MSI
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MSI Wind gets a price: $610
We've gotten a ton of info on the MSI Wind, but so far pricing details have been a closely-guarded secret. Good thing we've got wonder-importers Expansys to help us out, though -- they've just listed the Wind at the pretty decent price of $610. That's not bad for a 10-inch screen, 1.6GHz processor (supposedly an Atom), 1GB of RAM, an 80GB disk and XP, but let's hope things get even cheaper when this thing hits the US for real.[Via UMPC Portal]
MSI's GX600X TurboBook gets inspected, reviewed
Surely you remember that G600 that MSI showcased at CeBIT, right? We know you're sitting in stunned silence just thinking back, so we'll move forward anyway. The crew over at TweakTown managed to get ahold of the GX600X TurboBook, and rather than just frolicking in fields of flowers with it, they put this puppy to the test. Unlike the vast majority of MSI lappies, this particular one manages to stand out somewhat, with a relatively loud design and a fairly potent set of components to boot. Reviewers found it to be a "peak performer" with "excellent overclocking capabilities," and while the logos may catch a few eyes, these critics felt that those very decals may deter folks from buying an otherwise solid machine. Nevertheless, head on down to the full review -- you may find yourself surprisingly attracted to an MSI. Imagine that.[Via I4U News]
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.
MSI Wind gets Turkish video hands-on
Curious enough about the MSI Wind to sit through a video of a couple of nerds talking about it endlessly in Turkish? Check it out after the break -- and we don't want to hear a word about how you want those three and a half minutes of your life back.[Via Mike Cane 2008]
MSI outs official Wind specs, mum on price and dates
MSI just got right with the gadget lorf by going official with its Wind Notebook. Launched anonymously at Intel's IDF, the Wind is pretty much everything we've heard: about 1-kg weight; XP-only (at the moment); LED-backlit, 8.9- and 10-inch 1,024 x 600 displays; and traditional 80GB, 2.5-inch hard disk. MSI also claims to have a superior keyboard and battery life compared to the competition. Yup, they're looking right at you Eee PC. No word on price or delivery date though we previously heard Juneish (with Atom CPU launch) for between $470 to $1,099. [Via DigiTimes]
MSI's 8.9- to 10-inch Wind breaks in Q2 for less than $500
Good news: the price of those 7- to 9-inch ultra-portables are in free-fall as Dell, ASUS, HP, Everex and others race to the bottom. Bad news: your $500ish wad currently takes home a thick, boxy slab. Fortunately, MSI is looking to change all that when it ships the sleek Wind laptop in Q2. In other words, June when Intel ships the Atom processor. Prices are expected to range from $470 to $1,099 for your choice of 8.9-inch and 10-inch panels with 1,024 x 768 pixel resolutions, 2.5-inch hard disk or SSD drive, processors ranging from 1GHz to 1.6GHz, and 1GB of memory. At least that's the last we heard. Word to the wise: wait until summer for your ultra-portable purchase -- competition will be fierce and the waves will be tasty.
USI wastes some plastic on MID-150 and MID-200
Just what we needed, another couple of me-too MIDs dropped into the world without a purpose. USI is naturally putting some fine tech in these devices, like a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, up to 8GB of SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, 512MB of RAM and a 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor, but given the lack of proof that an MID is even what consumers want at the moment, we're having a hard time getting excited about these particular MIDs. The main claim to fame of the MID-200 (keyboard) and MID-150 (no keyboard) is a PCI-express slot for adding 3G or GPS, but the existing four hour battery life is certainly going to strain under the load of any additions. No word on price or a release date just yet. [Via thegadgetsite; thanks KC Kim]
Intel breaks Wind with first Atom-based ultra-portables in the wild
There you have it, the first laptop we've seen running Intel's long awaited Atom processors. We're pretty sure that's MSI's Wind PC on display in Shanghai for Intel's Developer Forum. Of course, we've already seen Atom listed as the CPU in the G10IL and new 8.9-inch Eee PC among others. But there's nothing like seeing the genuine article running on Intel's newest silicon. If you're a fan of the Eee PC form factor then you'll be stoked by what looks like a truck-load of 7- to 9-inch ultra-portables on way. Click the read link to see a few more.
