Customer Reviews

MSI Wind U100-843 10-Inch Black Netbook - 5.5 Hour Battery Life

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cons: -one of the rubber feet fell of, no big deal as the six-cell battery tilts and lifts it forward w/its own rubber feet.
-screen is not really vibrant in colors, msi says its a led screen, though i would have expected more quality since led tv are the latest rage. compare to the acer i was looking into, the acer has the upper hand on screen quality.
-lots of bloatware, I would add/remove and clean up through msconfig first (btw download the wifi update a.s.a.p.)
-Be patient, playing vids on youtube for example require some wait, though it was really not a media pc in the first palce to be honest.
-Keyboard a little awkward (its a netbook, part of the trade off) especially the arrow keys, too thin, overall minor complaint as it reviewed as one of the best netbooks keyboards. just nit-picking ;)
-MEMORY UPGRADE - This was my biggest complaint. Every laptop I have own had a separate compartment door that would allow easy access to memory banks for quick upgrade only requiring the removable of 1 or 2 screws. BE WARNED the u-100 actually requires removal of the whole under cover AND there is one screw hole that is covered by a void warranty warning if tampered sticker(which seems to be a the lamest warranty void warning i have seen). Obviously, MSI says that customers need to take to an authorized msi location to have the upgrade done. I dont want to spend more, so I, just like many other msi netbook owners, have just went w/ dyi. it was tricky but not too challenging. I dont recommend this to anyone who has never worked under the hood of any pc (laptop or desktop). The whole process seems like an accident waiting to happend to damage anything under there. It took a second attempt to have the new stick recognized. its funny how they offer a bundle w/ an addtl memory stick. She runs faster and smoother now.

pros: -runs faster and smoother than my 15" xp (remove junk software and if possible dyi memory, 1gb max, novice would be advised to consult w/ someone who has great pc hardware knowledge)
-Wifi (again, hookup through lan and get the update) is excellent
-The six-cell batt does not protrude the back like some other netbooks, MSI did a nice job of making it portrude down and thus tilts it up and forward, nice little detail for your wrists comfort. also, the excellent Case Logic LNEO 10 bag holds it w/ a little room to spare.
-Light weight, just under 3 lbs
-batt last a little over 5 hrs. there is a nice msi wind community site that might provide some tweeks to make it last "6 to 5.5 hrs", too busy right now to check that out.
-exhaust was traditionally placed to the side (left side for this one), acer placed it @ the bottom...no thank you.
-Nice little touch, a magnifier, comes in handy.
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Even though I have placed a lot of cons, I my opinion, it is definitely worth the 5 stars. it does everything you would need from a netbook, its working great for school (I hear a lot of whispers and pointing when I take it out in class, some students are lugging around 15 and 17 inchers, they must love the work out, lol), the small footprint easily sits on those lecture rooms w/ the swivel up "desktop" (i call them cutting boards), it runs all my office apps w/ no biggie, plays all my music. Bottom line, it has the performance and price that I was expecting. This msi definitely won me over the acer and much more pricier offerings from asus, samsung, dell, and hp. Plus msi offered a great rebate on this too! Thanks for checking out my blab-review.

The MSI Wind netbook is in a class all of it's own!!! With an incredibly huge screen of 10"
this makes the MSI Wind one of the biggest netbooks on the market today. Along with a
beautiful LCD 10" monitor, the Wind also has a 95% full size keyboard which translates
into hours of typing without your hands getting cramped.

As if this wasn't enough, MSI
went the extra mile and created a BIOS update which allows you overclock your stock
1.6Ghz Atom processor up to 24%! 1.96Ghz! Wow! FAST for a netbook! Along with the BIOS
update MSI included a "green" mode. When you activate green mode your power button
turns green and the screen slightly dims to conserve battery life. (Which increase
battery life considerably)

Battery Life: The battery life of the MSI Wind is AMAZING! With the six cell battery
my MSI Wind can last 5.5 hours (of actual use) without using green mode. I've never
really used green mode that much but imagine that it would increase your battery life
considerably.

BLUETOOTH: I think it's important to note that this MSI WIND does NOT have Bluetooth!
(Not a big feature but some MSI Winds have this feature built into it...

BATTERIES: There are three different types of batteries for the MSI Wind (I have the 6 cell version)

The 3-CELL vesion which fits flush with the Wind's case, doesn't protrude. The only thing
I don't like about the battery (from the other reviews) is that it has a short battery life of only 2 hours or
less... (2 hour battery life)

The 6-CELL version protrudes slightly from the bottom of the Wind's case but not
too much. In fact I find that the inclined angle of the Wind's keyboard with the six cell is
ideal for typing since it raises the back of the Wind's keyboard at a slight angle. (5.5
hour battery life) which I have found to be pretty accurate on mine.

The 12-Cell - king of battery life! With over 11 hours of run time you'll be able to
last a whole day without ever having to worry about finding an AC plug for your computer!
The only con to this battery is that it protrudes a good inch or two from the back of the
MSI Wind. Which really isn't a bad thing considering your getting amazing battery life.)
(11-12 hour battery life)BUT IF you are like me & like the raised angle for air circulating & typing ease....this is a GOOD feature not a con!


Operating Systems: The MSI Wind comes with Windows XP, but can run MAC OSX, Linux, Windows,
all at the same time with triple boot! (Granted you have to know what your doing but it
is doable.)

