MSI unleashes drool-worthy press shots of the Wind

Just in case you need 500 pixels or more to really determine whether something is sexy or not, MSI has finally put together a sweet pack of press shots that really do the Wind justice. Needless to say, we'd be mighty hesitant to start bangin' out the 42nd page of our dissertation with grease-covered digits on this beauty. Did someone say high maintenance? Hit the read link for lots more looks.

[jd @ Apr 25th 2008 4:28PM]

is it just me?

i think the wind's designer took notes from MBA, NOTEMINI, EEE.

[broli @ Apr 25th 2008 4:31PM]

If you're looking for attention you found it. SUFFER THE NEGATIVE VOTE.

[Andrew H. @ Apr 25th 2008 8:25PM]

dont forget the Dreambook light, Everex cloudbook, HP 2133, 2GO PC, ACi ultra mini, Airis Kira, Fukato Datacask, HCL MiLeap X, Kohjinsha SCC, Medion Akoya Mini, and the Noahpad!

[N30 G30 @ Apr 26th 2008 9:35AM]

I see comparisons. Keyboard, check. Screen, check. Touchpad, check. How it opens, check.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[StomperGames @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:51PM]

totally agree it looks futuristic and amazing in this picture

- http://www.stompergames.com

[broli @ Apr 25th 2008 4:29PM]

While everyone is distracted with the below post and say....
FIR....

Haha I almost did it, almost...

[|Geektorious Maximus| @ Apr 25th 2008 4:31PM]

eh, I just broke wind...

[What the Frack?! @ Apr 25th 2008 5:37PM]

It's probably that burrito you've got there.

[js @ Apr 25th 2008 4:32PM]

There is something in the air... *cough* Macbook knockoff *cough*

[Conor Maher @ Apr 25th 2008 4:50PM]

Unlike the macbook air it has a purpose and it doesn't cost $1500+ lololol

[Hinhale @ Apr 25th 2008 4:53PM]

Eh? Are we looking at the same pictures? This one looks nothing like the MBA, and I'm no fanboy saying that, since I think the apple portables have looked the same since bloody forever (and they were fugly to begin with).

The ECS10GL and even the Medion Fukoya Mini makes all the other EEE competitors look like crap, but spec wize, uhm, not so much.

[ishism @ Apr 25th 2008 7:12PM]

You should take something for that.

[Diegus @ Apr 25th 2008 9:10PM]

Another MacBook rip-off.... that's so uncreative!!

[Conor Maher @ Apr 25th 2008 4:34PM]

Finally an eee competitor that looks better and has better specs :)

[zomg0t @ Apr 25th 2008 4:38PM]

So many LEDs...
I hate the placement of the Fn key though... Mostly because it would make it difficult to play some games and I suppose people wouldn't generally game on this, but it would still take time to get used to keyboard shortcuts involving control.

[Conor Maher @ Apr 25th 2008 4:50PM]

Yeah they should have swapped ctrl and Fn imo

[mykie @ Apr 25th 2008 5:43PM]

I was thinking the same thing about the LEDs, for such a tiny 'book, it sure has a damn lot of status LEDs. But what do they all monitor?

As far as I can tell the LEDs monitor the status of Bluetooth, Crossing the Streams, Crescent Moons, Battery, Shift Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock, and Can of Soup.

This duplicate post is brought to you by Engadget's broken reply system.

[BigTeebo @ Apr 26th 2008 2:42PM]

I can sympathize with the Fn key placement. My only complaint about this Lenovo laptop I'm using(t60) is the Function key is the lower-left hand, where Ctrl should be. I like consistency between the laptop & desktop keyboards. Hotkeys are my life.

[rhcpsfan @ Apr 25th 2008 4:47PM]

it looks alot like that medion subnotebook/eeepc competitor.like almost exactly if im remembering correctly.

[ingus @ Apr 25th 2008 4:52PM]

has MSI announced this things price point yet?

[Nick @ Apr 25th 2008 4:56PM]

Are you serious? It's like 9 MBA's thick! Thats no mini notebook.

[starkruzr @ Apr 26th 2008 4:09AM]

PROTIP: "thin" != "portable," regardless of what Steve tells you.

this machine has a much, MUCH smaller footprint than the Air.

[Chris Anderson @ Apr 25th 2008 5:06PM]

don't you mean "grease covered SAUSAGES"?

[ipodrulz @ Apr 25th 2008 5:09PM]

Are those 5 Ethernet ports at the side????? Or vents?

[Matt @ Apr 25th 2008 5:36PM]

I was wondering the same thing.

[ingus @ Apr 25th 2008 6:14PM]

according to the chinese engadget site, those are vents.

[El Taco @ Apr 25th 2008 6:17PM]

the ethernet is on the other side. Though that would be awesome to be able to connect to 5 networks at once :P

[alex @ Apr 25th 2008 5:10PM]

Is it just me or does it only have a single button under the trackpad?

[AC @ Apr 25th 2008 6:12PM]

I noticed that as well

[bobartig @ Apr 25th 2008 7:31PM]

If it's like the EeePC, then its probably a 2 button pad with a 'seesaw' action to it.

