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MSI WindPad Enjoy Sneaks Out Thanks To The FCC

John Biggs — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:55:31 +0000

What does MSI’s new WindPad want you to do? Enjoy (but only a little) that’s what! That’s why their latest 10-inch Android device, the Enjoy, looks so underpowered.

The device has just appeared on the FCC website and is running a 1GHZ ARM Cortex-A8 processer and, get this, Android 2.3. Feh.

It also supports HD video playback, 802.11N, and an SD card slot. Otherwise, this thing will probably hit bargain bins around the world sooner than later for about $300.

via Netbooksnews.de

MSI Windpad Honeycomb Super Tab Videoed

John Biggs — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:43:58 +0000

The Inquirer has some handsome hands-on video of the MSI Windpad, a Honeycomb device with 10-inch screen and 1080p video support. I couldn’t embed their video – they haven’t uploaded it to YouTube and I didn’t want to do it for them in case they got angry or skeered (another demo video from CeBIT appears above) but you can check it out here. Considering this is basically the next Honeycomb tablet available to the masses, it’s worth taking a closer look at the 100A.

MSI Tablet Concept Has… A Rotating Projector On It

Devin Coldewey — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:30:55 +0000

This is probably one of the more baffling concepts I’ve seen. It’s a 10-inch tablet from MSI with a projector mounted as a sort of rotating hat. There are two obvious applications: projecting an image on the wall behind the tablet (putting the image on a table results, as you can see, in a distorted image) and projecting a virtual keyboard. Of course, it can’t actually do the virtual keyboard thing, it’s just an idea.

I just reviewed the Microvision ShowWX+, which mates incredibly easily with an iPad, and can be used to throw an image anywhere, since the projector is so incredibly small and light. But a lot of the time, you’re not going to want to use a projector… so you don’t really want it permanently attached to your tablet, do you? It’s like attaching a crowbar to a screwdriver. Sure, sometimes you want both, but that doesn’t mean they combine the two.

[via Electronista]

The MSI Windpad 100W 10-inch Windows 7 Tablet Gets A Video Hands-On, Fails To Impress

Matt Burns — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:04:22 +0000

So the MSI U100W WinPad runs an Atom Silverthorne Z530 CPU with a 32GB SSD on a 10-inch display. Then there’s two USB ports, SIM card slot, HDMI out and a front-facing camera. Sounds solid, right? No, not with Windows as the operating system of choice. NetbookNews grabbed some hands-on time with the Windows tablet at a pre-CES event in Taipei so click through for some visual prove about the future of Windows 7 on underpowered slates.

MSI Outs Thin But Powerful Notebooks With The P600 And S6000

Matt Burns — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:00:42 +0000

MSI’s back with a pair of new notebooks that combine the power of Intel Core i5 CPUs with good portability. These notebooks rock a Core i5-450M CPU along with Intel GMA HD GPU chipset. The rest is pretty standard with 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, HDMI out, webcam and an assortment of ports. The P600 comes with an 8-cell battery and costs $829 where the S600 instead has a 4-cell but rings in at $799.

MSI Announces North American Availability of the Thin P600/S6000 Notebooks: Power and Portability for People on the Go

Notebooks Combine Built In Optical Drive with Powerful Performance and Long Battery Life in a Portable 15.6 Inch Form Factor

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, today announced the North American availability of its thin and light P600 and S6000 notebooks, designed for people who need powerful multimedia, entertainment and business capabilities.

“By providing a lightweight notebook that people can take anywhere, MSI strives to exceed busy people’s demands for portability and powerful computing.”
Weighing in at 5.3 lbs., the P600 is thinner than most notebooks designed for business use, plus it includes a built in ultra-slim optical drive and an 8-cell battery for extended performance, to deliver a complete package without compromise. At 5.0 lbs., the S6000 shaves weight with a four cell battery, while still serving up all the same specs and the same sleek form factor.

MSI displays its technical prowess by combining its exclusive ECO Engine power saving technology with Intel®’s Core i5 processors on the Calpella platform, and Intel Turbo Boost technology. As a result, the P600 and S6000 notebooks offer 30 percent improved performance, and for the P600, battery life clocks in at up to eight hours, which is 15 percent longer than average for standard notebooks in its class.

