Samsung N310 & MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbooks now available in US

Not too far behind the European launch, both the funky Samsung N310 and long-lasting MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbooks are now available to order in the US. The Samsung N310, complete with bold embossed logo and an array of snazzy colours, is now on order from Best Buy where it will set you back $479.99.

Whilst the exterior of the 10-inch Samsung N310 is certainly unique, it also comes with a flush glossy display and chiclet keyboard. The innards aren’t anything to get too excited about though, powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It seems as if our US cousins will get a 6-cell battery with a promised 11 hour battery life, compared to the 4-cell battery seen in the European SKUs. The Samsung N310 is already available in the UK, where it costs £376.17.

There is a rumour that Microsoft is looking to ban hybrid storage netbooks that run XP Home, but that doesn’t look like it’s stopping MSI. It has placed its Wind U115 Hybrid netbook on sale on its official website for $499. The high cost is mainly due to dual internal storage of both a SSD and HDD. This combined with a power efficient Z series Atom CPU means some of the best battery times seen in a netbook. The Wind U115 is now available in the UK for £450.

Via Liliputing and Portable Monkey.

Moblin gets Linux distro backing & Android app support

Moblin, the Intel-backed Linux operating system tailored for netbooks, has been growing in momentum over this past week at Computex Taipei. It has been pushing Moblin V2.0 along with the Linux Foundation, who took control of the project in April.

A number of operating system vendors (OSVs) have already committed to Moblin. This includes Linpus, who will offer its Moblin V2 Linpus Linux Lite in two versions, one with a Linpus UI and one with Intel’s UI. Canonical will release an “Ubuntu Moblin Remix”, whilst Novell demoed its SUSE edition of Moblin Version 2 on Acer and MSI hardware at Computex. Xandros also demonstrated its “Xandros Moblin 2 solution” on an Asus Eee PC in at Computex. Read more

Microsoft bans hybrid storage netbooks that run XP

As things stand, there aren’t too many netbooks that have hybrid storage systems. The most notable one is MSI’s 10-inch Wind U115 Hybrid that uses both a 8GB SSD and 160GB HDD. One of the benefits of such a system, is that battery life can be prolonged by disabling the HDD when not in use.

However, it appears that we won’t be getting too many more netbooks that employ similar systems if Microsoft gets its way. According to bit-tech, Microsoft is banning netbook manufacturers from producing hybrid storage netbooks, when using Windows XP Home. Read more

HP and Dell to launch ION netbooks in Q3 2009

It’s a bit disappointing that we haven’t seen more big name manufacturers announcing ION netbooks at the Computex show, the only new ones we’ve seen are from the likes of Telecast and Weibu. However, both Hewlett-Packard and Dell are expected to launch netbooks using the ION-platform in the third quarter of this year according to Digitimes.

The main big profile ION netbook that has been announced so far is the Lenovo Ideapad S12. Other big names such as Asustek and MSI are also looking to launch ION products in the second half of this year.

However, Intel is looking to spoil the Nvidia party. According to the report, Intel is “reducing its offer of price incentives to PC vendors who are considering Ion-based products”. It is also closely monitoring vendors’ Atom inventories, to prevent them from dumping chipsets bought at a discount and using the CPUs with Nvidia’s ION. Is Intel not learning anything from its EU anti-competitive ruling and subsequent €1.06 billion fine?

MSI Wind U115 Hybrid manual now online

For those of you contemplating purchasing the MSI Wind U115 Hybrid, then you may want to have a flick through of the manual which has now appeared online. There are also a number of drivers, utilities and BIOS listed on the official product page.

Interestingly, the manual also talks about a SKU with a 1.86GHz processor option, although this hasn’t been announced yet. It also goes through all of the power management features including both ECO and Hybrid storage power saving functions. The English manual can be downloaded here.

In related news, TrustedReviews put the netbook through its paces today and scored it 6/10 overall. They found it didn’t offer enough value for money with an uninspiring design. The 10-inch Wind U115 netbook is available to purchase in the UK for around £450.

Video: MSI Wind U115 Hybrid hands-on

As well as launching in the UK, the MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbook also saw its Japan launch this week. Peter from Portable Monkey received his unit today and has posted his initial hands on impressions in the video below. Design wise, it seems very similar to the Wind U100, although it does have a slight texture that can’t really be made out on the video. This includes having the same hinges, status indicators as well as the misplaced Function key on the bottom left of the keyboard.

