Back in December I started to notice that the price on the original MSI Wind U100 with a 3 cell battery had fallen to around $300, but it wasn’t clear whether this was a permanent price drop or just a holiday sale price. With several new models hitting the streets in 2009, it looks like the $300 MSI Wind U100 is here to stay.

Amazon is currently offering the netbook for $299.95, with free shipping.

The Wind U100 has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and runs Windows XP Home Edition.

Or for just $30 more, you can pick up a newer MSI Wind U120 with the same basic specs, but a 6 cell battery that should provide around twice the run time.

You can read more about these netbooks in the Liliputing Product Database:

• MSI Wind U100
• MSI Wind U120

ZipZoomfly

Online retailer ZipZoomfly is offering a $90 instant rebate on the MSI Wind U120 netbook. That means you can pick up this laptop for just $310.

The Wind U120 has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, a 10 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3MP camera, 802.11b/g WiFi and a 160Gb hard drive. It runs Windows XP, and this version ships with a 6 cell battery. I’d ignore the weight and dimensions listed on the ZipZoomfly web site, because I’m pretty sure they describe the shipping package, not the computer. The actual weight is about 2.25 pounds and the computer measures 10.2″ x 7.1″ x 1.3″. You can read more about the MSI Wind U120 in the Liliputing Product Database.

The ZipZoomfly instant rebate will probably expire soon. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay $400 to get this netbook. Amazon has it in stock for about $330.

via LogicBuy

Sure, Dell offers its netbooks in “cherry red,” “pretty pink” and with a variety of designer stickers, sometimes you want a netbook to look business-like. So MSI is adding a classy looking gray model to its MSI Wind U120 lineup. Which basically means you can get the netbook in gray or white. There’s no black, pink, or purple option available yet.

The mini-laptop has a 10.1 inch display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. Prices start at $439.99, although it looks like you should be able to get 802.11n and a few other features if you’re willing to pay a little more.

via Netbook News.it

The folks at Laptop Magazine and Wired’s Gadget Lab have each had a chance to spend some alone time witht he new MSI Wind U120 netbook. The netbook features just a few modest changes from the original MSI WInd U100 laptop. It has a new chassis, two mouse buttons below the touchpad instead of one, and a new facial recognition feature that lets you login to your computer just by looking at it.

While Gadget Lab says the new touchpad is larger and easier to use, Laptop Magazine, which has a much more comprehensive review says it’s still the same size and disappointingly small. Even more interesting, Laptop Magazine says the U120 gets about 30 minutes less battery life than the U100. The new netbook tops out at about 4 and a half hours of use while the older laptop lasted for about 5 hours of web browsing.

On the bright side, MSI expects to sell the Wind U120 for just $379, which is about $70 less than a U100 with a 6 cell battery.

The MSI Wind U120 is a lot like the original  MSI Wind U100. It ships with Windows XP, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, and 1GB of RAM. But while the Wind U100 accepts up to 2GB of RAM, it turns out there’s no easy way to upgrade the RAM in the newer model.

I’ve seen several different sets of photos of the MSI Wind U120 netbook with its top off. But somehow I didn’t notice the lack of a memory slot until jkOnTheRun’s Kevin Tofel pointed it out the other day. Apparently MSI decided to do away with the memory slot in order to make room for the integrated 3G card and the optional SSD. That means that you get 1GB of non-removable memory with the MSI Wind U120 and no way to upgrade it, even though the computer could theoretically support up to 2GB of RAM just like its predecessor.

This probably isn’t a big deal for some users. I’ve never bothered upgrading the RAM on my Eee PC 1000H, and it runs Windows XP, Windows 7, and a wide variety of Linux distributions just fine with 1GB of RAM. If you’re a hard core multitasker or gamer, you might want more memory. But you’ll also probably want a faster computer.

Several online retailers are taking preorders for the MSI Wind U120 netbook. The U120 is MSI’s sequal to the MSI Wind U100, and to be honest, there aren’t a ton of differences between the two products. The new computer adds support for 802.11draft-n wireless and a 6 cell battery appears to be standard on all models so far, while the MSI Wind U100 shipped with either a 3 or 6 cell battery.

The U120 also has two distinct mouse buttons for left and right clicks below the touchpad, while the older netbook had a single button with a rocker dial. And as jkOnTheRun points out, there’s some new software on the U120 including a facial recognition program that lets you login to your computer by flashing your mug at the webcam.

Amazon is showing three models right now, the MSI Wind U120-001US, the MSI Wind U120-024US, and the MSI Wind U120-020US, with prices ranging from $379.99 to $469.99. The last one is the most expensive, and actually ships from J&R, which also does a better job of explaining the differences between these computers. According to J&R, the U120-020US has Bluetooth, 802.11n, and a 160GB hard drive while the other models have 120GB of storage and no Blutooth or 802.11n. But the Amazon product listings make it look like all three models have the same specs. So place any pre-orders with care.

The MSI Wind U120 netbook may not be available for purchase yet, but Rob at MSI Wind en Espanol has been playing with one sicne last month, and this weekend he took the netbook apart and post some photos of the mainboard and all the other components. If you’re a hardware hacker looking for a spot for a GPS module, take a look.

If you want to know how the Wind U120’s innards look compared to the original MSI Wind U100, there are plenty of topless images of the original MSI netbook online.

via Eee PC.net

How many times have you found yourself wishing that your netbook touchpad would glow when you scroll your finger over it? Well, MSI has finally heard your plea. The company is showing an MSI Wind U120 netbook at CES with a feature that does exactly that. 

And umm, yeah, that’s about it. Otherwise it looks exactly like any other MSI Wind U120, which is to say it has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, and a roomy hard drive. 

But if you’re looking for some of that hot glowing touchpad action, check out the video after the break.