Additional features of the P600/S6000 include:

MSI’s own EasyFace software that authenticates users by recognizing unique facial features to help keep sensitive data safe while on the go.
A multi-touch touchpad, so that users can rotate objects and zoom in and out with the touch of their fingers.
A suite of advanced audio technologies for the PC including SRS Premium Sound to bring out subtle nuances and rich sounds buried in the music and video content.
A wide-angle, theater-class 16:9 ratio HD LED display to fully enjoy powerful multimedia and entertainment at your fingertips.
MSI’s own Color Film Print technology, which creates an outer coating that changes colors with shifts in lighting and protects the surface from scratching and day-to-day wear.
“We see the P600 and S6000 notebooks as a perfect option for people across the United States and Canada who use their notebooks for both work and play. They address the need for a high quality product that combines business and pleasure, by being thin and powerful, with added benefits such as the built-in optical drive,” said Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI North America. “By providing a lightweight notebook that people can take anywhere, MSI strives to exceed busy people’s demands for portability and powerful computing.”

The P600 will be available online, at sites including Newegg, Amazon, J&R, and the S6000 will be available in stores, including Office Depot, Micro Center, Tigerdirect and La Curacao. For more information, including a complete list of specs, please visit http://www.msimobile.com/level2_productlist.aspx?id=5.

About MSI Notebook

Based in City of Industry Calif., MSI Notebook manufactures and sells a wide array of mobile computing products. Its product lines include the highly-praised G-Series gaming notebooks, the award-winning and ultra-portable U-Series, the ultra-slim and ultra-portable X-Series, the classic and affordable C-Series, and the newest addition to MSI Notebook, the F-series. Each product line is designed with the latest technology to meet a specific set of needs for the various classifications of mobile users. To learn more about MSI Notebook’s complete offerings, please visit www.msimobile.com.

All-in-one computer sales up 63 percent (but Apple losing out)

Nicholas Deleon — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:20:02 +0000

Seems people really like those all-in-one PCs à la the iMac. Sales this year are expected to grow some 63 percent from last year, to 11.5 million units worldwide. And while that’s good news for computer makers overall, there are winners and losers in the data. The big surprising loser? Yup, Apple.

Apple’s all-in-one market share is expected to drop from 50 percent (in 2009) to 38 percent (in 2010). HP, MSI, and Lenovo are expected to gain where Apple has lost.

This is the part where I say that my 20-inch iMac that I bought back in 2006 is still probably my favorite computer ever. Aside from having a nearly impossible to upgrade hard drive, it never gave me any problems whatsoever. It was, and still is, a workhorse. I still have it sitting on my desk, right next to my Franken-PC. It’s so refreshing to boot into Mac OS X from time to time. (And yet, somehow, people think I’m anti-Apple because I don’t approve of its every-single-thing.)

I guess the number make sense: you have to figure that the number of people who buy a full PC in 2010 is nowhere near where it used to be. Aside from gamers and content (video, photo, music, etc.) editors, who really needs a big, hulking tower sitting underneath their desk? Get a nice iMac-like computer, or a handy laptop, and you’re good to go. Seeing as though most people use their computer to check their Facebook, Gmail, Hulu, and maybe read ESPN.com or whatever, yeah, you don’t need GIGAHERTZ~! to do that.

Flickr’d

MSI announces new GE600 gaming notebook

Contributor — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:30:17 +0000

MSI just announced their latest, the GE600 gaming notebook, is now available for purchase. Built around an Intel Core i5 processor and the ATI Radeon HD5730 GPU, the GE600 is billed at MSI’s lightest gaming notebook yet at 5.9 lbs, and this latest addition to their stable is also DirectX11 capable.

The GE600 comes standard with Windows 7, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB SATA drive. The new machine is currently for sale at Newegg, and you’ll be able to pick it up for $899, today.

From the press release:

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – April 28, 2010 – MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is proud to announce the availability of the stylish new GE600 gaming notebook. Weighing in at just 5.9 lbs, the GE600 is MSI’s lightest 16-inch gaming notebook to date, but still packs quite a punch with Intel’s powerful new Core i5 processor and ATI Radeon 5730 graphics card — all for under $900.

The GE600’s new ATI Radeon HD5730 GPU supports DirectX 11 graphics, making the notebook compatible with the rapidly approaching next generation of games and 3D graphics. Its new Core i5 processor improves battery life by as much a 15% and Intel’s new Turbo Boost technology can increase overall performance by 30%.

