MSI launches Wind U200 ultraportable

MSI has officially launched the Wind U200 that was leaked yesterday. The computer has a 12 inch screen and an Intel Penryn ULV processor, so it’s not exactly a netbook. But it is part of the Wind family, which makes it the MSI Wind U100, U110, U115, U120, and U123′s big brother. Wow, that’s a lot of wind.

Anyway, Sascha from NetbookNews.de snagged a bunch of pictures of the new laptop from the launch event. He notes that the laptop isn’t much larger than a 10.2 inch netbook, but features a nice roomy keyboard. From the photos, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a bezel around the display. And on the underside of the unit there’s a large access panel held on by just two screws, which means you should be able to upgrade the RAM or hard drive with minimal fuss.

Here’s a rundown of the specs:

Display: 12 inch, 1366 x 768 pixels
CPU: Intel Penryn SFF ULV processors
Chipset: GS45 + ICH9M-SFF
Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD
RAM: Up to 4GB of DDRII 667/800MHz memory in 2 DIMM slots
Storage: 2.5″ SATA 160GB or 250G hard drive
Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, Ethernet
I/O: HDMI, D-sub, 3 USB ports, mic input, headphone output, 4-in-1 card reader
Webcam: 1.3MP
Battery: 3 or 6 cells
Dimensions: 11.7″ x 7.5″ x 1.2″
Weight: 3.1 pounds

Update: Sascha also shot some video, which you can check out after the break.

Posted on Thursday, May 14th, 2009, 8:03 am by Brad Linder

okeribok

the keyboard sure looks nice. Will it run OS X?
DG

Apart from the 7.5″ depth (thanks to the widescreen), that's within a tenth of an inch exactly the same size as my aging Toshiba Tecra clunker with its 13″ screen. Ultraportable?! Probably a bit lighter, but at that size it's never going to be a handheld anyway.
TrackSmart

Assuming the battery life is good, I think MSI got this one right. The most compact machine they could make with a 12″ screen. And rather than marketing it as an expensive netbook, they beefed up the specs to make it a respectable thin-and-light laptop.

As an inexpensive ultraportable, I think it will compete well. Again, this assumes good battery life! An ultraportable is nothing if it needs to be tethered to a wall outlet.
DougC3

That's 1.2 inches wider than the, also 12″, Lenovo X61s, but lighter and a different shape, etc. However, I, for one, prefer the Lenovo shape.
oddone

Here's hoping we see more notebooks like this out of Taipei.
TrackSmart

You are not comparing apples to apples! The Lenovo X61s has a 4:3 aspect ratio display (i.e. old school). A 12″ *widescreen display* is wider (by definition)! Look at the bezel on the Wind U200. There isn't 1.2″ left to cut without cutting the screen.

The Lenovo happens to be 1″ bigger in the other direction, due to the non-wide-screen display. So again, you are not comparing apples to apples.
TrackSmart

Okay, I see that you acknowledged the difference in shape. My apologies.

I don't think we'll be seeing any 4:3 displays anymore for laptops. It's a shame, because a 10″ 1024×768 screen would be way more useful than the 1024 x 600 standard on netbooks…
benny90

Well crap, I hope this doesn't ruin the chances of msi releasing a 11.6 or 12 in X-Slim notebook. Its got just about the same specs but it sure isn't nearly as pretty as the X-Slim's.

Also, its about damn time they put in an access panel on the bottom!
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DougC3

Yes, I usually throw in a comment explaining that I'm aware that part of Lenovo 12″ comes from the extra screen height, but I left it out this time and, as you say, the widescreen format is here to stay. Of course it has advantages, packability and portability, viewing two pages or windows side by side (especially with high resolution models), etc. I really love my little Eee 1000HE.
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Cummenna

yet it does with few let down though…
no wireless support for intel 5100
no native support for gma4500 (works with a patch)
no sleep
and it takes 6 min to boot (at least my installation)
so it might not be the best choice but it works!
Cummenna

yet it does with few let down though…
no wireless support for intel 5100
no native support for gma4500 (works with a patch)
no sleep
and it takes 6 min to boot (at least my installation)
so it might not be the best choice but it works!

MSI launches Wind U200 ultraportable

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