Overclocking is nothing new, but rarely is it promoted by a PC manufacturer, let alone in a netbook. But MSI has released the v1.09 BIOS update for their Wind mini-notebook that allows users to function key toggle an 8%, 15% or 24% automatic overclock that can translate to a 30% performance boost (as independently tested). You’ll notice the extra power in apps like Photoshop especially, but keep in mind that it probably won’t do wonders for the battery life. All in all, however, it sounds like an absolute must-have update. [Electric Vagabond]
Earlier this month we peeked at official shots of the MSI Wind’s 3.5G-equipped refresh, the 10″ U120. Now news from Taiwan is that the U120 will hit the wild in November at $US552 (converted) in both white and black, with an Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB memory and a 120GB hard drive loaded with Windows XP in addition to the built-in 3.5G module. Whether the November date is worldwide or Asia only does not yet appear to be confirmed. [DigiTimes]
MSI hasn’t been shy about their Wind U120, a 10″ netbook that should pack a 120GB hard drive, SSD options, 802.11n Wi-Fi and 3G (HSDPA) fun. But from these first official shots of the unofficial sequel to the praised MSI Wind, we see that not much has changed about the exterior beyond adding a new two-tone style with a black border around the screen (probably to help colours pop). Then again, popping in a SIM card to surf the web from anywhere is a pretty solid update in itself. Look for the Wind U120 priced under $US600 this December. [Fudzilla]
If you’re willing to buy from a third party vendor, the MSI Wind now has an impressive 7800mAh, 9-cell battery available for preorder. Priced at $US180, it’s not an inexpensive upgrade and it weighs a whole pound (450g). Then again, it’ll give you roughly 6 hours of run time according to my real-world calculations. Lion Battery has some even bigger batteries for systems like the Eee, but alas, nothing for the top-cheapo-dog Acer Aspire One. (Note: if you’re making the purchase, checkout with ‘MSIWIND.NET’ to save $US20.) [Lion Battery]
Netbooks were supposed to be this great inroad for Linux development, but it turns out that the XP side of the netbook business is doing a lot better in the area of customer satisfaction: MSI today told Laptop that, according to internal studies, “The return rate is at least four times higher for Linux netbooks than Windows XP netbooks.”
Ohmigod, it’s a MacBook Mini! Oh, wait, no it’s not. It’s a cheap MSI Wind clone with a fake Mac backing on it, put together with dremel, six white LEDs, tape and aluminium foil. Impressive, but not quite what people have been waiting for. But hey, nice work nonetheless! I’m sure it works to fool people in coffee shops. [Gadget Lab]
In an interview with Impress, MSI’s Neo Lin (Notebook Product Manager) leaked some details of upcoming Wind mini-notebook revisions. The big news is that HSDPA will be coming to the new U91 (8.9″) and U120 (10″) systems. But the (translated) interview has some other interesting info other than just the specs on new models. Lin reveals a great geek factoid explaining where the name “Wind” came from (Wi-Fi Network Device). And that just made our day. Seriously. He also warns that dual core Atoms require twice as much power, a design obstacle that all netbook manufacturers will need to overcome. [Impress via Engadget]
Hackintosh machines are nothing new, but the guys over at APC have got a rough guide to troubleshooting the process of installing OS X onto an MSI Wind netbook.
You have to make some small sacrifices (like losing the headphone and microphone jacks) and if you want wireless you’ll need to open your Wind up, but for $700 bucks or so, this solution makes it one of the cheapest Mac options around. And while it’s not exactly legal in the eyes of Apple and their army of lawyers, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
[APC Mag]
MSI is jumping the gun with its 6-cell version of the Wind laptop. Originally slated for a September release, the MSI Wind is currently available at Mwave.com. Those battery shortages that threatened to keep the model off shelves until September never materialised. The US$570 asking price is US$70 more than what MSI had originally promised, but my Gizmodo brethren tell me that even with the hike, the pricing is pretty much in line with others in this space (although it is a bit more than what you can find the comparable Eee PC 1000H going for today). [Lilliputing]
While the rest of the world has been enjoying the MSI Wind, the US release has suffered multiple delays due to battery shortages. Finally, after months of waiting, the little Asus-killer laptops are shipping. So while some of you may already have a Wind in your hands, I thought I’d take this chance to share my own impressions with you all the same. But maybe it’s best summed up by my wife as she walked in the room, grabbed the computer off of my lap and said, “This is what I wanted the Eee to be.” Seriously, she really said that.
