MSI Wind U123 Netbook

[Larry ward]

While the MSI Wind U120 was a welcome update to the original Wind, MSI isn’t done blowing out its Wind line. In April, MSI will release the 10.2-inch Wind U123 which will be powered by the new Intel Atom N280 processor, which is currently found in the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE.

The netbook has a 10-inch WSVGA display and comes as standard with 1GB of RAM, though unlike other Wind netbooks the U123 will support up to 2GB.Users will be able to pick one up in white, metallic black, blue, and burgundy red colors, and you can opt for either six cell or nine cell battery options.Unlike the Wind U120, the U123 will be upgradeable to 2GB of RAM. According to MSI, it will be available in four colors including white, metallic black, blue, and burgundy red. It will also be available with six cell and a nine cell battery options.

MSI is really focusing on battery life with the MSI Wind U110 Eco. The Eco manages 9 hours of battery life by employing the Intel Menlow platform with an Atom Z530 1.60GHz processor. Apparently, the MSI Wind U110 Eco will now include ATI Mobility Radeon HD3200 graphics. The Eco was previously paired with the Intel GMA500.

U123 include a 160GB hard-drive, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. There’s also a webcam and multiformat memory card slot, together with an integrated microphone and the usual trio of USB 2.0 ports, single VGA output and audio in/out and a choice of either a six or nine cell battery and a variety of colour options, including black, white, blue and red and a SIM card slot for 3G WWAN.

Andy Tung, MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales, realizes the competition in the 10-inch netbook space isn’t what it used to be with Dell, HP, and Acer pushing the same form factors at competitive price points. “Everyone is playing in the 10-inch game and now the most important factors are brand, features, and design. We are going to fine tune the price, performance, and design. This is our foundation and we are going to do our best to maintain and increase market share,” says Tung.When asked if the Wind line could go a bit larger he said “there are rumors of 11.6 and 12 inch solutions from other companies. We have that in development and can bring that out of the gate.”


MSI is said to be developing both a 11.6-inch and a 12-inch version so we should receive some official confirmation soon.The first MSI Wind netbook to use Intel’s Atom N280 processor, the U123, will go on sale in Japan on April 11th, priced at $507.

[Flux]

It does look like a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo notebook. I even have one right here besides me. A netbook with external gpu-option would be soooo cool

[Michael Sabin]

Looks to be using the same bad mouse buttons, which is one of the main reasons that I'm getting rid of my U100. It is slicker/thinner, however, and the boxy air vents have been replaced by aggressive slanted "racing vents".

[Shikhar]

123 looks good, but plans are afoot to build netbooks with bigger screens so this will make the netbooks larger, does this not defeat the object of what a netbook should be, a small cheap no frills laptop designed by Mary Lou Jepson so poorer areas through out the world would have access to a computer.
I think these netbook manufacturers are taking advantage of the gullible must have pc users in the west and charging more money for an under powered laptop than one with a screen a couple of inches bigger and a rom drive.
I still think the best netbook IMHO is the MSI Wind U100.