With mini-laptops gaining popularity everyday, many new players are jumping in the fray to cash in. One of these is MSI, expected to be a tough competitor. The MSI Wind U100 has rounded edges and sports a sleek body. The lid has a glossy finish, and comes in a multiple colours.

The main attraction of this netbook is its 10.1 in screen with 1024x600 resolution. Complementing this is a large keyboard, stretching across the full width of the chassis. The keys are well-spaced and large in size, with good response. The only drawback is the slightly different layout, which may take some time to get used to. Although the keyboard is nice the same cannot be said for the trackpad, which is small. However, it is fairly responsive.

The Wind is powered by an Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz) backed by 1 GB of PC2-5300 667MHz DDR2 memory which is good enough for the installed Windows XP Home SP3 OS. There's plenty of storage space, with an 80GB standard Western Digital 5,400rpm hard drive installed.

Name: MSI Wind U100.jpg Views: 25 Size: 41.6 KB

One of the earlier problems with the Wind, as well as other netbooks was the poor battery life with the three-cell unit. However, our review piece came with a six-cell battery, which definitely had a better life, but of course at the price sacrificing its predecessors lighter weight.

The MSI Wind U100 is a good buy.