MSI Wind U123

The MSI Wind U123 is a Wind-branded netbook by Micro-Star International. It looks less like the sought after ASUS Eee PC and more like the HP Mini-Note PC, and comes in four colour options; black, white, red and grey. The MSI Wind U123 measures 260 mm x 180 mm x 33 mm (H x W x D) in dimension and weighs less than 1 kg.

Specifications
The MSI Wind U123 operates on genuine Windows XP Home SP3 operating system. It has a 10 inch widescreen display and a big-size keyboard and touch pad. The display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and is embedded with the LED power-saving backlight technology for better colour fullness and brightness as well as lower usage of power. Not only that, the MSI Wind U123 also incorporates exclusive MSI EasyFace (face identification software) via the embedded webcam. It works together with the Easy Face Manager function to scan the face of the user and record reorganization through eyes, cheekbones, jaw line and nose as well as lets the user adjust the level of personal security identification. Users can also access the netbook by entering the user’s ID or password operating through Easy Face Logon. Not only that, the Easy Face AutoLocker is also able to detect when users are away from the screen for a period of time and consequently secures the system to prevent others from accessing the content of the user. In order to log in again, users will have to go through the Easy Face Logon feature again. The MSI Wind U123 is also equipped with a 2.5 inch SATA standard hard drive with a capacity of 80 GB, 120 GB or 180 GB in order for it to operate just like regular notebooks without having to worry about limited storage capacity. In terms of multimedia, the MSI Wind U123 is equipped with high resolution webcam, high-performance 2 channel stereo speakers and microphone. In addition to that, it also includes a 4-in-1 card reader that is compatible with most of the mainstream memory cards, USB ports and an optional external DVD burner. The memory card reader supports SD, MMC, MS and XD memory cards. The MSI Wind U123 incorporates an Intel Atom N280 1.66 GHz processor and an Intel 945 GSE + ICH 7M chipset as well as a DDR2 533 MHz 1 GB system memory. In terms of graphics and video module, the MSI Wind U123 utilizes UMA. As for audio, the MSI Wind U123 features HD audio and stereo speakers. There are communication ports consisting of built-in 10/100 LAN and built-in 802.11 b/g or 802.11 b/g/n WLAN card as well as Bluetooth support. In/ Out ports consists of graphics card output (15-pin/ D-sub), three USB 2.0 ports, microphone in port, line in port, headphone output, and LAN port. The MSI Wind U123 runs on an AC adaptor that has an output of 20 V DC, 40 W, and an input of 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/ 60 Hz universal. Alternatively, it can also run on a 3 cell or 6 cell Li-Ion battery.
Reviews

“For just $379, the MSI Wind U123 offers good performance for a netbook and more than 8 hours of endurance. While the similarly configured ASUS Eee PC 1000HE ($399) and Samsung N110 ($469) have more comfortable touchpads and slightly better keyboards, the MSI Wind offers a complete package for a very competitive price.” (LaptopMag, 2009)

“Other than its mediocre touch pad with its stiff buttons, the Wind U123 doesn’t have any major flaws. And while few of its features are real standouts, its amazing battery life makes all the difference in today’s crowded netbook/ultramobile market. With the U123 selling for around $380 at the time of this writing, with the nine-cell version of the battery included, this netbook is less expensive than many that run out of juice hours faster.” (ComputerShopper, 2009)

“The new MSI Wind U123 is a small update / upgrade to the Wind U120 which brings a number of improvements. The major new feature of the MSI Wind U123 over the U120 is the new Intel Atom N280 CPU (currently found in the Asus 1000HE) for extra horse power, along with a higher upgrade limit of 2GB RAM, rather than the 1GB limit on the U120.” (NetbookReviews, 2009)