“The new GE600 is a powerful mobile gaming station that delivers everything a gamer needs to emerge from battle victorious in a lightweight affordable package,” said Andy Tung, Vice President of Sales, MSI North America.

The notebook’s handsome new design features a durable scratch resistant chassis, glossy black exterior and a sand accented interior with illuminated touch sensitive hotkeys. The GE600’s raised chiclet keyboard and wide touchpad increase both accuracy and comfort while typing or gaming.

The newest addition to the G-Series family of gaming notebooks also ships with a 16-inch LCD screen with 1366×768 resolution, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB hard drive 7200rpm, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth connectivity and Microsoft’s Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

MSI's newest GX640 gaming notebook is fast, affordable

Contributor — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:30:51 +0000

MSI announced the latest in their stable today, the GX640. Built around the Intel Core i5 processor and ATI Radeon HD5850, it’s definitely a contender in the gaming notebook arena. In fact, it’s been selected as the notebook of choice by the number one pro-gaming team in North America.

The GX640 comes standard with the previously mentioned Core i5, an ATI Radeon HD5850 with 1GB of DDR5, and 4GB of system memory. It’s packing a 15.4 inch screen, so it’s relatively portable, and the 9-cell battery should help with battery life. The Gx640 is available now at Amazon.com with an MSRP of $1099.

From the press release:

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – April 21, 2010 – MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is proud to announce the availability of the new 15.4-inch GX640 gaming notebook. The GX640 comes locked and loaded with Intel’s powerful new Core i5 processor and the ATI Radeon HD5850 graphics card with 1 GB DDR5. It is the gaming notebook of choice for Evil Geniuses, the number one ranked professional gaming team in North America.

“When you’re competing at the absolute highest level, your equipment has a huge effect on your performance,” said Alexander Garfield, Executive Director of Evil Geniuses. “Our professional gamers stay on top of the competition with the help of the world’s finest gaming Notebooks from MSI Computer. They give us the edge we need to bring home championship after championship.”

GX640’s new GPU supports DirectX 11 graphics, future-proofing the notebook for the next generation of games and 3D graphics. Its Core i5 processor improves battery life by as much as 15% and features Intel’s new Turbo Boost technology which can increase overall performance by as much as 30%, ensuring smooth gameplay.

The new lightweight notebook is housed in a stylish brushed aluminum case with fire engine red accents The GX640 features a raised chiclet keyboard, for increased accuracy and comfort while typing, and clearly marked W, A, S and D keys for quick response while gaming.

The GX640 ships with a 15.4-inch LCD screen with 1680×1050 resolution, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB hard drive 7200 rpm, a 9-cell battery, Bluetooth connectivity and Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

The GX640 is priced at $1099.99 and is available now at Amazon and will be available on Newegg later this month.

MSI Wind12 U230 finally available

Contributor — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:35 +0000

We told you back in November that MSI had a new notebook coming, and now they are finally here: MSI’s new Wind12 U230 machines are now available for purchase online, and they look tasty.

There are two different version of the Wind12, the U230-033, and the U230-040. Both versions come standard with 2GB of DDR2, a 6 cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium. The ATI Radeon HD 3200 is also standard, as is a 1.3 megapixel webcam, HDMI port, and 3 USB 2.0 ports. The U230-033 has an Athlon Neo MV-40 and a 250GB SATA drive, and the U230-040 has a Athlon X2 L335 and a 320GB SATA drive. The Wind12 also features a 12.1″ LCD (at 1366×768), and the new EDS Keyboard. MSI says that the new keyboard features larger keys to make it more comfortable to type on, which is an issue with most netbooks.

Both systems are currently available on NewEgg, with the U230-033 selling for $429.99, and the faster U230-040 selling for $479.99.

From the press release:

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – March 9, 2010 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is proud to announce the availability of the new Wind12 U230-033 and U230-040. The new models will replace the successful Wind12 U210, a favorite among netbook users looking for a larger screen and more computing power. Upgrades to this new generation of netbooks include the first Wind to feature a dual core processor and Bluetooth connectivity.

Weighing in at just 3.3 pounds both versions of the U230 ship with 2GB of DDR2 memory, with a 6-cell battery and Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. The newest editions to the Wind family are loaded with a 12.1” HD (1366×768) 16:9 aspect ratio LCD and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card. The combination delivers a bright widescreen visual experience with exceptional color saturation and crisp imagery.

