MSI's Wind U120 netbook gets pictured

Considering that MSI's Wind U120 is on track for release this quarter, it follows logic that we'd see a few press shots as the run-up to launch continues. Once again, we're told that this bugger will sport a 120GB HDD (or a 20GB / 40GB SSD), 802.11n WiFi and built-in 3.5G WWAN. As you can easily see, the U120 isn't too much different (style wise) from the U100, and unfortunately, it's not a whole lot thinner either. Still, the unit does look a bit more edgy, and hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more (read: in the wild) shots as December comes closer. Speaking of, check the read link for a whole load of press images.

[Thanks, TheLostSwede]

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 9th 2008 9:57AM]

Wow! 3.5G !!! Waiting for ASUS EeePC 901 with HSUPA......

[Dopefish @ Oct 9th 2008 10:25AM]

HSUPA? Personally I'm more bothered about *download* speed.....

[therpham @ Oct 9th 2008 10:08AM]

I'm so happy - netbook manufacturers are starting to realize they can make them at least a little bit sexy and less Fisher-Price. I'm glad I didn't jump the gun and buy one yet - by the time I can _really_ afford one, they'll be looking great. Hopefully, anyway.

[Booshack @ Oct 9th 2008 10:25AM]

I prefer the look of the original wind, much more understated and mature. Full disclosure: I have one. However this version seems to remidy the biggest problem of the original - the small, shitty touchpad buttons.

[d00b @ Oct 9th 2008 1:11PM]

Like with the Asus N10, this is mainly a cosmetic refresh with 3G added in. It takes time to redesign the core functionality. Most of these things stick to the Intel reference design to get quickly to market.

As with the Asus model, I can't see these things selling north of $500, especially with the baseline coming down to $300-400 range for netbooks.

[crsh @ Oct 9th 2008 10:30AM]

Well, it's not bad, but they didn't improve much on the original Wind; why is the trackpad still so retardly tiny? Is this one shipping with a 6-cell battery right from the start, or are we going to have to wait another 3-4 months again? What's the price increase?

Questions in need of answers..

[Sam @ Oct 9th 2008 10:50AM]

I actually saw one of these in currys.digital here in Manchester this afternoon, branded as the Advent 4213 at £349.

Compared to the 'Original' MSI Wind/Advent 4211 - the Keyboard is horrible, cheap and overly plasticky. It appears you have to remove the battery to insert it SIM (No biggie) but I'm glad saved the £70 and went for the more solidly built one with the 4:3 screen...

[Sam @ Oct 9th 2008 11:11AM]

Whoops, scratch that, it appears I may have been looking at something different..

[eiki @ Oct 9th 2008 6:39PM]

yes, currys.digital does that

DIXONS, d-d-d-DIXONS!!!!

[Callum Bush @ Oct 9th 2008 11:06AM]

Are there any other models coming out this Xmas that give this a run for its money?

Cheers

Callum
PhoneDevil.com

[Knives_Out @ Oct 9th 2008 11:06AM]

wow .. they went gradient crazy there.

[Yem @ Oct 9th 2008 11:22AM]

Presumably the HS*PA requires a SIM card or other data account with a monthly fee, if not per byte charges. Who will actually go through with that expense? I'd rather pay less up front and use bluetooth (cellphone) for 3G.

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 6:44PM]

First of all, I have no idea what trolling is. Second of all, I did not ask about an advantage. From these answers, it is clear that if you have one laptop and a cable modem, 802.11n provides NO additional benefit in terms of speed (other than the indirect benefit to speed that your range is bigger).

Thanks to everyone who did not answer my question at all, but instead was incredibly defensive that I could question the latest technology.

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 6:59PM]

Sorry, Yem- I responded to another comment in the wrong place.

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 11:37AM]

What is the point of 802.11n if you internet provider only delivers at 10mbps?

[Jim @ Oct 9th 2008 11:52AM]

Not all of us are DL-ing Porn at home. Some of us transfer stuff on our own network, or have access to a nice University connection

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 12:13PM]

I guess your answer means that there is no purpose in having an 802.11n connection if your provider only delivers at 10 mbps. Your response doesn't provide an answer to my question.

[Mark @ Oct 9th 2008 12:35PM]

You're quite lazy..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11#802.11n
Range is a bit better.

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 12:47PM]

I don't understand- range has nothing to do with speed. How does that link answer the question?

[Mark @ Oct 9th 2008 6:25PM]

Have you read it? Are you just trolling?

You asked if 802.11n has an advantage if you have a 10mbit internet connection. I suggested that an advantage is the better range of 802.11n vs 802.11g and older..

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 6:53PM]

Also, even if I was asking about an advantage, how is something that is not "older" an advantage in and of itself?

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 6:58PM]

This response should have come before my last comment:

First of all, I have no idea what trolling is. Second of all, I did not ask about an advantage. From these answers, it is clear that if you have one laptop and a cable modem, 802.11n provides NO additional benefit in terms of speed (other than the indirect benefit to speed that your range is bigger).