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MSI plans to show off its updated line of netbooks and low power laptop and desktop computers at CES this week. To be honest, I’m not expecting many surprises. We’ve already heard about the company’s U110, U115, and U120 netbooks as well as several low power nettop and all-in-one desktop computers. But MSI is at least making a few rumors all official-like.

For instance, back in November we heard that the MSI Wind U120 netbook might support WiMAX broadband wireless. Now it looks like MSI is confirming that the netbook will be “WiMAX Ready.” If I were the sort to go out on a limb, I would guess that this means that not every U120 will come with the WiMAX chip enabled, but you may be able to order a U120 with this feature for a few bucks extra. The netbook will also come with an optional 3.5G network card.

MSI will also be showing off its Wind NetON line of all-in-one desktops featuring dual core Intel Atom processors.

via Electronic Pulp

The MSI Wind U100 is already one of the most popular netbooks among mini-laptop enthusiasts thanks to its excellent design and easy hackability. We’ve already gotten a sneak peek at the MSI Wind U110, U115, and U120 models which are set to hit the US in early 2009. But now MSI sales director Andy Tung is spilling some more details about the company’s upcoming products. Tung tells Laptop Magazine that MSI will show off all three new netbooks at CES in January, with the MSI Wind U120 set to go on sale in the US before the end of January.

The MSI Wind U120 is probably the least interesting of the three new machines, since it’s basically the same as the existing MSI Wind U100 in most respects. It has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, a 10.2 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display and a 120GB hard drive. What makes it a little different from the U100 is a redesigned chassis, and the inclusion of an optional 3G broadband modem. MSI also eventually plans to offer the Wind U120 with a solid state disk option.

The MSI Wind U110 and U115 are a bit more interesting, as they use the Intel Atom Z530 chip which uses less energy than the N270 processor used in many netbooks today. Tung says the U115, as anticipated, will use a combination solid state disk and hard drive. And he says that thanks to the low power processor and low power SSD, the U115 could get 10 hours of battery life out of a 6 cell battery, while the U110 which comes with a 160GB or 250GB hard drive will get about 8 hours.

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You’ve seen the MSI Wind U120 unboxed, you’ve seen it lightly reviewed. Now it’s time to get a bit more intimate and see the netbook with its top off. Christophe of French netbook site Netbook 3G got his hands on a pre-release MSI Wind U120H, packed with goodies like a 3G modem and a GPS receiver. He’s posted a bunch of photos of MSI’s successor to the popular Wind U100 netbook, including the picture you can see abve of the computer’s motherboard.

In many ways, the MSI Wind U120 is a lot like the U100. It has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. The 3G modem is the main thing that sets this computer apart from its predecessor. but it also has a slightly modified chassis with a black and white color scheme.

The MSI Wind U120 isn’t officially shipping yet, but the folks at MSI Wind en Espanol managed to get their hands on a pre-release unit and have posted some first impressions and an unboxing video.

The first thing you notice? That is a nice looking box. And this whole “netbook” thing seems to be catching on, as MSI wrote the word right on the box instead of the more traditional notebook, laptop, subnotebook, or mini-laptop.

The computer is practically identical to the MSI Wind U100, except that it has a different color scheme, a slightly more angular design, and an internal 3G wireless broadband module. In the future MSI will also customers the option of getting a model with a solid state disk instead of a hard drive, but the review units all seem to have hard drives.

You can check out the unboxing video after the break.

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Just a day after making an appearance at a press conference in Taiwan, the MSI Wind U120 has found its way to the US. Well, sort of. The folks at Laptop Magazine got their hands on a pre-production model of the next generation MSI Wind netbook.

The verdict? its looks nice, has an improved touchpad with separate left and right buttons, and… well, that’s about it. Eventually MSI plans to offer the Wind U120 with a 3G modem and an optional solid state disk instead of a hard drive. But the model Laptop Magazine got to play with doesn’t have either of those features.

Update: They did get an official spec sheet which shows that the MSI Wind U120 will come with an optional 3.5G HSDPA module, WiMax support, and the otion of a 3 or 6 cell battery. My guess is the available configurations will vary depending from location to location.

The upcoming MSI Wind U120 netbook, was on display at an MSI press conference in Taiwan today. Engadget Chinese was on hand and shot a bunch of photos of the new netbook, which MSI is launching as an updated to the popular MSI Wind U100.

The U120 has a shiny new black and white case with a more angular design than the round-cornered MSI Wind U100. But it has the same keyboard, port configuration, and internal components including a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, a 10.2 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display, and 1GB of RAM. Last I heard, the MSI Wind U120 will have a 120GB hard drive, or an optional 20GB or 40GB SSD.

It appears from the photos that the new netbook is pretty much the same size as the MSI Wind U100, so the only real differen appears to be the shape and the possibility of an SSD option.

thanks Edward!

Update: As Gabe points out in the comments, the other thing that sets the U120 apart from the MSI Wind U100 is the fact that the new model will ship with a 3.5G modem for wireless broadband connections.

MSI is expected to launch a sequal to the Wind U90/U100 netbooks that are so popular with the kids (and hackintosh makers) these days. And according to DigiTimes, the MSI Wind U120, which will feature an integrated 3.5G modem could be available as soon as November.

For the most part, the U120 looks a lot like the U100 — on paper. It’s got a shiny new case with a more angular design (fewer rounded corners) than the U100. But inside, it’s got a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU. Word on the street is that MSI will eventually offer a solid state disk option in lieu of a hard drive.

The MSI Wind U120 will reportedly cost about $550, although the company is working with some mobile carriers to bundle netbook with wireless data plans. It’s not clear how this will affect the price, but it’s not uncommon to see carriers offer handsets or even computers for free after locking you into a 1 or 2 year service plan.

via Engadget