The Wind12 U230 also features MSI’s EDS (Ergonomic De-stress) keyboard with keys that are 51% larger than those on a standard keyboard. The larger keys greatly improve finger contact range, which reduces stress on fingers and wrists to improve accuracy and comfort. Additionally, MSI included a 1.3M webcam, HDMI port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA port, and a 4×1 card reader in the new U230 notebooks.

The new Wind12 U230 models are available now at Newegg.com starting at $429.99. MSI offers a 1-year limited warranty with extended customer services hours at 1-888-447-6564.

MSI X360: Intel Core i5, three pounds, less than an inch thick

Contributor — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:25 +0000

MSI has added another skinny notebook to its X-Slim series with the announcement of the 13-inch X360 model. This one makes use of an Intel Core i5 ultra low voltage CPU clocked at 1.06GHz alongside Intel’s HM55 graphics chipset.

Other features include Windows 7 Home Premium, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 13-inch screen at 1366×768 resolution, 250/320/500GB SATA hard drive options, HDMI and VGA out, two USB ports, card reader, Bluetooth, b/g/n wireless, and webcam with face identification software.

The machine measures just under an inch thick and weighs three pounds with the standard 4-cell battery. There’s an 8-cell battery available, too, which should provide up to 9 hours of battery life, although it’s unknown how much extra weight and girth it’d add.

No word on pricing or availability yet, either. I’d expect it to start at well under $1000, though—maybe around $700 to $800 or so for the base-level configuration.

MSI Proudly Unveils the X-Slim X360 [MSI via DigiTimes]

MSI rolls-out four mundane but still competent C Series notebooks

Matt Burns — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:30:18 +0000

Just last week MSI announced Core i5 and i3 additions to its Classic Series. Today, the company announced four more affordable additions to that line with one packing a Core i5, two with Core i3s and one with just a lowly Dual-Core Pentium.

With the excpetion of the Dual-Core model, they all come equipped with 4GB of ram, Intel’s GMA HD GPU, and 15.6-inch WXGA screens. The high-end model, however, rocks the Core i5 430M CPU along with a 500GB SATA hard drive. The two Core i3s and the Dual-Core have 320GB drives instead. Interestingly, the $699 Core i3 model has a Blu-ray combo drive while the $729 Core i5 only packs a DVD super drive.

All four models are available now with the CR620-033US ($699) and CR620-031US ($729) selling at Newegg and the CR620-030US ($679) and CR600-234US ($579) shipping directly from MSI.

The new MSi Classic Series CX520 and CR620 notebooks rock Core i5 or i3 CPUs

Matt Burns — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:23:11 +0000

Intel’s Core i5 and i3 CPUs have found a new home in MSi’s latest notebook offerings. The CX520 and CR20 Classic Series combine otherwise standard specs and a 15.6-inch 16:9 screen with the powerful cores. Both seem like solid rigs although you’ll likely pass over them in favor of something a bit more flashy.

Along with either the aforementioned CPUs, the systems both utilize the Intel HM55 chipset, up to 8GB of DDR3 800/1066 memory, and either a 250GB, 320GB, or 500GB SATA hard drive. The CX520 however is graced with the ATi Mobility Radeon HD5470 GPU with 1GB of memory, while the CR620 is slumming with an Intel HD Graphic chip. Both have the same 15.6-inch, LED-backlit display with an integrated 1.3MP camera topside along with an HDMI port and 802.11 b/g/n.

No word on pricing or availablity just yet though. Good thing there are plenty of nearly identical other systems available for your buying pleasure.

Pleasant Modeling with Outstanding Efficiency -
MSI Classic Series CX620 and CR620
MSI’s new generation classic models of large-size CX620 and CR620 come with the New 2010 Intel® core™ processor. CX620, embedded with the ATi Radeon HD5470 discrete graphics card (1GB DDR3 VRAM included), provides the new-generation video/audio performance and processing efficiency.

[Taipei] MSI has announced the 15.6″ models CX620 and CR620. CX620 equipped with a discrete graphics card, for its Classic Series notebook computers. Clad with MSI exclusive Color Film Print coating, along with an independent Chiclet keyboard and a seamless touchpad, these laptops were modeled in pleasant simplicity and full quality. The feature of lower power consumption offered by the latest Intel® Core™ processor achieves even greater efficiency.