Upgrades: Another cool feature about the MSI Wind is that you can easily upgrade your stock
1GB of RAM to 2GB buy simply buying an extra 1GB stick of RAM and installing it into your
MSI WIND via online tutorials. Along with the RAM upgrade you can also upgrade your stock
160GB 2.5"HDD to a whopping 500GB hard drive! WOW!

Colors: The MSI WInd comes in a multitude of colors: White, black, pink, red, blue, (I
personally picked black.)

RECAP: If you looking for a notebook, the MSI Wind would be a very good choice! It's light
weight, has a great 10" LCD screen, you can customize it to death, run whatever operating
system you want on it, overclock it by 24%, and it's priced under $320!) For me, buying this
netbook was a no brainier... Can you tell I'm EXTREMELY pleased!?!?

:)


P.S. this review was written on my MSI Wind...

I am enjoying my MSI U100 10" computer. It does everything that the larger ones do. I can carry it in a CD leather case or in my purse. I suggest the 10" if you do not have petit hands. For a lady, I have somewhat larger hands and this computer is perfect for me. I suggest getting the Windows XP version. The battery life is awesome (3-4 hours). There is a warning if the battery is getting low. For business persons, this laptop is perfect. Believe me, it is NOT a toy. It's the real thing with the latest updates. Works great at my house or away on business. Don't confuse it with the HPNet. It goes far beyond internet services, just as any heavy laptop does. Its a GREAT DEAL! I paid more than Amazon is offering now.

I purchased this MSI Wind last November as my husband's Christmas gift to me. ;-) Based on the price, I was cynical, but after almost a year, all I can say is, "Wow, $320 well spent." It has bluetooth, wifi, a great little built-in webcam, a surprisingly strong built-in microphone (which I use frequently because I skype on this thing all the time). I haven't upgraded the memory, but I think I'll go ahead and do that once the warranty runs out. I researched a number of these netbooks last year before I purchased, and picked this previously-unknown-to-me brand over the others because of its: 1) low price, 2)included XP Home instead of Vista, 3)keyboard is 95% of normal size (many netbook keyboards are smaller), 4) weight. Very very portable. Will fit in my purse and is so lightweight I don't notice its there. For the difference in price, I recommend getting the 6 cell battery. Sometimes on a full charge you can just grab it and go and it will last 3-5 hours (depending on what you are doing on it). It works great for Skyping (webcam and built in mike are incredibly good for this small laptop). My husband and I went out of state for some surgery he needed and I was able to Skype our sons from the recovery room with no cords on this tiny laptop (snuck it into the recovery in my purse). It's even suitable to watch instant movies off Netflix.
My only complaints are 1) speakers aren't that great (but are they on anybody's laptop? certainly not on any Dell laptop I have ever owned)--but for some reason they seem louder on Skype than say, watching a you tube video; 2)even at 95% keyboard may get on your nerves if typing a long document; 3)with the battery attached putting it in your lap in a chair it tends to pitch backward unless you get the lid opened at just the right angle, so it can be a little awkward unless you set it on a table or something.
I did have a problem develop with the lcd screen after my last trip (in the 12th month of my one year warranty. A line developed down the center of the screen. I contacted tech support, held only 5 minutes, and they told me it was covered by the warranty (without asking for the receipt) and sent me an RMA to send it in and they will repair and return it to me in 3-5 business days. Frankly, I was impressed with the tech support. I had to google to find their website and contact number, but after that it was a piece of cake. I've used the "dog" out of this thing over the last 11 months, and even if it died right now, I think you'd seeing me buying another one. --For as much as I have used this thing in the last year, I feel like I've already gotten my $320 out of this thing.

I've had mine for a couple of weeks now and LOVE it!! I ordered the extra 1GB if RAM for it (at $12, how could you not?) and it has turned out to be quite the powerhouse. Battery life is as advertised @ 5hrs and 18 minutes. Being super lightweight, this thing has been a dream for travel, meetings, and even when my wife is using our desktop! GET THIS ONE IF YOU CAN! I LOVE MINE!!

I'm very happy with this netbook , I have windows 7 and Debian installed in the netbook , it is running very well, good performance, and the battery last about 4-5 hours , the other great feature is that I bought a 24 inches monitor and the resolution that the netbook provides the optimal resolution for the monitor which is great with 1920x1080.

The keyboard size is one of the best you can find for the netbooks, for me is still little but once you get use to it, you won't have any troubles.

the only downside is that I don't like the touchpad , but I solved this problem buying a wireless mouse.

I recommend buying this computer.

When my little Wind (with a nine-battery setup and 1 gig of memory) had to serve as my primary computer, I was surprised at its power. I use my main custom-built desktop computer for Photoshop, video editing and gaming, so it's plenty powerful. It died last week but I needed to work on a PowerPoint presentation and edit photos. Wasn't sure it would even load Photoshop but once I connected my 23" monitor to the little guy, keyboard, mouse and external optical drive, it worked like a charm. Installed Photoshop flawlessly, worked on Photoshop and PowerPoint at the same time. Never had a problem during the two days of continuous use creating a communications plan for a client.

I am amazed at the quality built and pure power of the machine. Now I'm thinking about replacing my dead desktop with an MSI gaming laptop.

Screen sharpness is fantastic, battery life is great if you keep the screen brightness down and make sure your battery settings are set low to save juice. Wish the key board was a little larger and I could play games, but you can't have everything. Quality built, reliable and inexpensive. Perfect compromise that has me sold on MSI.