NbC: MSI Wind U135 Review
March 29, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Conclusion
The MSI Wind U135 certainly has its flaws. We don’t like the fact that MSI still doesn’t trust its consumers to swap out the RAM module or hard drive without voiding the warranty. Most other manufacturers provide access panels to make this easy, yet MSI still don’t want you meddling inside the system. This means you’re stuck with 1GB RAM and a HDD unless you’re not bothered about the warranty. Since many consumers like to upgrade RAM or install a SDD into their netbooks I really hope this is a stance that MSI changes soon.
Despite the inclusion of a power-efficient Pine Trail processor, we were a bit disappointed not to see battery life perform better than those tested previously. This is likely down to the lower capacity 6-cell (4400mAh) battery along with the installation of Windows 7 Starter that drains the battery faster than XP. Whilst it may not be an ‘all-day’ battery it is still likely to be perfectly sufficient for most people though. Another niggle was no multitouch gestures supported on the touchpad.
However, even taking these points into account, we really enjoyed using the Wind U135 netbook. It feels rugged and has a nicer design than its predecessors. The 10-inch glossy display was one of the best we’ve seen and didn’t suffer from reflections as much as other netbooks we’ve tested.
We really liked the chiclet keyboard that was a pleasure to type on over long periods and the same can be said of the touchpad that was silky smooth when scrolling. Combine this with the fact that the netbook has pretty much every feature you would expect in a 10-inch netbook including the latest Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi (draft-N) standards and it seems that MSI really has a compelling package on its hands.
Obviously, all of this would matter little if the price wasn’t right. The MSI Wind U135 has a UK RRP of £280 that makes it great value for money. As prices are likely to lower in the future we can see the Wind U135 becoming a big hit for the company and is a worthy flag bearer for the Wind netbook brand going forward.
May 9th, 2010 1:16 PM
I think it needs to be pointed out that the touchpad DOES in fact support multi-touch, scrolling, etc. You just need to grab the Sentelic Multi Touchpad driver from http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=nbdriver&maincat_no=135&prod_no=1973
May 26th, 2010 8:14 PM
Please include a close-up of the two MSI labels on the right underside. These labels show the wireless chipset used in the laptop. I would not touch the U135 if the chipset was Atheros ! too many problems with this chipset. Realtek is the best.
July 8th, 2010 2:43 PM
i have just bought one and the only thing i dnt know how to turn on is the bluetooth dse any one know how to
July 9th, 2010 10:15 PM
I am trying to find the user manual for my MSI wind U100. Not in the box and searched online to no avail. There are many things I do not know about my Netbook, so just do without!! I found a lot of manuals for the Asus Netbooks online, but shame on MSI/Proline for the lack of customer services.
My problem is — I do not know where to set the Webcam, it is not working, can anyone assist please. Thx E
August 3rd, 2010 2:43 PM
Hi,
I also don’t know how to make bluetooth work or my webcam…
can anyone tell me how?
August 4th, 2010 11:08 AM
My problem is — I do not know where to set the Webcam, it is not working, can anyone assist please. Thx E
For U100, Fn+F6 can turn on the webcam.
August 6th, 2010 7:01 PM
hi to turn the webcam on you need to press the fn button and the f6 button at the same time dose anyone know how to switch bluetooth on
October 19th, 2010 4:55 PM
Eli,
The english user manual for the Wind U100 can be found at the address below.
Copy and paste it into your browser.
Josh
http://download1.msi.com/files/downloads/mnu_exe/01_MS_N011+N811_v1.0_English.zip
January 6th, 2011 11:25 PM
hi, i was wondering if anyone could help because i got the netbook for christmas so i can stay in contact with family etc on skype but cant seem to figure out how to make the webcam work
January 17th, 2011 1:33 PM
Hi Guys,
I have bought the Wind U135 just today and the sales guy explained that the netbook doesnt have a built-in Bluetooth. You need to use a bluetooth plug-in/ device.
May 7th, 2011 11:00 AM
hiya i just bort the msi u135 netbook the webcam works an it sayss i have a built bluetooth i dont know ow ta switch it on it says to press fn +f11 togeva that only switches on the wireless can anyone tell me pleasee thanks
May 23rd, 2011 2:39 PM
Please can somebody advice me on how to turn my webcam on and is a built on webcam U135 laptop. it seem when i press the fn and f6 key it comes up but says error or bad signal so please advice