[MattyG @ Apr 25th 2008 5:32PM]

is it me or have they copied a whole lot from hp's mininote?

[jd @ Apr 25th 2008 11:38PM]

no, it isn't just you. i notice that too, especially the hinges. but the second poster broli gave me a freakin negative rank. wtf.

[jo3 @ Apr 25th 2008 5:33PM]

does anyone else think there are waaay too many status lights on this thing?

[Andrew @ Apr 25th 2008 5:56PM]

Drool worthy?

Or, "Wait-oh-yeah-I-remember-it's-not-still-1998" worthy?

[slarity @ Apr 25th 2008 6:15PM]

Love the looks, will have to wait for reviews to see if its worth a crap. I actually hope MSI beats Asus in this aspect, I always thought they made better mobos.

[MrBoB @ Apr 25th 2008 7:53PM]

I think I figured out the "Wind" name, there appears to be some sort of jet exhaust vent on the left side of the keyboard.

See:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/chinese.engadget.com/media/2008/04/%E5%B7%A6.jpg

[maff @ Apr 25th 2008 9:02PM]

are my eyes fucked or is it bent?

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 25th 2008 10:55PM]

You are the Wind beneath my wings. Sorry, that wasn't wind, that was a fart.

It's only about 8 MacBook Air's thick. Give them some benefit of a doubt that they're on the cutting edge.

[Luigi193 @ Apr 26th 2008 1:38AM]

I think it looks more like an iBook g4...

And it looks gorgeous. I would so get one...

[Sirius @ Apr 26th 2008 2:58AM]

"Did someone say high maintenance?"

Hah.. compared to the white MacBook, everything else is just sparkly clean... seriously.. I have to clean mine like.. every 2 months to stop the black patches from covering the palm rests and keys... I actually wish I'd spent the extra $150 and gone for a BlackBook... at least it won't look as dirty...

[peterpeterpeter @ Apr 26th 2008 4:26AM]

@Sirius
it was a "dirty" trick of apple to sell the black book for a higher price to begin with....

@rhcpsfan
MSI manifactures for Medion.


I seriously hope they make an all-black version!
Why does everyone want to design so much on a laptop. Go black, go square, make it thin - like the old IBM's. "Designed" laptops are an eye-candy for a couple of months - after that they all look so '95....
Seriously, a used white mac-book looks like poopoo.

[Alfred Joahns @ Apr 26th 2008 4:32AM]

still no dimensions for this beauty? anyone know how much bigger the 10.2" would be compared to the 8.9" - same body or..?

[Valgas @ Apr 26th 2008 4:38AM]

Those status lights monitor vital signs and brain activity. Can also detect and indicate when you are nearing orgasm.

The wind looks nice though. Can't wait to see what the Dell is gonna offer.

[peewee @ Apr 26th 2008 2:22PM]

Why is it that anything white is a Mac rip off? I didn't realize that Jobs had invented the color white- learn something new everyday. And fyi, Jobs was not the first to put out a silver laptop. And as an eee owner, I am not going to see every small/affordable laptop as an eee rip off. It's all business, you guys. Give the people what they want when they want it. And right now, the people are sick of being "ripped off" by the likes of Gates and Jobs. The days of 2000 dollar laptops are over, as is 600 dollar software. Jobs and Gates better wake up. Power to the people.

[creed @ Apr 26th 2008 3:31PM]

So many useless comments posted here :(

[karl @ Apr 26th 2008 9:24PM]

MSI = Mindless Self Indulgence.

[Joe Blow @ Apr 28th 2008 12:55AM]

OH BOY, LET'S TAKE 300 DOLLAR LAPTOP AND ADD A BUNCH OF UPGRADES SO IT RUNS LIKE A 500 DOLLAR LAPTOP.
Why people keep buying these computers? "Well I want a lot of power for the price." Bullshit, go out and buy a 500 dollar laptop and you will still have more processing power, most likely with twice the amount of upgradeable.

[Mog @ May 20th 2008 6:28AM]

Are...you...serious?

You're totally missing the point of products like the Eee or Wind.

Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY is buying these for the specs. Nobody. Everyone is well aware, thanks in part to haters like you, that you can buy a Dell Vostro 1000 for the same price that would have a larger screen, an optical drive, and Vista.

People buy things like the Eee and Wind because they don't want to haul around a seven-pound, two-inch-thick notebook with piss-poor battery life (so don't forget the bulky power brick!) just to type or browse the web on.

Low-cost subnotebooks, or "netbooks," are in a completely different class from a machine like a Vostro, even if they're technically in the same price range. Nobody's claiming that these are replacements for a "full" computer, except perhaps in less affluent parts of the world. These aren't intended to be ones' sole computer. They're designed as companion machines, even moreso than more powerful compact notebooks like the MacBook Air (which is also in a different class).

Methinks you are misunderstanding an entire market segment. But wow. I'm used to people asking why netbook users don't just buy massive Vostros that offer "better specs for the same price," but that's the first time I've ever heard anyone claim the opposite - that netbook users buy their machines for cutting edge specs. To the Wind's target market, the most important specs are size, weight, and battery life - not having gobs of RAM that Vista will devour anyway.