Wind U100
The laptop market has changed in recent months. That's been mostly due to the introduction of Asus' Eee PC that's single-handedly created the low-cost mini-laptop market segment. Intel then released its Atom processor, a CPU designed specifically for such laptops. Now comes MSI's Wind U100, the first machine of the many to come sporting this new processor.
In style, the Wind takes many of its design cues from the Eee. The three-cell battery used in the pre-production prototype we've got our hands on is responsible for the somewhat measly 137 minute battery life, but the final build will hopefully come with a six-cell unit which should up that a fair whack. The larger battery also ups the weight to just under 1.5kg, but still feels great in the hand and it's certainly tough enough to carry around on a regular basis.
The use of the 10-inch screen means it feels a whole lot more like a standard laptop than either the Asus Eee PC or the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC. The keyboard is a good size too, stretching out to use the full extent of the chassis, and doesn't feel as though you're compromising usability for a smaller form factor at all.
When it comes to performance, you'll find the state-of-the-art Intel Atom N270 processor that's the smallest mobile chip to date. As a pre-production unit we were unable to benchmark it, but in daily use we found it quicker than the current options on the market. Running Windows XP Professional, the system loaded and ran with ease. The 45nm Atom measures just 22mm across and has been designed to run in fanless systems.
This means the Wind runs exceptionally coolly and quietly. The use of the ageing Intel 945GSE chipset will no-doubt keep development costs to a minimum for manufacturers but it does mean the FSB is limited to a maximum of 533MHz. So, in real terms you still won't see too much performance gain over the current Celeron M chips being used in the Asus Eee PC.
However, if short bursts of power are what you need, MSI has a trick in its armory no one else seems to offer: Turbo Boost. This tool uses the company's own Turbo Drive Engine Technology to overclock the CPU. I wasn't expecting this to play a part in the Wind but it's been included and pushes the N270 up to 1.gGHz.
We initially had concerns the larger screen size would be less than ideal on the move. Like the Asus Eee PC though, it fits neatly on the table you'll find on the back of most plane seats.
The Wind U100 is an impressive entry-level laptop. I never once felt as though compromises had been made; and in the low-cost, portable market, this is as good as it currently gets.
Related Tags: market, technology, atom, laptop, intel, low-cost, asus, processor, wind, u100
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