Well they need to hurry up and release the blasted thing if they want to do that.

When is it coming out?`

The Windows XP version is scheduled for a June 16th release in the US. No
word on the Linux version yet.

Hmm ok thanks.

I’m still really torn between this thing and the HP.

I’ve got the HP, and I love the build quality and high resolution screen.
But the VIA CPU is kind of a downer. I’m hoping to pick up a MSI Wind next
week, and you can be certain I’ll be writing a few posts comparing the two
computers.

Damn. Sounds like there’s gonna be shortages!

Awesome. Let me get your opinion here. I love ultraportables. I don’t see an attraction of having a laptop bigger than like 12 inches. Anyway, my main application for getting a ultraportable or netbook or whatever we’re calling them now is word processing, web surfing, email, picture download/uploading, and power point presentations. I’m not too terribly concerned with processor speed. If I got the HP, obviously I would go with XP, 1.6 via (the top end model.)
Do you think I’m ok here? The keyboard is a big seller for me because I’m a student and would like to use it in class for notes, projects and all that.
Thoughts?

Looking forward to your real world reports Brad. Journalist reviews, i.e. Laptop Mag, are useful and have been quite thorough, but real world reports on actual use under nromal conditions are better at helping us ordinary types decide which machine suits our needs. I for one am leaning heavily toward the Wind with XP over the HP if only because of the ridiculous system HP/Microsoft have to get XP on the unit. The longer battery life and cooler running reported for the Wind are also pluses over HP. In addition, hopefully MSI includes a recovery disk, just in case. Any word on what brick and mortar stores will likely have the Wind as it would be nice to be able to play on it first to really be sure it is comfortable.

The Mini-Note keyboard is significantly larger than the Eee PC keyboard, but
honestly I haven’t found it that much easier to type on. Then again, I have
relatively small hands and didn’t have much trouble with the Eee PC. The
main selling point for me was the high resolution display, which blows away
the 800 x 480 pixel display on the Eee PC 701.

I won’t be able to say for certain how the MSI Wind stacks up until I get
one in my hands, but from everything I’ve read so far, its keyboard is
roomier than the Eee PC 701 keyboard. And that makes sense, since the Wind
laptop has a 10 inch screen, which means there should be plenty of space for
a larger keyboard.

And while you might not think CPU speed matters, it’s the little things that
make a difference. Switching from one window to another, running two or
three programs at once, and other basic tasks are just slow enough to be
annoying when you’ve got a slow CPU like the VIA C7-M. Plus, the Intel Atom
CPU is designed to use less power, which means longer battery life, which is
always a bonus.

And don’t forget, you can pick up an MSI Wind with a 6 cell battery and
Windows XP for $499, while the cheapest version of the HP Mini-Note with XP
is $599, and it comes with a 3 cell battery. While it’s a little early to be
passing any judgement, on paper the Wind looks like a better deal… at
least until HP upgrades the CPU on the Mini-Note (and perhaps drops the
price a bit).

I’m hoping J&R in New York City will have it. But if the company is hoping
to sell just 300,000 to 500,000 units this year, my guess is you might not
see it at big box retailers like Best Buy or Circuit City right away.
There’s currently a product page at Amazon.com, but it’s not available for
preorder yet. I don’t know if that means MSI is behind schedule for the ship
date, or if it just means that it won’t go on sale anywhere until the 16th.

Thanks, Brad. Looking forward to you getting your hands on a WInd to check this bad boy out.

Thanks!

Suppose to be released 6/13/2008. Anyone know where they are?

I’d been hearing 6/16, but as of this morning I still can’t find it
anywhere. As soon as I find one, I’ll write about it.

Thanks much Brad, I”ve been searching also and can’t find anything. Sorry, I had fat fingers – should have read 6/16/2008.

Well, if you do find anything, let me know!

I’ll keep checking my usual sites throughout the day, but I’ve got a bunch
of other things on my plate. I already called J&R in NYC to see if they had
it in stock and the guy I spoke with said it wasn’t even in their computer
inventory system yet. There go my plans of picking one up today. I might
have to… *gasp* order one online.

Suppose to be released 6/13/2008. Anyone know where they are?

I'd been hearing 6/16, but as of this morning I still can't find it
anywhere. As soon as I find one, I'll write about it.

Thanks much Brad, I''ve been searching also and can't find anything. Sorry, I had fat fingers – should have read 6/16/2008.

Well, if you do find anything, let me know!

I'll keep checking my usual sites throughout the day, but I've got a bunch
of other things on my plate. I already called J&R in NYC to see if they had
it in stock and the guy I spoke with said it wasn't even in their computer
inventory system yet. There go my plans of picking one up today. I might
have to… *gasp* order one online.

Suppose to be released 6/13/2008. Anyone know where they are?

I'd been hearing 6/16, but as of this morning I still can't find it
anywhere. As soon as I find one, I'll write about it.

Thanks much Brad, I''ve been searching also and can't find anything. Sorry, I had fat fingers – should have read 6/16/2008.

Well, if you do find anything, let me know!

I'll keep checking my usual sites throughout the day, but I've got a bunch
of other things on my plate. I already called J&R in NYC to see if they had
it in stock and the guy I spoke with said it wasn't even in their computer
inventory system yet. There go my plans of picking one up today. I might
have to… *gasp* order one online.