MSI intros the Eee-ish Wind PC

Apparently MSI is gearing up to release its own Eee competitor, tentatively called the Wind PC. There's not a lot known about the system (which was shown at CeBIT), though it's slated to feature an 8- or 10-inch, 1024 x 768 display, utilize Intel's Atom CPU, will make 2.5-inch hard drive and SSD options available for storage, and will come with 1GB of RAM standard. The mini-laptops are set to range in price from £299 to £699 depending on configuration, feature 1GHz or 1.6GHz CPUs, and should first be available with a Linux build installed -- though the company claims a Windows version will be made as well. Based on photos we've seen, the laptops will come in a variety of colors, though it appears that these are still in prototype territory, so anything could change.

[Thanks, Jarrett]

Read - MSI Wind, details of the new low-cost laptop MSI
Read - MSI Wind PC

[Miles @ Mar 9th 2008 9:31PM]

Sweet, more Linux. Hope the trend goes on.

[m @ Mar 9th 2008 9:33PM]

I'm think I'm gonna buy this and a CloudBook, and then make my own weather. What is with these names?!? I would accuse everybody of copying the "Air" moniker, except that "CloudBook" was announced in early December.

[Fenway Beer Man @ Mar 9th 2008 9:49PM]

huh, you're right! air, wind, cloud... and "eee" is the sound you make when you're shoveling snow (ok, that was a stretch)

[Chris @ Mar 9th 2008 9:46PM]

Don't forget to say EEE when you create a giant black hole of mini-laptop fun.

[lane @ Mar 9th 2008 11:41PM]

with their powers combined, they form captain planet

[BradStar @ Mar 9th 2008 11:45PM]

Nothing says "vaporware" like giving it a name like "wind"...

[OneLove @ Mar 10th 2008 2:18PM]

would make a great kung-fu movie

[Bob @ Apr 1st 2008 11:25AM]

-- Nothing says "vaporware" like giving it a name like "wind"...

The all-new Macbook Vapor

[aardvark sandwich @ Mar 9th 2008 9:44PM]

Don't forget Storm from X-men!

[Homeboy @ Mar 9th 2008 9:48PM]

I want to set up camp in the same territory as HP who are working hard on their 2133 goodness. Although the Eee is cheap and sweet it leaves are lot to desire. Run memory hoging software like iTunes, Firefox and Photoshop all at once and it will start choking. It's simply a very basic piece of machine mainly capable of internet browsing and word processing. In other words it's far from Alienware material and cannot be used as a main computer.

There's without a question a market for ultra portable laptops which are a bit more premium than the Eee. What MSI are working on is of high interest and the price is very reasonable as well.

[JerryA @ Mar 9th 2008 10:40PM]

Exactly. I use my desktop for more resource heavy apps like games or media editing. All I would use these light laptops for is web and media on the run. I would rather my desktop be a powerhouse because it's so much more cost effective. My laptops are always just extensions of my computing experience. These cheap lightweight lappies coming out are a great idea and serve my segment of the market.

[imacmatt09 @ Mar 9th 2008 9:52PM]

It looks like it has a single mouse button.

[oliveros123 @ Mar 9th 2008 10:28PM]

why the hell would anyone actually want that?


(sorry, saw you were a mac fan and couldnt resist saying that :P)

[imacmatt09 @ Mar 9th 2008 10:35PM]

I like my one button on my macbook.

[mushrooshi @ Mar 9th 2008 11:30PM]

1 button mouse is tolerable in Mac os X, you don't use right click that much, and if you need to its ctrl-click.

It is a bit annoying when on boot camp.

By the way, my friends harass me about macs having 1 button. Its annoying.

[fourthletter @ Mar 9th 2008 9:59PM]

so who came up with the name "wind" ? some asian ad exec blow it out his ass ? LOL

[Mike @ Mar 9th 2008 11:17PM]

As Jesus once said, "the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going." Ah yes, wind. Wind so perfectly captures the ephemeral and fleeting nature of beauty, with its open-ended discourses symbolizing the range of possibilities that lay before us. We may not know where the wind's guiding path will lead us, but know this: the winds of change are calling.

Actually, who am I kidding - you're probably right about that farting thing.

[darkstar @ Mar 9th 2008 10:12PM]

guys... i was thinking of getting an EEE too. then i found on ebay, theres soooo many good deals on older skinny laptops like Sharp mm10, mm20, or the toshiba r100, r200. these are 12 inchers with much higher resolution and weights around 2 lbs. off course, how much longer they would last is questionable as oppose to a brand spanking new EEE.

[JayMonster @ Mar 11th 2008 9:25AM]

I guess that would really depend on how badly you beat them up. I stil have (for tinkering purposes) my wife's old Gateway Handbook, running 486 DX 33, running an old version of Slackware Linux and the XFREE86 Shell.

Those "old" machines will last you are long (most likely) as these corner cutting machines will as they were built better to begin with.

[marcin @ Mar 9th 2008 10:18PM]

this is great. all these ee competitors only means more competition which in turn will lead to decreased pricing and improvements in hardware throughout.

no wonder sony is worried. their $2000+ price model for ultraportables will get killed by this. their only choice will be to adapt to the change.

personally, i'm still gonna wait a few months to see all the releases. cloudbook, ee 9 inch, acers ee killer, msi wind, and more. will likely buy later in the year when i can choose from all these options.

[phrozunsun @ Mar 11th 2008 9:23AM]

sony? adapt?

That's like Johnny Tightlips ratting out Fat Tony...

[hugoliva @ Mar 9th 2008 10:19PM]

I'm naming my next computer FART

[eggothewaffle @ Mar 9th 2008 10:31PM]

Air...Cloudbook...Wind PC...What's next?

Skynet? :O

[mushrooshi @ Mar 9th 2008 11:39PM]

Carbon Emissions.

[jk @ Mar 9th 2008 11:40PM]

you probably could have said "Sky-pe" and saved me the trouble.

[chainofcommand02 @ Mar 10th 2008 12:07AM]

I own an eeepc and I love love love it, but I kinda like the looks of this machine... I think it's the more rounded corners...

[ManekiNeko @ Mar 10th 2008 12:26AM]

So, when is MSI planning to, heh, break Wind?

[Mentok @ Mar 10th 2008 1:30AM]

So "mindless self indulgence" has a nerdy side to them.

[Patriks7 @ Mar 10th 2008 2:25AM]

"There's something in the air"
:x

[Silvio @ Mar 10th 2008 2:31AM]

MSI and Asus won't ever stop competing with everything each other does.

[jon @ Mar 10th 2008 7:00AM]

Is it just me, or does that look like a 12" powerbook w/ a white keyboard? Anyone remember the 12" powerbook? hello? anyone? (closes 12" powerbook and goes back to sleep)...

[Genome @ Mar 15th 2008 9:34AM]

***1.6GHz CPUs***
Maybe now i can play TF2 on this?
If its smaller than the 9" eeepc im buying this.
Thats assuming it comes out before the xperian

[DrHanniba1 @ Apr 17th 2008 7:04PM]

hey guys, it does'nt look like this thing will have an optical drive, will it?