MSI Wind U160 Netbook: Great Build Quality
A fantastic all-rounder with an incredible battery life and great build quality…
MSI first entered the netbook market with its Wind series back in 2008 and has proved solid competition ever since, releasing a number of portable and well-built machines. The Wind U16o is a more than worthy update, a solid all-rounder and ideal for use on the move.
Frequent travelers are sure to love this netbook’s portability. The stunning 518 minutes of battery life is easily the best in this group and more than enough for school trips or long commutes, while the 1.3kg weight is light enough for kids when stashed in a bag. The chassis itself is very similar to the Asus in this group, with a glossy build that proves reassuringly solid.
Sticking issue
Unfortunately, MSI has stuck a large sticker on the left palmrest detailing the netbook’s specification and we found it ridiculously difficult to remove. The battery is also unusually large and protrudes from the back of the chassis, raising the rear of the machine when rested on a desk. However, this does at least incline the keyboard at a slight angle, which makes for a more comfortable typing experience.
An isolation-style keyboard almost identical to that of the Asus is in place and proves just as satisfying to use. The Enter key is reduced to a single row, but this is compensated by a wider left Shift key than that found on the Eee PC. The touchpad also uses an identical mottled design to the Asus, which makes it easier to locate quickly by feel when working.
Features are mostly standard for the group with 8o2.11n WI-Fi and10/100 Ethernet for networking, a 25oGB harddrive providing the same amount of storage as the other netbooks here, and an integrated camera. However, MSI has also included facial recognition software not found on the other netbooks here, which captures your facial featuresusing the camera and uses that instead of a password for logging into Windows, making it ideal for forgetful children.
The 10-inch screen is one of the best in this group, rivaling even the Dell’s in terms of brightness and image reproduction. A Super-TFT glossy coating is once again in place, so colors have a vivid, natural look about them, although the screen does suffer from glare in bright offices and outdoors. Only detail levels suffer in comparison to the Dell’s display, but the lower 1024 x 600-pixel resolution still proves sharp enough for practical use.
The Wind U16o is a fantastic all-rounder, combining stunning usability and battery life with a solid build and a bright and colourful display. The trade-off is the large battery, which thickens the chassis, but this is still a worthy winner and comes highly recommended
Details
- PROCESSOR INTEL 1.66GHZ ATOM N450
- MEMORY 1024MB DDR2 SCRAM
- HARD DRIVE 250GB (540ORPM)
- OPTICAL DRIVE NO
- SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 10-INCH SUPER-TFT
- DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
- GRAPHICS CARD INTEL GMA 3150
- DIMENSIONS 265 x 163 x 41mm
- WEIGHT 1.3kg
- WIRELESS LAN 802.11n
- ETHERNET 10/100
- USB PORTS 3
- FIREWIRE NO
- OPERATING SYSTEM WINDOWS 7 STARTER
- STANDARD WARRANTY 2 YRS C&R P&L
- PRICE £330
A fantastic all-rounder with an incredible battery life and great build quality…
MSI first entered the netbook market with its Wind series back in 2008 and has proved solid competition ever since, releasing a number of portable and well-built machines. The Wind U16o is a more than worthy update, a solid all-rounder and ideal for use on the move.
Frequent travelers are sure to love this netbook’s portability. The stunning 518 minutes of battery life is easily the best in this group and more than enough for school trips or long commutes, while the 1.3kg weight is light enough for kids when stashed in a bag. The chassis itself is very similar to the Asus in this group, with a glossy build that proves reassuringly solid.
Sticking issue
Unfortunately, MSI has stuck a large sticker on the left palmrest detailing the netbook’s specification and we found it ridiculously difficult to remove. The battery is also unusually large and protrudes from the back of the chassis, raising the rear of the machine when rested on a desk. However, this does at least incline the keyboard at a slight angle, which makes for a more comfortable typing experience.
An isolation-style keyboard almost identical to that of the Asus is in place and proves just as satisfying to use. The Enter key is reduced to a single row, but this is compensated by a wider left Shift key than that found on the Eee PC. The touchpad also uses an identical mottled design to the Asus, which makes it easier to locate quickly by feel when working.
Features are mostly standard for the group with 8o2.11n WI-Fi and10/100 Ethernet for networking, a 25oGB harddrive providing the same amount of storage as the other netbooks here, and an integrated camera. However, MSI has also included facial recognition software not found on the other netbooks here, which captures your facial featuresusing the camera and uses that instead of a password for logging into Windows, making it ideal for forgetful children.
The 10-inch screen is one of the best in this group, rivaling even the Dell’s in terms of brightness and image reproduction. A Super-TFT glossy coating is once again in place, so colors have a vivid, natural look about them, although the screen does suffer from glare in bright offices and outdoors. Only detail levels suffer in comparison to the Dell’s display, but the lower 1024 x 600-pixel resolution still proves sharp enough for practical use.
The Wind U16o is a fantastic all-rounder, combining stunning usability and battery life with a solid build and a bright and colourful display. The trade-off is the large battery, which thickens the chassis, but this is still a worthy winner and comes highly recommended
Details
- PROCESSOR INTEL 1.66GHZ ATOM N450
- MEMORY 1024MB DDR2 SCRAM
- HARD DRIVE 250GB (540ORPM)
- OPTICAL DRIVE NO
- SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 10-INCH SUPER-TFT
- DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
- GRAPHICS CARD INTEL GMA 3150
- DIMENSIONS 265 x 163 x 41mm
- WEIGHT 1.3kg
- WIRELESS LAN 802.11n
- ETHERNET 10/100
- USB PORTS 3
- FIREWIRE NO
- OPERATING SYSTEM WINDOWS 7 STARTER
- STANDARD WARRANTY 2 YRS C&R P&L
- PRICE £330
