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MSI finally ships the Wind
After weeks upon weeks of painstaking delays (okay, so maybe that's a stretch... maybe), MSI has finally started shipping the Wind to US customers. As you very well know, these buggers have been showing up everywhere across the pond, but we've just received word that Fry's, NewEgg, Amazon, ZipZoomFly, MWave and Buy.com are all sending units out as we speak for those that pre-ordered. Chime in below if you've just recently received a shipping notification (or, heaven forbid, if you're still waiting). Full release after the jump.
Teardown party: the MSI Wind and Acer Aspire One get ripped open
You knew this was bound to happen. Like any good piece of gadgetry, there's always someone who can't wait to get their grubby hands all over it... and rip it to shreds to see how it works. Today we present the disemboweling of two of the latest challengers to the Eee's netbook throne: the MSI Wind, and the Acer Aspire One. The Aspire One at least gets the courtesy of a proper unboxing before the medical proceedings begin; the Wind just gets cracked open like a cold PBR at your cousin's barbecue. Don't take our word for it, however -- truck on over to the read links and see the messes with your very own eyes.Read - Breaking WindRead - Acer Aspire One Unboxed and Disassembled
MSI Wind gets reviewed
Hey USers -- we know where all those "delayed" Winds are. Just take a look across the pond. bit-tech managed to wrap their paws around a retail unit of MSI's Eee PC fighter, and while early reviews sang a lovely song, this one was just a bit flatter. All in all, reviewers found the machine to be useful and totally practical, but it was glaringly obvious that they were none too pleased about MSI jacking up the price of its own machine while the completely identical (save for branding) Advent 4211 was selling for less. If you're listening to these guys / gals, you'll gloss right over the Wind and nab yourself a rebadge, but whichever edition you end up getting, it's sure to be "great" in the grand scheme of things. Check the read link for the full spill.
MSI Wind shipping in "3 to 5 weeks," Advent rebadge available now
Okay, so we've got hard evidence the Wind is shipping out somewhere in the world, but the latest status check on Amazon reveals that it'll be another 3 to 5 weeks before Americans can indulge. Granted, we've seen these dates slip around a bit, so hopefully it'll slide to "sooner" if anything. Interestingly enough, the Advent 4211 rebadge is shipping this very moment to customers in the UK for £279.99, though that currency conversion is apt to be a real thorn in your side when looking to import.Read - MSI Wind availability, via ComputerMonger, thanks IvanaRead - Advent 4211, thanks zeesh
MSI's Wind gets received by someone, unboxed on video
Even though the world at large is waiting on pins and needles for these Wind delays to subside, at least one lucky individual in Italy has received one. Not that you haven't already seen this netbook from every angle imaginable, but things just look entirely more fluid on video. Three minutes (2:55, to be precise) in heaven await you after the break.[Thanks, Marcello]
MSI Wind desktops to hit Europe and Asia in September
It looks like MSI's taking another page from ASUS's Eee playbook -- the Wind netbook is getting a desktop sibling. MSI was actually showing off the Atom-based minitower at Computex last month, and while final specs and pricing aren't official, it sounds like the machine will include Windows XP, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB drive, DVD drive, and WiFi for somewhere between $200 and $300 when it goes on sale sometime in September -- but you'll have to be in Europe or Asia to snag one, as MSI says they won't make it to the US. That's a shame, as the power-sipping machine is pretty intriguing: the 1.6GHz system at Computex was able to play back 720p video using just 30 watts of power -- compared to 242 watts for a normal PC. (MSI says the Wind desktop isn't quite capable of 1080p playback yet, but it hinted that future versions will get there.) Hopefully MSI will have a change of heart between now and September.Read - Hands-on with the MSI Wind desktopRead - Infoworld article with estimated specs and pricing
MSI Wind, delayed again?
It's June 27th, but instead of a 10-inch MSI Wind NB unboxing we're hearing that at least one pre-order customer is being greeted with another delay. Reason? An "industry wide battery shortage." Come now MSI, we guess you missed that giant fireball-of-a-signal to look elsewhere for your inventory back in March? At least MSI is tossing in free overnight delivery with the new July 7th ship date. Hoozah, drinks are on Fred! Full MSI notification posted after the break.P.S. The MSI Wind NB retail page is currently blank. Time will tell if this is a deeper issue or just a temporary administration error.[Thanks, Fred H.]
