had a personal computer at home since late October 2007, when I sold my SONY VAIO UX280P. Well that has all change last week when I finally decided to get myself an MSI Wind U100. I've owned quite a few notebooks in the past few years 2 of them MSI so I wasn't unfamiliar with the brand at all. I actually recommend it to people who are on a budget but still want relatively good quality [a Taiwan brand is better than the China brands like APEX]. Here's a rundown on the notebooks I've owned:
--
MSI M645 - 15.4 inch - 2005
MSI S262 - 12.1 inch - 2006
SONY VAIO UX280P - 4.5inch - 2007
MSI Wind U100 - 10inch
--
Let's go thru the specifications of the Wind:

Intel® Atom™ N270 Processor 1.6Ghz
Intel® 945GSE+ICH7M Chipset
10in Widescreen LED Backlit 1024x600
2Gb RAM
160Gb 5400RPM HDD
WiFi 802.11b+g
Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
Graphics Card Output (15-pin, D-Sub) X 1
USB2.0 Port X 3
Mic-in Port X 1/Line-in Port x 1
Headphone Output X 1
LAN Port X 1
Output: 20V DC, 40W / Input: 100~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
260(L) X 180(D) X 19-31.5(H)mm
1.0KG with 3 cell battery
Ergonomic Big-Size Keyboard and Touch Pad
Windows XP Home SP3

--
Note: At the time of this writing I have a beefed up model compared to what can be seen on the net [1Gb RAM/80Gb HDD].
--
Looking at the specs you will notice that like the UX280P before it this one has no media drive. This was one of the things that I thought would really bother me but after using the VAIO for a few months I noticed that I really didn't need it as much as I thought I did. Of course one can purchase an after market USB 2.0 media drive. What I do like about the Wind U100 is that the size and weight. It is definitely thin and lite compared to my other MSI's which were 15.4 and 12.1 inches respectively. The keyboard, I think has a good size and it is comfortable to type on especially coming from the horrible thumb board on the UX280P. The screen is bright and crisp and gorgeous. I would've liked a higher resolution but 1026x600is bearable. I also think that the ATOM processor is capable enough to run XP especially with 2Gb RAM, I don't know how well it will run Vista and I really find no compelling need to change my OS ATM. WiFi works as expected. Bluetooth is powered by the Toshiba stack [same as UX280P], I have successfully connected some accessories to the Wind U100. These include my: Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headsets, Logitech V470 Bluetooth Laser Mouse, i.Tech Arrow Lite. I have also used Bluetooth to sync both my mobiles an HTC TyTN II and an HTC S730 with the Wind. I've always been a fan of Bluetooth technology and I love how it keeps the 3 USB ports on the Wind free for other expansion options like extra HDD or media drive.

My 1st Impressions about the Wind are holding true about one week into using it as my personal computer. My reservations about the button on the touchpad has been solved with a Logitech V470 Bluetooth mouse. It would've been nice to get a higher capacity battery but I had no luck getting that yet.

The MSI Wind U100 is a great notebook for people on the go
--
MSI Website