MSI teases Winki, the internet device without an operating system -- that runs Linux
By Tim Stevens 
posted Mar 4th 2009 7:48AM
posted Mar 4th 2009 7:48AM
Okay, see if you can wrap your head around this one: MSI has announced a new device designed to simplify peoples' internet experiences by cutting out all the extraneous stuff, presenting a clean, decidedly OS X-like interface to commonly used apps. It's the same sort of skin we've seen applied many a Linux-powered device before, but MSI has taken the unusual decision to call this a "new internet interactive device without an operating system." We're not sure if that's supposed to be a subtle dig to the Linux community or just marketing misinformation, but, regardless, the device (which MSI has yet to reveal) will ship with a number of web-related tools like Firefox for browsing, Pidgin and Skype for chatting, and other apps for browsing media and whatnot. No word on whether users will be able to install their own apps, and if so what happens when they run out of room on that not-a-dock, but we are certain of one thing: this is clearly the cutest name for a non-OS device of all time.
[Via I4U News]
Ghost in the machine!
Yeah seriously. If there's no OS, then what is sitting right there creating icons, a background, and the "dock" area? There has to be an OS. even if its just an upgraded BIOS, by definition its an OS.
Ghen, could be a screenshot
I wonder if they could get Winki to run on a Wang?
Stand Alone Complex
wow
these clowns rip off the MBA, then they proceed to copy the OSX OS appearance...
and then they have the gauls to imply that Linux is not an OS...
These guys are nothing but a bunch of cloning crap heads...
Apple fanboy attacking Linux.
Stand back, guys, this is gonna be nasty.
@iGoon:
Yea, but MSI never was any good at particularly anything anyway. Not even in what it was its main business - motherboards - could it compete with ASUS, ABIT and the others.
Hence Im not surprised
Their naming skills aren't too hot either; where I come from, winki is schoolboy slang for a lady's front bottom. Combine that with 'wind' and you have a recipe for hilarity.
@Look_Around_You: Yeah, this is a gadget website so you're going to have a higher turnout of iBoys versus Linux guys but it is fairly hilarious.
I'm sure somebody in MSi is getting their knuckles rapped as we speak.
I doubt abit is in the same league as MSI especially seeing as abit has disappeared entirely off the planet after closing down today.
@Shattered ice:
You might be correct. What I wanted to emphasize was that MSI sucked kinda hard way back in 2004 when I still was building my own computers.
I was never impressed with their hardware, and nowadays when laptops rule the world, MSI sure impresses to fail once again, ripping off Apple, other companies and just... churning out unimpressive products.
iGoon, you're an iTard. Docks are available for most flavors of Linux. While this one on the MSi is probably a custom build, its looks very similar to existing Linux docks like Avant Window Navigator or SimDock. Both are freely available for Linux distros running Gnome or KDE. There are many more you could also choose from.
Keep in mind, docks do not equal Apple. Apple didn't even invent the dock. MS had one in Windows 1.0! That said, MS didn't invent the dock either. It's been around since the mufuggin' 80's, sports fan.
Get over yourself.
iGoon is putting down Linux? Seems to me that he is disgusted with MSI for their slights against both Apple and Linux.
Here in the UK, winki is schoolboy slang for a cock.
the Gauls were the ancestors of the present-day French. I don't think they have anything to do with this. Also, your "indignation" about them saying there's no OS when it's running linux is kind of obviously thrown in to make it seem less retarded when you say that they rip off Apple products.
Here in the US, cock is slang for a penis.
Look_Around_You,
You should do what your name suggests. You're the only one who sees anyone attacking Linux here.
But yeah, Winki is slang for wang (not computers), which is slang for johnson which is slang for penis.
Seriously. These guys are just begging to be sued.
Most OEMs have too much shame to copy Apple as blatantly as MSI do.
They are really disrespectfull to the people that wrote the programs they freely use...
MSI is officially on my black list... A hardware maker is interested in and use linux, and they have to ruin it thanks to marketing... well done.
Does Winki mean Penis is the USA like it does here in the UK? Man, how I laughed.
Sorry I meant to say - "Does Winki mean Penis in the USA" NOT "is the USA". I am not saying the USA is a Penis. Apologies to the easily offended.
See my earlier comment. This word definitely seems to have some inter-culturally-recognised genital connotations.
The easily offended deserve to be.
Oh, and their equally amusing slogan is 'explore your world in the blink of an eye'.
This is almost as good as Beyonce's 'B-day' album.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=winky
I can't wait to play with a winki.
LOL - that is priceless, seriously, their marketing people need to be shooting. This is up there with the wheelchair named "Spaz".
In their defense, and I use the terms very very loosely ;) "winky" is a slang for penis, they call this "winki" - most likely in reference to a wink, i.e. a blink of an eye, i.e. that's how fast it comes up. It's still a bad choice for a name of a product.
I'll have a play with my Wii, before giving my Winki a shakedown test...
Seriously, what next, Toyota releasing an MR2 in France? :)
@Emailacar
I'm not sure why you felt it necessary to capitalize penis, it's not like a penis is it's own separate person lol
This Wanky, oh, Winki Non OS Linux OS seems to be an new old relase of new ripped off ideas been never here for a while.