MSI Wind gets its FCC on
We've been wondering where the MSI Wind's been hiding, and it turns out it's been kicking back with Uncle Sam -- the 10-inch netbook just popped up in the FCC. Nothing here we didn't know, really, but if you're into shots of the internals or those oh-so-riveting RF reports, nirvana awaits you at the read link.[Via jkkmobile]
Offshore wind power park to energize Delaware homes
Unlike Rock Port, Missouri, the entire state of Delaware won't be 100-percent wind-powered after Bluewater Wind constructs a $1.6 billion wind park just off its shore, but the state will be able to "light about 50,000 homes a year" for the duration of the 25-year contract. Said agreement was just nailed down between the aforesaid firm and Delmarva Power, and it hopes to start powering homes via wind by 2012. The offshore site will sit around 12 miles off Rehoboth Beach, with a number of turbines to be planted 90-feet into the sea floor and sport three blades apiece measuring 150-feet long. It's noted that vacationers and locals alike won't be able to notice the park from the beach except on a few remarkably clear days, but if their energy bills sink because of it, we don't really think they'll mind, anyway.
Broadstar Windsystem's AeroCam wind turbines break elusive price barrier
As wind energy becomes a practical necessity, designers are scrambling to make the giant spinny things as visually inoffensive as possible. Some are small, some are off in the sea where we can't be bothered, and some just look really pretty. In this case, Broadstar AeroCam developed this handsome horizontal-axis turbine that can be installed in any number of configurations and shipped easier than other turbines, making it a viable solution for those who don't want to erect a giant pole or get involved in construction. AeroCams work on the physics of air lift -- like wings on a plane -- resulting in a huge amount of power from a small package given the amount of blades per unit. Broadstar also brags that the system's price is a boon as well -- a 250kW system runs $250,000, which it says makes AeroCam the first wind power system to break the $1/watt cost barrier.[Via Inhabitat]
MSI Wind Atom-based laptops delayed again
For those of you looking to get your hands on one of MSI's new Atom-based Wind laptops, you're going to need to wait a bit longer. We expected the machines to start shipping already, but a big pink "Estimated Ship Date: Friday, June 27" at MSI's online fulfillment site has shattered our dreams all the way to, at the earliest, the end of June with our hands on the machines in early July at best. We'll keep our eyes on what appear to be an endless stream of tacked-on delays. MSI, you tease us so!Update: So it looks like the delayed machine will ship with a 3-cell (instead of 6-cell) battery due to shortages. To be fair, the price is a somewhat reduced $479.[Via thegadgetsite]
8.9-inch MSI Wind shows up at Computex
We had heard that MSI planned to offer up an 8.9-inch Wind in overseas markets in addition to the 10-inch model we're getting 'round here, but we haven't actually been able to get a look at it until our crack team from Engadget Chinese hit up Computex and got up close and personal with one of 'em. Dubbed the Wind U90, this one is apparently identical to the now-familiar 10-inch model in every respect except for the screen (no word on the resolution) which, as you can see above, is accommodated by an extra-wide bezel instead of an all around smaller laptop. No word on a price, but you can look for this one to launch alongside or slightly after the 10-inch U100 model "towards the end of June."[Thanks, Ax]
MSI Wind benchmarked and reviewed: now official alternative to Eee PC
Here's the moment many of you Eee-wannabees have been waiting for, the official announcement of the 10-inch, 1,204 x 600 LED-backlit MSI Wind. No surprises here on the leakiest of all netbooks. Still, when you consider that your $399 buys you a Linux-based system riding atop Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor, an 80GB 2.5-inch disk, 5.5-hour rated battery, 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth and 802.11b/g WiFi, it makes the $625 price of the Eee PC 1000(H) pretty tough to justify. Unless 802.11n and that beefier battery really do it for you. If the price doesn't sway you then how about a review? Laptop magazine just published their thoughts on the $499 XP model and gave it their "editor's choice" award calling the Wind "the best all-around mini-notebook to date." Now the bad news: the XP Wind ships June 16th while the el-cheapo Linux version won't ship until later this summer. Full press release and specs posted after the break.Read -- Benchmarks and picturesRead -- Review
MSI Wind gets terse pre-release review
It's pretty tough to wrap your melon around, but MSI's Wind has not yet officially launched per se. That being said, it has still managed to end up in the hands of quite a few eager subnote lovers, and Laptop Mag is no exception. Shortly after the UK branch of CNET posted up their initial impressions, along comes yet another mini-review to get you even more worked up about June 3rd. Here's the skinny so far: the screen is amazing, keyboard is as well, the trackpad is simply too cramped and the port assortment is very respectable. All in all, critics were left "seriously impressed," and they even threw together a video and image gallery for checking out afterwards. Head on over, alright?
