MSI Wind U100-Windows, U100-Linux Announced

Micro-Star International announced today the first two Wind-branded notebooks: the $499 MSI Wind U100-Windows and the Wind U100-Linux for $399.

The both ultraportables have a 10-inch 1024×600 display with LED backlight, the Intel Atom processor at 1.6GHz, and an 80GB SATA hard drive. The U100-Windows runs Microsoft’s Windows XP Home operating system and has 1GB of DDR2 memory and a 6-cell battery, while the U100-Linux with 512MB of RAM and a 3-cell battery runs Novell’s distribution of the open source OS. The Windows and Linux versions weigh 2.6 and 2.3 pounds respectively.

The Wind U100 notebooks are based on the Intel 945GMS chipset and have 802.11b/g wireless connections, 56k modems, Gigabit Ethernet ports, 1.3-megapixel web cams, and stereo speakers. There are also three USB ports, a 4-in-1 media card reader, and VGA out.

MSI’s mini-laptops come in white, black, and pink colors.

There is no official information on availability of the MSI Wind U100-Windows and U100-Linux in the United States.

UPDATE: The MSI Wind U100 with XP is now in stock at NewEgg.

Source

Why is it that every notebook vendor who offers Linux as an option insists on lowering the hardware specs? Granted, the Linux version is $100 less but the price should only be affected by the OS cost. The hardware should be the same for both… Half the ram, half the battery… What a joke… No thanks…

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