That makes no sense whatsoever.
read that five times and i'm still lost
These lightweight and instant-on Linux builds just aren't lightweight enough. If I want Instant Messenger and Skype then I'd rather be running a full Linux build or Windows.
I'd like to see an instant-on OS that is literally nothing but a fullscreen tabbed browser window. Why arbitrarily pick programs to throw in? If I've got Instant Messenger and Skype, then why can't I have an RSS reader or a game of Solitaire? Either give us the most lightweight system possible with a straightforward browser or give us a real OS that we can install more stuff on. This bizarre middle-road just isn't doing anything for me.
Ladies part hey? Hmmm, something was lost in translation along the way there, I am certain a winki is a tadger/one-eyed trouser snake/old chap/piece of pork/wife's best friend, etc, either way - who wants to be standing around holding a winki in their hands, NOT ME! At least not in public!
I guess whoever edited this has never seen a linux distro before today? I´ve seen similar Gnome/KDE themes like this for years and years before OSX was even out. But then I guess mApple fans are always in the believe that Mobbs invents everything and the rest of the world copies blatantly.
That said, this seems like a rather poor theme, the following Jakalope looks way sexier then this.
When they say "without an OS" I think they mean without a "Finder" or "File Manager".
"without an OS... that runs Linux"
*head explodes*
You guys need to settle down. Its Compiz with the Emerald theme.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4445/screenshot1tj8.png
It could also be gOS, which emphasizes web apps. That could be what they mean by 'no operating system' as everything is run remotely.
So they don't mean NO OPERATING SYSTEM - they mean something else. So what they say is wrong, or just plain dishonest, or just designed to mislead people. I can understand this, in a world where people think 'Operating System' means 'Microsoft or Very Expensive' and where they just see tons of FUD about linux from Microsoft and Apple diehards who get scared that their OS won't be around as the default forever and ever.
"Instant on" Linux builds have been around for quite some time now. I have several pieces of equipment that use something called "BusyBox" which is a very lightweight embedded version of Linux. Boot time on that gear is extremely quick.
ASUS started this phenomenon on the desktop with their "Splashtop" OS embedded into motherboards. Cool idea if you just want to surf the web or check E-Mail really quickly.
To say that this new product doesn't use an OS is just foolish. EVERYTHING these days has an OS...except maybe your hair dryer, toaster, or refrigerator (yes, I know, even some of them are getting the embedded OS treatment these days)...
Oh and...Winki? What were they thinking?!? We've already discussed what that is slang for in various parts of the world...
Are they suicidal? First they bring out a bunch of laptops that are very, very, very similar to Apple's MB Air, then they ape the dock? Why not live dangerously, and throw in multitouch, too?
Seriously, it's not a bad concept but the execution is a little derivative, to say the least.
P.S. I'm not a whiney mac fanboy, just sayin'
Well, if they used a good touchpad it already does to the same extent Apple touts.
Oft-unnoticed feature in Linux distros: xorg's Synaptic touchpad driver supports touchpads with multi-finger support way better than Windows's Synaptic driver does does, and where possible emulates the same features. It does two / three finger tap, two / three finger + click, two / three finger slide and circular scrolling (think ipod). It's pretty awesome :)
Does anybody actually use those multi-finger touchpad gestures? I tried them out and thought they were incredibly stupid.
I own a MacBook, a desktop PC that runs Windows, and I use Linux at work and like that equally. I'm no fanboy to any particular party...
With that said, MSI is being pretty shameless with their ripping off of everything Apple does recently. Their new slim is pretty much a carbon copy of the Air, and they have emulated Apple styles in other laptops and hardware. Now they release this internet device that appears to the untrained eye to be running OS X.
I have nothing against competition, as usually it promotes innovation... but when it promotes nothing but copying the current trends it is useless. I've had a lot of respect for MSI in the past, but they really have to pull their heads out of Apples ass and start making their own products again.
Are they trying to cater to the 'poor man who wants to look cool in the coffee shop' market sector?
I am sorry but I have to say this...
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THESE MOTHER*CUKING ITARDS AND THEIR MOTHERf*CUKING CLAIMS.
Apple did not invent the Dock, the might have beautify it which I give credit for them doing so but they did not invent it. I remember using a dock environment in my engineering class way before OS X came out... So please stop with your glorified ignorance and give credit where credit is due.
It doesn't really matter who invented the dock, that's beside the point. The point is, and I would love to see you try to deny this, that MSI is shamelessly ripping off Apple with its latest line of products.
That whole "without OS" thing is for the non-techy clients. It probably means that the only programs you can access directly are the ones on the launch bar, so no file browser, command line, add/remove programs, etc. Of course, to be able to work with a computer you need some sort of an OS, otherwise you'd be sitting there typing assembler commands or some such. But for the casual user, if they can't access files directly, and if they can't install additional programs, and can only work some preset applications, it pretty much means this isn't a proper OS. Plus, many associate an OS with long boot up times (thanks Windows! >:| ), so "removing" the OS from the equation means that most people will think "oh this is gonna be really fast!" and "if it has all the programs I need it'll be great and I don't need to bother with a real OS".
What no Mr. Winky jokes?
In case everyone forgot.....
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=winky
Damn I guess I scanned right past it. Oh well.