MSI's 13.3-inch VR340 laptop ain't too pretty, special
MSI seems to be in quite the contradictory mood, as that "Innovation with Style" slogan certainly doesn't apply to the laptop it's plastered on. We had to triple-check to ensure the VR340 wasn't actually introduced ages ago, but in fact, this 13.3-incher is incredibly fresh. Packed within the way-too-heavy 4.85-pound frame is an elusive dual-core Intel CPU, WXGA panel, up to 3GB of DDR2 RAM, dual-layer DVD burner, a trio of USB ports, 5-in-1 multicard reader and a six-cell battery for good measure. Mum's the word on a price, but chances are that won't hurt too many feelings.[Via FarEastGizmos]
MSI shows off bevy of new laptops at CeBIT
We already knew the GX600 would be showing itself at CeBIT this year, but apparently, quite a few siblings made the trek to Germany as well -- including the aforementioned unit's 14.1-inch sister, the GX400. Moving on, we've got the 15.4-inch GX620 and 17-inch GX720, and while the former looks to arrive in a wood, leather or carbon fiber finish, the latter supposedly arrives with a black lacquer coat and a built-in subwoofer (among other goodies). The GT-730 gaming lappie was also mentioned, but unfortunately, all we know is that it gets its graphics prowess from some form of ATI Mobility Radeon. The AMD-powered EX610 (15.4-inches) also turned heads with its integrated Blu-ray player and HDMI output, while the 17-inch EX700 sported the same along with a GeForce 8400M GPU. Hit up the links below for a couple more snapshots, won'tcha?Read - MSI laptops at CeBITRead - More MSI laptops at CeBIT
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 MSIRead - MSI Wind PC
MSI ECOlution motherboard transforms chip heat into fan power
Okay, try not to let your mind get blown by the possible time-space paradox we're about to illustrate, but MSI's supposedly introducing a new ECOlution motherboard at CeBIT with an "air powered cooler" that operates on the Stirling Engine Theory to transform the thermal output of its chipset into the kinetic energy necessary to power that same chipset's fan. Of course, as the fan cools the heatsink it deprives itself of energy, supposedly the piston affixed to the crankshaft pulls back down, giving it another potential surge when its heat rebuilds. Supposedly it works at 70% efficiency, so we'll just let the thermodynamics geeks in the audience mull over the possibility and audacity of it all -- they certainly seem to have given up on Steorn at this point.Update: CG video demo posted after the break, via TweakTown. Thanks, Lin.
MSI intros "anion" laptop, power saving Turbo Battery Technology
It looks like MSI has some big plans for CeBIT, if the company's latest news is any indication. The computer-maker is gearing up for two innovative new laptops, both of which are part of its ECOlution "green" line of systems. The first model will bizarrely feature a high concentration of anions -- negatively charged ions which the company believes will "enhance the body's condition, promote nervous stability and recovery from fatigue, and encourage circulation of halted blood." The second, less magical entry from MSI comes in the form of the GX600-08 laptop, which utilizes a new battery design intended to extend life up to 20% by engaging a "Turbo Battery Mode" which automatically adjusts the system's workload to conserve power. We'll undoubtedly be hearing more about these from CeBIT, so keep your eyes peeled.[Via Fareastgizmos]
MSI prepping Eee PC competitor with Diamondville inside
We're short on specifics, but MSI looks to be getting behind Intel's upcoming 45nm Diamondville processor in a big way -- a totally unsurprising turn of events. Diamondville is pretty much built from the ground up for powering low-cost ultraportables of the Eee PC's ilk, so we're sure to be seeing it in all sorts of cheap computers in the coming year or so, but MSI is one of the first to announce a budget laptop built around the platform. The chip is due to be formally unveiled in April, and MSI says the "when Diamondville is ready, our project will be ready." That should be around July or August, and we can't wait to see those design chops (pictured above) put to good use.