The keyboard itself appears to be quite solid and doesn’t have any flex. A touchpad sits underneath, although it really does look quite small. There is a rocker bar underneath this. The U115 comes with a matte display. It’s a shame to see no access panels for either the HDD or SDD on the bottom of the unit. He expects a full review to be up in a fortnight. Check out the video after the jump. Read more

MSI Wind U115 Hybrid gets reviewed

THE MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbook has already seen a soft launch in the UK, where it is available from a few retailers. Right on cue, we’ve come across the first review of MSI’s unique netbook that comes with both SSD and HDD storage options, hence the ‘Hybrid’ name. Reg Hardware put a silver Wind U115 through its paces and came away very impressed, that is if you don’t consider its price tag.

The Wind U115 does come at a premium, but that is down to the Hybrid (HDD/SDD) storage solution and Intel’s latest Poulsbo chipset. To enhance battery times, the HDD can be disabled. The UK SKU comes with a 160GB hard-disk drive plus a 8GB solid-state drive, although 16GB SSD + 120GB HDD options are also on the way. Power efficiency is also helped by using a Z series Atom processor.

The battery tests showed that it offered the longest battery life (whether you disable the HDD or not) and good performance from the 1.6GHz Z530 Atom CPU. However, they felt it didn’t offer good value for money. At £450 it is significantly more expensive than its predecessor and placing it in the same price bracket as the luxurious Asus S101, which comes with a 32GB SSD and is much slimmer than the Wind U115. Click through for the key review points. Read more

MSI Wind U200 netbook video hands-on

Yesterday, we showed you some pictures of the 12-inch MSI Wind U200 from NewGadgets.de who had recently managed to get hold of a pre-production sample. Now, Johannes from NewGadgets.de has put up a hands-on video of the Wind U200 where he gives us a tour of MSI’s new netbook.

It is one of the first netbooks to use an Intel CULV processor, in particular the 1.2GHz Intel Celeron M Processor ULV 723. This will be paired with the Intel GS45 chipset and Intel GMA 4500M graphics. It will be very interesting to see how this new chipset will compare to the Atom platform.

There is a large keyboard on the U200 and thankfully there is no flex, even when pressing hard. The touchpad also looks nice and big with two mouse buttons directly below. MSI could be planning a 3G option for the U200 as when removing the battery, a sim card slot can be found. It wasn’t a dummy either as a sim card could actually be placed inside. Apart from that, he walks through the ports, which includes a HDMI-out and a mysterious rubber plug. Check out the video after the break.

Update: We have also included a HD test video below. It’s good to see that YouTube HD video plays smoothly (something you don’t get with Intel Atom netbooks). A 1080p H.264 also appeared to be fine, just dropping a few frames, but perfectly watchable. Read more

MSI Wind U115 Hybrid now shipping in UK

The MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbook has now started to ship in the UK. Whilst some of the bigger retailers have yet to list it, purelygadgets.co.uk has it in stock for the RRP of £499.99, whilst Laptops Direct has limited stock but is £50 cheaper at £449.99.

We have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Wind U115 Hybrid, mainly on the reports of its phenomenal battery life. We have seen tests that yield 13 hours on the 6-cell battery and up to 25 hours on the 9-cell battery.

It is expensive for a 10-inch netbook, however this premium is down to the Hybrid (HDD/SDD) storage solution and Intel’s latest Poulsbo chipset. The UK SKU will come with a 160GB hard-disk drive and 8GB solid-state drive. The HDD can be disabled which helps with the long battery times.

The 10-inch (1024 x 600) LED-backlit display is powered by a low-power 1.6GHz Z530 Atom CPU and US15W (Poulsbo) chipset. This chipset provides full hardware acceleration of HD files (including H.264, MPEG2 and VC1) helping to reduce the total power consumption. It will come with 1GB RAM and a 4-in-1 card reader. Other features include WiFi (including draft n), Bluetooth, a 1.3MP webcam and three USB ports.

Photos of the MSI Wind U200 netbook

The MSI Wind U200, is the first 12-inch netbook under the Wind brand name. It was only officially announced last week, but Johannes from NewGadgets.de has already gone hands-on with the unit. He has posted a number of pictures of the U200 in various different angles, but didn’t do a proper unboxing as he has a pre-production sample which currently has no box!

The MSI Wind U200 has a 12-inch (1366 x 768) display powered by a Celeron ULV SFF 723 CPU and Intel GS45 chipset with GMA 4500M graphics. It will come with 1GB RAM (2GB max), a 250GB HDD, Wi-Fi (including Draft n), Bluetooth, a 1.3MP webcam and a HDMI port. Altogether the U200 will weigh 1.4kg including its 3-cell battery. An optional 6-cell battery will add 200g to the weight.

