MSI launches Wind12 U230 'Light,' shaves two inches and 30 clamshells from predecessor's hide
By Sean Hollister 
posted July 21st 2010 7:38AM
posted July 21st 2010 7:38AM
Hot on the Heels of its Successful Wind12 U230 Netbook, MSI Introduces U230 Light with Sleek 11.6" Screen
Compelling Combination of Power and Portability in Svelte Design Available Only in Retail Stores for $399
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, today announced the availability of its 3.3 pound Wind12 U230 Light notebook, with a smaller 11.6-inch high def screen than its 12.1-inch award-winning predecessor, the U230. This new model features AMD's 2nd Generation Ultrathin Platform and Microsoft's latest operating system, 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium, all driven by the most progressive mobile operating software available.
"It's a special combination of solid processing performance, HD display and a full sized keyboard for the feel of a notebook, yet it's packaged in an ultra slim design with remarkable battery life and stylish good looks, which has proven to be very popular with consumers."
Product highlights include:
HD support and sleek design: Within its portable and elegant form factor, the MSI Wind12 U230 Light notebook has a cinematic 16:9 LED backlit display, a footprint smaller than a sheet of A4 paper and a total weight of 3.3 pounds including battery. It delivers the high performance and expansive field of vision associated with notebooks, with the slimness and portability of a netbook.
Solid processing performance: With the new processor from AMD, performance is more than double compared to traditional lightweight notebooks.
60% less power consumption than standard notebooks: As a result of MSI's innovative craftsmanship, the U230 Light is optimized for energy efficiency and delivers on-the-go computing with low power consumption and energy saving features that use approximately 60 percent less power and deliver twice the battery life* of standard notebooks.
*Actual battery performance depends on operating conditions and user preferences.
"The Wind12 U230 Light is another extension of our very successful ultra slim U Series notebook line," said Andy Tung, vice president of sales and marketing for MSI North America.
"It's a special combination of solid processing performance, HD display and a full sized keyboard for the feel of a notebook, yet it's packaged in an ultra slim design with remarkable battery life and stylish good looks, which has proven to be very popular with consumers."
The U230 Light (MSRP $399.99) is currently available on Amazon.com and online and in stores at Office Depot. For more information and full specifications, please visit the U230 Light product page.
Aha
So this thing should be able to handle HD video playback?
Been looking for something more portable than a 12 inch netbook, that I can still hook up to the TV for some HD action.
Correct me if I'm wrong anyone?
@No Comment I believe your right, this will pump HD just fine
@No Comment - Yes it will... not sure how good it is on the field tho.
I have the similar config ASUS 1201T , NO , it does not play all 1080p videos...only few mp4 ones.. because of hardware acceleration..most of the mkvs and wmv(from Microsoft website) files wont play smoothly. tried almost everything.
@Nokia N900
What media player are you using? My laptop has a useless processor and a Mobility Radeon HD 3200 and it plays 1080p MKVs flawlessly. Search for Media Player Classic Home Cinema and a tutorial on how to set up DXVA acceleration. That requires Vista or Win 7 though.
@Nokia N900
Oh and DXVA doesn't seem to work on any wmvs but 720p mp4s, mkvs and movs work perfectly (processor consumption around 0-20%)
@Nokia N900 Yeah, you're doing something wrong. You need to use Media Player Classic - Home Cinema. Using DXVA acceleration, my Asus 1101HA with GMA500 video can play 1080p MKV's no problem. And as Offscreen said, it doesn't work for WMV's, the latest version of Windows Media Player should be able to accelerate that.
@No Comment
By the sound of the article, MSI may be using the same screen as the Lenovo x100e (11.6" semi-matte 1366x768), the same CPU and the same GPU. The 6-cell weight is about the same. In fact, if you can get the MSI with the dual-core 625, you've got an x100e with HDMI instead of VGA and the wonderful trackpoint.
To answer your 1080p playback question, YES with the 10.6 Catalyst driver package. No problem here on my x100e (w/dual-core).
I have the first one. It can do some HD alright if its on the HDD, but I've never gotten youtube to stream watchably in anything better then 480, and even that is spotty. I guess Flash is the culprit there as the 1.6 ghz processor is maxed out when trying to play HD and it can't handle it. The CPU does work better on everyday tasks, better than other netbooks I've used. And better then the mobile Intels. (Maybe not the newest ones) it also had a full size keyboard but if this one is that much smaller I'm thinking not. HDMI out works well. Audio & video. I don't think it can go higher than the screens native res, but like I said it can't really play anything higher anyway.
I considered the predecessor for an upgrade to my Wind U100, but wound up with a C2D based 11.6" Acer Aspire. I love AMD as much as Betty White loves suffocating dogs in pet medication commercials, but the K8-based MV and L series processors are too weak and power hungry for this form factor. I'll revisit the Winds once they get a Fusion model.
If this had an atom or ulv c2d id be all over it... Neo sucks, so hot when running, horrible battery. Mentioning AMD and netbooks in the same sentence doesn't compute.
Not sure why MSI decided to go with an older processor when the AMD K series are out at twice the speed and there netbooks with that for a similar price...
Now this, I like. I don't care that the processor is a bit obsolete, it's better than an Atom.