This model appears identical to the Wind U135 that we enjoyed reviewing recently, but comes with the 1.66Ghz N455 Atom processor. As with the Wind12 U250, the Wind U135DX also comes with MSI’s new overclocking utility called TDE (Turbo Drive Engine). Other than that everything else looks the same. No word on pricing or availability. Click through for the specs.

MSI Wind U135DX Technical Specifications:

10.1″ 1024 x 600 display (glossy)
Intel Atom N455 processor
Intel GMA 3150 graphics
1GB DDR3 RAM
160GB HDD (2.5″ SATA)
0.3M webcam
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
10/100 LAN
Bluetooth (optional)
VGA, card reader, RJ45, audio jacks, USB 2.0 x 3
Windows 7 Starter
260 x 180 x 19 – 31.5 mm
1.2 kg
3-cell and 6-cell battery (7.5 hours)

Via Netbooked.

Intel has not formally announced its DDR3 1.6GHz N455 and 1.83GHz N475 Atom processors, however we may expect further details at Computex in a couple of weeks time. One of the benefits of the new chip was increased power efficiency. MSI claims that the Wind U160DX should be good for 15 hours of runtime. No word on availability or pricing for now.

Via NewGadgets.de.

The L1300 has Windows XP and the L1350 has Windows 7. Apart from that, both models come with a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display and are powered by 1.66GHz N450 Atom processors. The Wind L2300 has a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) display and a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor. If anybody can figure what new things these models bring to the table, we’d love to know!

Via Liliputing.

We have put the Wind U135 netbook through its paces and overall we were left with positive impressions. Yes, we did find a few niggles, but couldn’t complain too much given its keen pricing at £280. Click through for our in depth review, along with our customary performance and battery tests.

Positives:
- Solidly built with attractive design
- Good battery life
- Nice bright, vivid glossy display
- Comfortable chiclet keyboard
- Textured touchpad with smooth scrolling
- Feature rich specs includes 1.3MP webcam & Wi-Fi draft-N
- Good value price-point

Negatives:
- No access to components (void warranty if do so)
- Glossy lid, fingerprint magnet
- Speakers are loud, but quality is poor (little separation, muffled at high volumes)
- Small right shift key
- No multi-touch gestures on touchpad

MSI Wind U135 Technical Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Atom N450 processor (1.66GHz)
• Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• Chipsets: Intel NM10
• Graphic: GMA 3150 (Share with System Memory)
• Memory: DDR2 667 support up to 2 GB (1 DIMM slot)
• LCD Display: 10” (1024 x 600) WSVGA LED
• HDD: 160 GB or above (2.5” SATA)
• Card Reader: 4 in 1 (support SD, MMC, MS, XD)
• I/O: D-sub
  USB 2.0 x 3
  Mic-in
  Headphone
  RJ45
• Battery: 3 cells / 6 cells
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/ draft n
  Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR
• Webcam: 1.3 MP Webcam
• Sound: HD Audio
  Stereo speakers
• Dimension: 260 x 180 x 19 – 31.5mm
• Weight: 1.2 Kg (with 3 cell battery)
• Price (at time of publication): £279.99 (Amazon.co.uk), $329.99 (Amazon.com), $309.99 (Newegg.com)

The MSI Wind U135 is one of four Pine Trail netbooks that the company has released. The new processors aren’t the only thing that is new though, MSI has made much more of a concerted effort on the design of these new Wind netbooks. The older Wind design was certainly solid and functional, however with manufacturers pushing the envelope in making ever-more attractive netbooks, it was important that MSI were not left behind.

The Wind U160 is the most attractive, with its slim chassis and quoted 15-hour battery life. We haven’t heard much of the Wind U140 apart from a few photos and then we’re left with the U130 and U135. Both the U130 and U135 are very similar but the U135 has a 20 percent larger touchpad as well as chiclet keyboard. Apart from that both have a 10-inch (1024 x 600) screen armed with a 1.66GHz N450 Pineview Atom processor, 160GB/250GB HDD options and Windows 7. Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0, a 1.3MP webcam and a 4-in-1-card reader.

MSI has also said that power consumption is only 5.5 watts, battery life has been increased by 15 percent and performance is up by 10 percent using Intel’s new platform. As with other MSI netbooks, the company’s ECO engine is also present to prolong battery life.

We previously covered the unboxing here. Inside the box you will find a power supply, battery, some documentation (user manual & warranty card) and a recovery disc. You won’t find a netbook sleeve, but given the low price, it’s not really expected.

The model will come with an unspecified dual-core 1.3GHz processor, up to 4GB RAM and a 320GB HDD. System power in idle is quoted as 10.61W suggesting it will be an AMD processor as it’s higher than typical CULV power consumption. It will come with dedicated graphics (ATi Radeon 3200?) with 512MB memory. Hopefully some more definitive information will be released shortly.

Via Liliputing.

They claim that dismantling the U160 is both easy and fast, with ten main screws holding the bottom cover in place. Be aware though that by removing the bottom invalidates your warranty, so proceed with caution if you think of doing something similar once the Wind U160’s eventually hit retail.

The motherboard comes in two parts, much like the Asus Eee PC 1005PE. The Intel N450 Atom chipset is very small, but despite the increased power efficiency, a small ventilation system is still required. There’s no spare Mini PCI-E slot, the first being occupied by a Wi-Fi card, so those wanting to stick in a Broadcom Crystal HD card are out of luck (unless you want to sacrifice wireless capabilities). You can check out all of the pics here.

Laptop Mag has put the Wind U160 to the test where it scored a respectable 3.5 stars. One area where it really excelled was battery life, lasting for 8 hours and 37 minutes, way ahead of the average (6 hours 11 minutes). They liked the fact that it ran cool, it has a fast hard drive and is amongst the lightest netbooks around.

Some of the negatives included a cramped keyboard with undersized keys and a protruding 6-cell battery. Overall they preferred the Asus Eee PC 1001P that, despite being heavier, is both cheaper, has a comparable battery life (8 hours 23 minutes) and offers a more comfortable keyboard. Click here for the full review.

As the modder alexbates says, this mod enables you to “build an iPad with 10 times the storage, twice the speed, external video (VGA), webcam, USB ports, and built-in multi card reader, all for $350.” Hopefully a video should be available in due course, in the meantime you can find all the details on this mod here.

Via Engadget.

Now the MSI Wind U160 has been spotted running Moblin at MWC in Barcelona. The hardware remains the same: 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, N450 Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD and a 15 hour battery life. We don’t know whether this was just a demonstration or whether MSI plans on making this a commercial reality. However, you can check out a video of the Moblin Wind U160 after the break.

Via Notebook Italia.

I have to say I’m impressed with MSI’s efforts in its new range of Intel Pine Trail netbooks. Whilst the Wind U160 may be the head-turner, the U135 isn’t too bad itself. Whilst we’re never fans of seeing a glossy lid, it doesn’t seem to be as much of a fingerprint magnet compared to the other models. The chiclet keyboard also has proved to be comfortable and we really like the textured touchpad. It’s not the biggest, but the tracking is very accurate and the finger scrolls smoothly over the surface. The single rocker bar underneath also has good feedback.

We’re currently conducting our usual round of battery and performance tests and will come back with a review in due course. Until then, check out our unboxing video after the break.