We have attached a few of the pictures after the break, but to see the full set head over to NewGadgets.de. These pictures include the SIM card slot and an opened access panel, showing how easy it is to access the RAM and HDD. Read more

MSI Wind U200 officially launched – hands on roundup

MSI’s 12-inch Wind U200 leaked out yesterday and, as expected, it has seen its official launch today at an event in Taipei. With this launch, we do get the feeling that the lines between netbooks and notebooks are increasingly starting to blur.

The specifications are no different to that speculated yesterday. The Wind U200 will come with a 12-inch (1366 x 768) display powered by a Celeron ULV SFF 723 CPU and Intel GS45 chipset with GMA 4500M graphics. It will come with 1GB RAM (2GB max), a 250GB HDD, Wi-Fi (including Draft n), Bluetooth, a 1.3MP webcam and a HDMI port. Altogether the U200 will weigh 1.4kg including its 3-cell battery. An optional 6-cell battery will add 200g to the weight.

What we still don’t however are any pricing details or an idea of availability. Maybe further details will be provided at the Computex show in a few weeks time. Both Fudzilla and Netbooknews.de went hands-on with the U200 where you can check out lots of photos from the launch event.

Update: NetbookNews.de also has a video hands-on with the U200 which we’ve attached after the break. Read more

MSI to launch CULV-based 12-inch Wind U200 netbook

MSI is planning a new 12-inch ultra-thin ‘netbook’ called the Wind U200 according to Engadget. The MSI Wind U200 will be powered by Intel’s new CULV platform and official launch details are expected tomorrow. It is interesting that MSI sees this 12-inch device as a netbook, which is what they are claiming by branding it under the Wind umbrella. MSI aren’t alone in doing this, Acer is marketing its 11.6-inch ‘netbook’ under the Aspire brand name, whilst rumours suggest that Asus will be branding its upcoming 11.6-inch device under its Eee PC line.

The Wind U200 will have a 12-inch LED-backlit display running at a 1366 x 768 resolution. It will come with GMA 4500M graphics, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-disk drive. It will also feature Draft-N wireless. Despite the size, it will weigh just 1.4kg with its 3-cell battery. More information, including pricing, as we have it tomorrow. Engadget speculates that it will be priced around $700.

MSI Wind U123 netbook official promo video

The 10.2-inch MSI Wind U123 netbook is a refresh of the popular Wind U100 and comes with the faster N280 Atom CPU. The U123 recently started shipping in the US and now MSI has released an official promotional video highlighting all of its virtues. Strangely the video is silent, however the video is self explanatory and full of text to explain the U123’s full feature set.

The MSI U123 netbook comes with a 10-inch (1024 x 600) display powered by a 1.66Ghz N280 Intel Atom CPU and 945GSE chipset. Graphics are served by Intel’s GMA950. Other features include WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0, 1.3MP webcam and a 4-in-1 card reader. The Wind U123 comes with a 6-cell battery (5200 mAh) as standard. The Wind U123 is available in four colours (pearl White, grey, black and blue). As we stand, there is still no confirmation on pricing or availability in Europe. Check out the video after the jump. Read more

MSI Wind U123 netbook now shipping in US

MSI’s refresh of its popular U100 netbook, the 10.2-inch U123 has now started to ship in the US. Prices currently range from $349.99 at Newegg.com to $379.99 at Frosty Computers (who allow you different customisation options). Amazon
still has the U123 at pre-order stage for $359.99. Only red and blue models are available currently.

The MSI U123 netbook comes with a 10-inch (1024 x 600) display powered by a 1.66Ghz N280 Intel Atom CPU and 945GSE chipset. Graphics are served by Intel’s GMA950. Other features include WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0, 1.3MP webcam and a 4-in-1 card reader.

The Wind U123 comes with a 6-cell battery (5200 mAh) as standard. The unit weighs less than 1.4kg (2.98lbs) including the 6-cell battery. A 9-cell battery is also an optional extra. The Wind U123 will come in four colours (pearl White, grey, black and blue). As we stand, there is still no confirmation on pricing or availability in Europe.

Via Portable Monkey.

MSI and Asus to snub Nvidia’s Ion platform?

Two of the biggest names in the netbook arena, Asustek and Microstar International (MSI), have no plans to launch products based on the Nvidia Ion platform according to Fudzilla. Its sources suggest that ION-based netbooks from these two manufacturers are not even on the agenda.

The report goes on to say that neither company wants to upset their relationship with Intel by choosing to adopt Nvidia’s platform. Another reason is that they do not want to cannibalise sales of their current nettops in the market.

We are expecting a number of “key” players to announce Ion-powered netbooks at Computex Taipei in June. If this news is true, then unfortunately MSI and Asus will not be on that list. MSI may be focusing on a rumoured Android netbook that it is supposed to be announced at the show instead.

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