While we would have liked to have been able to say that we made this video, alas some lucky person out there now has an MSI Wind, and shares their fortune in this unboxing video:
Posted under MSI Wind
This post was written by admin on July 2, 2008
Aspire One UK Pricing Update
According to a post on Windowswatch UK, Acer has confirmed their UK pricing for the Aspire One. The price for the base Linux SSD model is no longer £199 with VAT, but now £219. One note of interest: instead of the previously widely reported 80GB hard drive, the article is claiming that hard drive versions of the Aspire one will now feature a 120GB HD.
Linux, 8GB SSD, 512MB RAM, £219.99
Linux, 120GB HDD, 512MB RAM, £229.99
Linux, 120GB HDD, 1GB RAM, £249.99
XP Home, 120GB HDD, 512MB RAM, £279.99
XP Home, 120GB HDD, 1GB RAM, £299.99
There is no update on which of the models, if any, will have the six-cell battery. A previous report on the French site blogeee.net had mentioned that the top Linux and XP models would have the six-cell battery.
Posted under Acer Aspire One
This post was written by admin on July 2, 2008
Amazon: 3-5 Weeks For An MSI Wind
Amazon.com now has a corrected price of $499.99 (previously the item had been listed at $549) and an estimated shipping date of 3-5 weeks for the black 3-cell XP version of the MSI Wind. No word on whether anyone who pre-ordered at the higher price will get the lower price (you’d hope they would)
As of this writing, the black version is ranked #3 in Amazon.com’s electronics sales, #2 in Laptops/Notbooks.
Posted under MSI Wind
This post was written by admin on June 30, 2008
Mac OS X On MSI Wind
The MSI Wind is not even due out yet for another week or so, and people are already getting it to run Mac OS X. According to Gizmodo, some folks on the InsanelyMac forums have gotten Apple’s OS running on the netbook, and they report that for the most part it is running well.
Posted under MSI Wind
This post was written by admin on June 29, 2008
PC Advisor Acer Aspire One Review
A quickie two-page review of the Acer Aspire One by PC Advisor, which gave it 4.5 stars out of five. Some insight on the trackpad:
Seems logical enough, but this layout – seen elsewhere in models such as HP’s Mini-Note – demands much finger twisting to get basic mousing and clicking done. Just as well, then, that the Acer Aspire One’s trackpad itself is less twitchy than some, allowing quite precise tracking. No attempt at multitouch here, but the right side of the pad is setup for vertical scrolling.
One additional interesting factoid: they were able to get a battery life of 3 hours, 21 minutes (no detail on test conditions).
Posted under Acer Aspire One
This post was written by admin on June 27, 2008
MSI Wind vs Eee PC 1000H
To tide over those waiting on the MSI Wind, Laptopmag has a comparison article of the Eee PC 1000H (H being the hard drive version of course) vs the Wind. In the four criteria discussed, the Eee PC was judged to have better display and sound capabilities but the Wind had better keyboard/touchpad and general performance. Design was rated a toss-up as a matter of personal preference, which seems reasonable. Ultimately, with the $150 price difference, the article gives the Wind the overall edge in both features and value.
Posted under Eee PC 1000, MSI Wind
This post was written by admin on June 27, 2008
It’s 6/27- Where’s the MSI Wind?
Several news sources are reporting that the US launch date for the MSI Wind has slipped once again, due to the ongoing battery supply issues, to “the week of” July 7, So it could be any day that week. As a consolation, MSI is reportedly offering free overnight shipping to those who pre-ordered.
Posted under MSI Wind
This post was written by admin on June 27, 2008
24 Hours With The Aspire One
That lucky man known as The Acer Guy got a 24-hour hands-on with the Linpus Linux version of the Acer Aspire One, and he shares his fortune with some quick videos:
- Some of the work apps in Linpus Linux
- Playing a video (no word on the video resolution, appears to skip once or twice)
- Skype and email
- Booting up (17 second boot time)
- Size comparison
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by admin on June 27, 2008
Japanese and German Re-Brandings of MSI Wind
German discount store Aldi will offer their own branded version of the MSI Wind, to be known as the “Medion akoya mini”, a name which was mentioned back in April. It will be available in silver color, something not initially available for the original MSI Wind release.
Photo of ad (German)
Meanwhile in Japan, local distributor Mouse Computer will be offering the Wind as the LuvBook U100. Pretty much the same stats, price of 59,800円 ($563 USD).
Check out the product info page (Japanese)
Posted under MSI Wind
This post was written by admin on June 27, 2008
Panasonic ToughNetBook?
This is more of a UMPC than a Netbook, but still interesting: Panasonic today announced the latest addition to their ruggedized Toughbook line. According to the company, the Panasonic Toughbook U1 exceeds military specifications- as one example, it’s rated for 4-foot drops as opposed to the military spec which only calls for a 3-foot drop rating. Other specs:
- 16GB or 32GB SSD Drive- No hard drive option
- 2.3 lbs
- 5.6″ screen
- 1.33 MHz Atom CPU (slower than most Netbooks, but chosen for maximum battery life)
- Options for Bluetooth, barcode scanner, fingerprint reader, 2-megapixel webcam, GPS, and EVDO/HSPDA
One neat touch- instead of a single 3- or 6- cell battery, the U1 has two 2-cell batteries (each rated for 3-4 hours) that are hot-swappable. So you could keep swapping in extra batteries without having to turn it off.
All this durability and flexibility doesn’t come cheap, however. At a list price of $2199, it wil probably be the most expensive UMPC out there.
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by admin on June 25, 2008