Thanks to everyone who did not answer my question at all, but instead was incredibly defensive that I could question the latest technology.

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 12:12PM]

Can anyone provide an answer to my question? I really don't care what kind of network you have and I'm not interested in defensive answers (or answers that randomly capitalize the "u" in "university"). Thanks.

[d00b @ Oct 9th 2008 1:31PM]

It's a marketing hook. Draft-N doesn't give you more speed or range than G unless you're connected to a router of the same manufacturer or chipset. But it looks good on a marketing glossy to have N rather than the old tired G. Geeks love specs, and marketers exploit this.

[AlphaTeam @ Oct 9th 2008 12:20PM]

For some weird reason I read the title are MSI Wind Up netbook…

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 12:46PM]

I don't understand- range has nothing to do with speed. How does that link answer the question?

[ultimus @ Oct 9th 2008 1:31PM]

Haven't you used Wi-Fi before? The further you get away from the access point, the lower your connection rate goes. Range DOES have something to do with speed!

Let's say you have a 10Mbps service and you are in your backyard hooked up with your AP at 2Mbps. A wireless-N connection may connect you well over 10Mbps.. or even 100Mbps, so you can have even faster connections with your other local computers.

And when in a room with poor signal, that can even mean having a connection or NOT - which is a HUGE difference....

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 1:50PM]

You are right in the sense that you can receive a stronger connection at a greater distance from your router, but the overall speed isn't improved. In other words, with 802.11n, you just receive the same maximum speed at a further distance away from your router. Still, the maximum speed itself is not changed at all, right? What difference does it make if you are only receiving data from your internet provider at 10 mbps? Isn't that really the limit for the speed of the data transfer, regardless of whether it is g or n wireless?

[d00b @ Oct 9th 2008 1:58PM]

What others are trying to say, albeit a bit rudely, is that WiFi is good for connecting to other computers as well (i.e. a LAN), not just to your provider. However, what they don't say is that this is draft-N and not certified N, which won't come out until late next year. Interoperability for draft-N is limited to the same make in chipset/manufacturer.

You will not get a speed boost from a draft-N receiver (it isn't necessarily any more sensitive than a G part). Draft-N routers typically have boosted output power and bandwidth, which allows larger range, but many older G routers can also do this--typically with 3rd party firmware--so the "N gives you more range than G" is not really true.

[kg @ Oct 9th 2008 2:04PM]

Thanks, d00b. I, probably like most people, just rely on a cable modem and I guess I should have made that clearer from my first question. I don't see any advantages to 802.11n (besides range), since the speed is 10 mbps from my cable provider. I was really just looking for an answer in terms of transfer speeds in a simple and common cable modem set-up with one laptop.

[Bird is the WORD @ Oct 9th 2008 1:48PM]

MSI did such a piss poor job of making the wind wavailable that I gave up and got the eee pc 1000h. It's great and the six celll battery is the business.

[Anoni Moose @ Oct 9th 2008 5:45PM]

1. Pick a speed (say, 1 Mbps). 'N' can "do" that speed from a longer distance away than 'G' can.

2. One uses such things to connect to file servers as well as to the internet. Looking a snapshot photos stored on a machine in one's home is an example where very fast transfer is preferred.

3. The folk who came up with "draft-n" actually have certifications for "draft-n" in advance of 'N' proper. Seems odd, but they do so there's some hope of interoperability.

4. Personally, our home's internet speed is 20 Mbps and is connected using "draft-N'.

5. With our switch from 'G' to 'draft-N' we got a measured 3X improvement in speed. Particularly useful for #3 above.

[kg @ Oct 10th 2008 5:10PM]

I don't think most people have file servers and everything, so N doesn't seem worthwhile for someone like me until internet speeds to my home are raised to above whatever G can handle. Your point #5 above doesn't have to do with your internet, correct?

[reed @ Jan 8th 2009 12:53PM]

from wired magazine i've heard that the wind120 is a good notebook although the dialogue here, dating back to oct 2008 seems to say that the wind120 is not so good. can anyone point me in the right direction for an affordable notebook that i can use when i'm out and about, sitting at coffee shops & doing my work but still wanting to have fast & reliable access to internet via a wireless connection. i'm used to using macs so i feel like i'm downgrading but i have to do it right now because i just don't have the funds to purchase the mac i want. i'm looking for a notebook under $1000 yet technically (not just cosmetically) savvy, meaning that i can download stuff quickly, have exceptional wireless access to internet, a lot of space for downloading stuff. i also do graphics stuff with photoshop, in design, & final cut but i don't have to on this particular computer that i purchase because i have access to a desktop mac where i can do that work. but, i still want a reliable notebook that can handle a lot of information well from text docs as well as large size image documents downloaded from a digital camera. any suggestions welcome! thanks