t e c h i e - t a l k s ::: technology at its best

For many months, the Eee-PC has been at the top of many wish lists (including mine) and it had claimed consecutive months of being the “best-selling product” all over the world! Can the new MSI Wind dodge the Asus Eee-PC from its top spot? Let’s see!

News of an Eee-PC killer were going around way back in January this year. Only last month did we get concrete evidence that there was a contender to battle it out with the Eee-PC. Then again we were skeptical and we had to wait for further intelligence. Now that we know the specifications of the contender, let’s see whether this rumoured killer is lethal enough.

The MSI Wind comes with a 1.6Ghz Atom processor by Intel. The memory module that comes with the MSI Wind varies with the OS that you choose. A Linux version comes with a DDR2 512MB memory while a Win XP version comes with DDR2 1GB memory. The maximum memory the MSI Wind can take up to is 2GB. The MSI Wind carries an 80GB Sata 5400RPM HDD.

These are the other features that comes with the MSI Wind:

1. 10” 1024×600 LCD Panel
2. 1.3M / 0.3M Webcam
3. 4-in-1 Card Reader, SD/MMC/MS/MSpro
4. Built-in Gigabit Ethernet LAN
   Built-in 802.11b/g WLAN Card / Bluetooth Supported (Bluetooth is optional)
5. I/O ports includes -
   1. Graphics Card Output (15-pin, D-Sub) X 1
   2. USB2.0 Port X 3
   3. Mic-in Port X 1/Line-in Port x 1
   4. Headphone Output X 1
   5. LAN Port X1
6. 3 Cell/6Cell Li-Ion batteries

The battery life of the 6-cell batteries is around 5.5 hours. The weight of the MSI Wind stands at 1Kg with a 3 cell battery and about 1.2Kg with a 6 cell battery. The Linux version of the MSI Wind retails at USD$399 while the Win XP version retails at USD$599. The MSI wind comes with 3 flavours,; Angel White, Empire Black and Romantic Pink.

So who gives the best punch and downs the other for the count? Comparing the specifications of MSI Wind and the Asus Eee-PC 1000, MSI Wind does fare better in some aspects. For example, the Eee-PC runs an Atom 1.33Ghz while the MSI Wind runs at 1.6Ghz. The difference ain’t that much but the bottom line is, it does makes a difference! The bulk and weight of the MSI Wind seems to be better-of than the Asus Eee-PC. On top of that, the MSI Wind keyboard is not as cramped as the Asus 900.

On the other hand, some consumers may prefer the lighter weight (sub 1 KG) of Asus’ older version Eee-PC. Furthermore, Asus has the”first-person” advantage when it comes to low-cost ultra portable notebooks. Hence, it is still too early to tell whether the MSI Wind will displace Asus from it’s No. 1 spot in mini-laptops.