MSI Wind gets detailed further
With just days remaining before MSI's Wind becomes available in the US, wouldn't you like to know as much as humanly possible now to better form your potential purchasing decision? Great, we had a feeling you would. According to CNET's UK branch, MSI's promising subnote will ship with 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, a trio of USB ports, 4-in-1 multicard reader, VGA output and a 3-cell battery that will theoretically provide 3- to 4-hours of life. You'll also find a 10-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, and just like the TurboBook GX600, a dedicated button to activate TurboDrive and overclock the CPU by "about 20-percent" (wait, what?). Check out the read link for all the gory details.[Thanks, T.I.]
Intel Atom 330 coming Q3, more details come to light
If you've been keeping up on the launch of Intel's dual-core Atom 330 processor, we have a couple little extra nubbins for you to chew on this evening. We already know that the Atom 330 will clock in at 1.6GHz, but that 1MB of cache will be split amongst the two processors. Additionally, we're looking at a 533MHz FSB, 64-bit processing (no real surprise there), and a peak TDP of only 8W, which should be just perfect for those mini PC's that rely on passive cooling. Look for a release in Q3 of 2008, most likely packed inside those Wind PCs.
Rock Port, Missouri celebrates being "100% wind powered"
We've seen a number of locales pipe in quite a bit of energy from eco-friendly sources, but the community of Rock Port, Missouri is claiming to be 100-percent wind-powered. The gloating is due to four wind turbines erected on agricultural lands within the Rock Port city limits, and while the town is expected to consume around 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity this year, the aforesaid turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours. Excess energy generated will be pridefully sent out for purchase by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities, where it will eventually be consumed in less thoughtful areas. Of course, the town has been operating in such a manner for a small tick now, but it just recently found the energy to throw a party for itself to commemorate the accomplishment. Can we get an invite next year or something?[Thanks, Yossi]Read - Rock Port releaseRead - Rock Port video
Chilean MSI wind gets in-depth hands-on
If you needed evidence of the popularity of cheap ultraportables in foreign lands, the news leading up to the release of the MSI Wind should be a good indicator. Last month it was a Turkish video of the thing, now it's a detailed Chilean writeup of a pre-release model. We're relying on Google Translate to parse out the details here, but from what we can understand the article indicates the keyboard to be "sufficiently comfortable," the LED-backlit screen impressive, and the performance in XP to be quite good. This despite a glitch that left the Intel Atom processor gimped short of its 1600MHz maximum speed, which will surely (hopefully) rectified before the 10-inch model finds release here next month at $549 with XP and a 6-cell battery, or SuSE flavored (and smaller batteried) for just $399.
Superpowerful small wind turbines light up the night
We've seem some impressive wind power tech, but a new breed of small, high-power wind turbines could potentially bring efficient wind power home. Developed by an inventor named Doug Selsam, the new turbines have rotors just 14-18 inches in diameter, but can produce 200 watts in a 20MPH wind, and much more than that at higher wind speeds. The trick is using high-strength carbon-fiber materials that allow several rotors to be hooked up as one -- in strong winds a thirteen-rotor system can produce enough juice to blow out a bank of car headlights "like flashbulbs." That's pretty impressive -- especially since the system is light and balanced enough to be held up with one hand. No word on when or how we might see these hit the public, but we can see some pretty sweet applications -- laptops in the park, anyone?[Thanks, Yocheved]
MSI Wind gets official pricing and availability for the US: $399
We already knew most of the details on the MSI Wind, but the Atom-based ultraportable just got official US pricing and availability today -- and just like we hoped, it got a little cheaper on the trip over. Although there'll be both 8.9-inch and 10-inch versions worldwide, we're only getting the 10-inch in both XP and Linux flavors, starting June 3rd. The SuSE version will feature that 1.6GHz Atom, 512MB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, and a 3-cell battery rated at 2.5 hours of use for $399, while the XP edition will come in at $549 with 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth, and a larger 6-cell battery good for 5.5 hours. There's also apparently going to be a $500 "base" XP edition, but details on that are pretty sparse at the moment. Looks like ASUS had better get that Atom-based Eee 900 out by June as planned if it wants to keep up, eh?
