OSX 10.6.2 (Vanilla Kernel) on Atom (MSI Wind U100) is a no go

Uploaded by prasys -

"Bam , all it does is restarts. currently the beta kernel doesn't support Atom processors anymore. I guess Apple must have removed the IDs for Atom CPU support. Anyway , we'll have to wait for the final verison"

Netbook Battery Hacked Into iPhone USB Charger

From Oh Gizmo -

Prusadjs decided mod the battery from his MSI Wind and install a USB port directly onto it so that he can plug and charge his iPhone. While the port is obviously no good for data, he can still use the battery with his netbook. Unfortunately he does have to remove the battery to charge his phone, which can be a bit of an inconvenience.

Details here.

MSI Wind glowing touchpad

Uploaded by BradLinder

The most useless new feature I've seen on a netbook at CES 2009. A touchpad that glows as you swipe your finger across.

Windows 7 on MSI Wind

Uploaded by DavGerm4 -

OS X Realtek Wireless Driver for MSI Wind Released

From GottaBeMobile -

A Realtek employee has responded to requests at the MSIWind.net forum for Mac OS X drivers for the RTL8187SE WiFi card in the netbook by emailing the Realtek WLAN Client Utility program to one of them. The RTL8187SE doesn’t show up as an airport card, but does provide full Wi-Fi functionality for OS X Wind users.

MSIWind.net forum thread here.

MSI to Demo Touchscreen Wind

In an interview with Laptop Mag, MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung revealed the following:

The Wind U100 and U120 will be parallel products in the U.S. The U120 will have a new design, WiMax/3G options, and will hit the U.S. market next month.

The Wind U110 and U115 will also be released next month and have the newest Intel Atom platform (Intel Atom Z530). The U115 will have both an SSD and a hard drive. You will be able to turn off the hard drive completely to save battery power, resulting in 10 hours of battery life.

MSI will show a touch enabled-Wind at the CES next month.

MSI will not bring Linux netbooks to market in the U.S.

You can read the complete interview here.

Cuddly MSI Wind PR Photo

Got this cuddly photo in the email. Presumably it is an MSI Wind PR photo. Just wanted to share it.

MSI Wind DIY Two button mousepad

Using only simple tools (exacto blade, small saw, plus some ball pen springs) shenaniganz08 of the MSI Wind.net forum was able to mod his MSI Wind into having a two button mousepad.

You can read the step-by-step instructions in the thread here.

MSI unveils Wind U110/U115 netbooks

Submitted by Brad Linder -

MSI has unveiled two new netbook models, the U110 and U115, in addition to the anticipated U120 model which features a 3G module.

Probably the most unusual of the bunch is the U115, which uses a hybrid solid state disk/hard disk storage system.

You can find more info at Netbook 3G.

And Brad's take here.

Pocket-lint picks MSI Wind Product of the Year

Pocket-lint has announced the winners of the 2008 Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards in 12 categories with the MSI Wind beating out the Apple iPhone 3G for Product of the Year Award. The MSI Wind also won the Best Laptop/Netbook award.

The awards are decided by the UK's top technology and gadget journalists from online and print.

Complete list of winners here.

How Many MSI Wind Clones Can You Count?

Laptop Mag is trying to keep track of the number of rebranded Winds that have popped up around the world. To start with they have got the Advent 4211 in the UK and Germany, the Medion Akoya Mini in other parts of the world. And Wikipedia lists 13 OEM versions of the Wind. In addition, the Sylvania g netbook MANGI and Averatec Buddy are also MSI Wind rebrands.

Interestingly, some rebrands are cheaper while others are more expensive, compared to the original MSI Wind. As to why consumers would be willing to pay more, it all depends on individual reasons, like brand loyalty or certain unique features.

MSI Wind BIOS Update Gives Second Wind

According to ubergizmo MSI has released a BIOS update for its Wind netbook. The new version, v1.09, specifically allows users to overclock the CPU by simply pressing Fn and F10 simultaneously repeatedly to toggle between 8%, 15% and 24% boost. This ought to make the MSI Wind further attractive, at least to those who want to do more than just the typical netbook activities of email and surfing.

How to Add RAM to the MSI Wind

Old but still useful information - Laptop Mag has a video tutorial on how to quickly add RAM to your MSI Wind. Warning: You need to open up your MSI Wind in order to add RAM to it. In doing so, you may be voiding its warranty.

MSI: Wind Coming to Major Retailer, New Models Coming Soon

From Laptop Blog -

Following on the success of the its Wind netbook, MSI is planning to -

* The Wind U100 will be available at a national, and very large retailer in the coming week. The Wind with a 3-cell battery and Windows XP will be priced at $399.

* MSI will expand the Wind product line with a business-focused Wind U120 (or Wind 2). The Wind U120 will have a whole new look, SSD and hard drive options, and 3.5G connectivity. It will hit the U.S. in late November or December and will be priced under $600.

* Linux netbooks are returned 4 times as often as ones that run Windows XP.

* The Wind Desktop will be brought to the U.S. in the coming months.

This was revealed by MSI Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung in a hour-long interview. You can read the full interview here.

MSI Wind 9-Cell Battery Pictures

From Laptop Blog -

With most netbooks' 3-cell or 4-cell battery life topping at 3 hours max, usually far less, manufacturers like Asus and MSI among others have been offering six-cell models that offer up to 6 hours.

Obviously that is not enough for some users. Now, according to EeePCNews.de, MSI is reportedly working on a 9-cell battery that could offer up to 9 or 10 hours of run time on the MSI Wind.

Mac OS X on MSI Wind

Of all the current subnotebooks on the market, the MSI Wind is reputable the most hospitable for installing Mac OS X. If you are interested in turning your MSI Wind into a "hackintosh" you can check out the Modaco forum thread "Paul's complete guide to installing OSX Leopard on your MSI Wind" for a detailed step-by-step guide. The video below is from the same thread.

Want a 9 cell MSI Wind battery? Build your own!

Submitted by Brad Linder -

Sure, MSI recently jacked up the price on the 6-cell battery version of the MSI Wind laptop by $50. But why settle for 6 cells when you can build your own 9 cell battery for less money?

Here's the original post from the MSI Wind.net forums.

Here's Brad's writeup.

RAM Upgrade Voids Warranty for MSI Wind

From ubergizmo -

MSI reportedly has announced that user DIY RAM upgrades will effectively void the warranty on its Wind subnotebooks. It actually requires a bit of computer hardware skills since there is no direct RAM access panel thus MSI's warranty policy. While warranted, such policy might turn some customers off.

Source article here.

MSI Wind with 6 cell battery now available

Submitted by Brad Linder -

It looks like MSI is selling the 6-cell version of the Wind laptop (which should get 5 or more hours of battery life) a bit early. The company had said the battery shortage would keep units off the streets until September, but Mwave.com is selling 6 cell versions of the MSI Wind now for $570. That's $70 more than the original price MSI had promised, but that seems to be par for the course. (A lot of people thought the first generation Eee PC would cost $200 rather than $400 due to some poor marketing).

Source article here.

MSI Wind (U100) Unboxing in HD Video

Adam Smith is one of the lucky few to get an MSI Wind and he has posted an unboxing video all the way to Windows booting.


MSI Wind (U100) Unboxing in HD from Adam Smith on Vimeo.

MSI Wind specs here.