MSI brings first Soleus handset to CES
MSI brought the 5608 to CES, a pretty nifty and well specced-out handset that as an added bonus is the first handset we've seen that features the Intrinsyc Soleus OS. While this won't be ready for prime time on our shores for quite some time -- think end of year -- MSI promises GPS, gesture-based touch interface, quad-band GSM / EDGE, 2 megapixel camera, and all driven by a 400 MHz Samsung SC3 CPU. They've got months to finalize thing, so here's hoping they cram some 3G in it by then.
MSI rolling out new portable navigators at CES
MSI is making sure it doesn't miss out on all the fun here in Vegas, as it's apparently gearing up to unveil a slew of portable navigation devices (one is presumably pictured above) at the show. Although details are admittedly scant, we do know to expect a range of units available in 3.5-, 4.3- and 5-inch sizes. Furthermore, these navigators will cater to the outdoorsy set, entertainment-minded folk and those who adore routing around traffic jams. On another note, the firm is also cranking out its MS-5618 portable media center, which reportedly includes a DVB-T / ATSC tuner and MP3 playback, but yet again we're left to wonder about the specifics.[Via MobileWhack]
Intel X38 motherboards finally begin to surface
It's been a tick since we first saw a rig running on Intel's X38 technology, and while we've been expecting a launch for some time now, it seems that a couple of mobo manufacturers are finally helping to (unceremoniously) kick things off. Up first is the Asus P5E3 Deluxe, which of course supports DDR3 1800MHz dual-channel memory, dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 lanes, 802.11n WiFi and an Energy Processing Unit (EPU) that allows the CPU power supply "to be digitally monitored and fine-tuned with improved VRM efficiency in heavy or light loadings." Additionally, MSI has loosed its X38 Diamond, which throws in its exclusive Circu-Pipe cooling system and Dual-Channel PWM technology. 'Course, we'd already heard about Gigabyte's GA-5BXWV-RH mainboard (shown after the jump), but here's to hoping a few more companies hop on board soon to give potential customers more than a handful of options.[Via DailyTech]Read - MSI's X38 DiamondRead - Asus' P5E3 Deluxe
Dospara intros MSI-branded Prime Note Galleria
Japan's Dospara doesn't look to be trying too hard to conceal the source of its latest laptop, with the MSI logo prominently displayed on the lid of its new Prime Note Galleria, and just barely visible below the screen above. Cross-branding issues aside, the laptop certainly looks like it'll get the job done, boasting a 17-inch 1680 x 1050 display, Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and, perhaps most notably, GeForce 8600 GT graphics. Of course, all that comes at the expense of an eight pound carrying weight, but if that's not too off-putting, you can grab one now for just under ¥200,000 (or roughly $1,700).
MSI launches PR200 ultraportable in Korea
Recall that quietly seductive PR200 we saw way back in January? MSI has gone and launched the 12-inch ultraportable in Korea, given it a dark outfit, and thrown it into the ever-expanding MEGABOOK lineup. The finalized machine will reportedly sport Intel's 965 Express chipset, a Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, 2GB of RAM, 802.11n support, integrated GMA X3100 graphics, a 1.3-megapixel camera, built-in microphone, and an HDMI port. Additionally, you'll find a fingerprint scanner, onboard optical drive, audio in / out, a number of USB ports, and a ginormous palm rest sticker for good measure. Click on for a snapshot of the front.
MSI's Luxium external graphics solution spotted
Although external graphics on a laptop were once a pipe dream, things are starting to come together for those yearning for desktop-style graphics processing on a mobile machine. MSI's first shot at the solution is apparently dubbed Luxium, and our Chinese brethren were able to steal a few shots from the display kiosk at Computex. Details are a bit scant at the moment, but the device will apparently provide a PCI-e to ExpressCard interface to get your desktop GPU interfacing with your lappie, several USB ports, a "USB to LAN" connector, S/PDIF in / out, optical audio input, and 7.1-channel Dolby Digital support. Yeah, we can't wait to see the benchmarks on this one either, but for now you'll have to be content with tapping the read link and taking a good first look at this promising product.