Sam Chern, MSI Notebook Marketing Director, claimed that the latest models of MSI Classic Series come equipped with the New 2010 Intel® core™ processor. CX620 is embedded with the ATi Radeon HD5470 discrete graphics card including 1GB DDR3 display memory. Via MSI exclusive GPU Boost and ECO power saving technologies, users can switch among different display modes and various scenes as necessary, which enables high-quality video/audio, processing efficiency and long battery life at the same time!”

Extraordinary Efficiency and Video/Audio Performance
Brand-New Intel® Core™ Processor: CX620 and CR620 come with the latest Arrandale platform, carrying the New 2010 Intel® core™ processor and HM55 chipset to utilize Hyper-Threading Technology and integrate the graphics core into the processor. The lower power consumption, as compared to that of the last-generation processor platform, will extend the battery life by 15%. Moreover, the substantial boost in efficiency of graphics core provides outstanding video/audio and processing performance.

Embedded ATi Radeon HD 5470 discrete graphics card (1 GB DDR3 VRAM included): The ATi Radeon HD 5470 discrete graphics card including 1GB DDR3 display memory, CX620 can present the unparalleled display performance, crisp images, and bright colors.

Cinema-class 16:9 ratio LED backlit display: CX620 and CR620 utilize 15.6″ LED screens with cinema-class 16:9 ratio and high resolution to provide perfect and eye-catching visual displays with most details and the brightest colors.

Pleasant Modeling with Exquisite Technics
Elegant cross-hatch color film print: The cover and palm rest area of CX620 and CR620 are clad with MSI exclusive Color Film Print coating with cross-hatch design, which not only prevents scratching and wear of the laptops, but also reveals the stylish elegance of the products with smooth and shiny luster. Combining with the 45-degree beveled edges, the device, weighing no more than 2.5KG, is light and portable for perfect mobile entertainment.

MSI’s unique chiclet keyboard: The CX620 and CR620 come equipped with the latest chiclet keyboards which offer that perfect touch to keep you from hitting the wrong keys. The lustrous cross-hatch color film print coating on the cover and palm rest areas is unassuming and tasteful.

Classic cross-hatch seamless touch-pad: CX620 and CR620, modeled in fashionable simplicity, adopt MSI’s unique seamless touch-pads with full-quality cross-hatch Color Film Print coating, which not only enables more comfortable, smooth usage, but also makes these laptops the most classical and technological works through the ideal combination with the palm rest area.

Unique High-performance Power Saving Technology
Exclusive GPU Boost Technology: Utilizing MSI exclusive GPU Boost technology, CX620 helps you obtain the perfect balance between video/audio efficiency and battery life! When executing applications requiring high efficiency of image processing, press the button to enable the high-efficiency discrete display mode to provide optimal video/audio performance. If the long battery life is required, press the Battery icon key to switch the system to the integrated chip display mode to substantially extend the battery life.

Exclusive ECO Engine Power Saving Technology: The CX620 and CR 620 come equipped with MSI’s own ECO Engine Power Saving Technology which allows you to select from among five power management levels—Video Game, Film, Presentation, Word Processing, and Turbo Battery, for the image brightness you need when you need it. They also adjust shutdown, standby, and processor performance settings to give you more or less power, depending on your current needs, thereby extending battery life.

CX620 Spec
OS Windows 7 Home Premium
CPU Intel® core™ processor
Chipset Intel HM55
Graphic ATi Radeon HD5470 with 1GB VRAM
Memory DDRIII 1066/800 MHz、SO-DIMM slot x 2 (up to 4GB)
LCD 15.6″ 1366×768 HD,( 16:9 )
HDD 2.5″ 250/ 320/ 500GB SATA
Card reader 4 in 1 ( XD MS SD MMC)
I/O HDMI, D-sub, USB 2.0*3, Mic-in, Headphone out, RJ-45, Kensington lock port
Battery 6 cells battery
Wireless 802.11 b/g/ draft N, Bluetooth V2.1
Webcam 1.3M Webcam
Sound 2 Speakers
Dimension 247.5*374*35mm
Weight <2.5 KG

CR620 Spec
OS Windows 7 Home Premium
CPU Intel® core™ processor
Chipset Intel HM55
Graphic Intel GMA HD
Memory DDRIII 1066/800 MHz、SO-DIMM slot x 2 (up to 4GB)
LCD 15.6" 1366×768 HD,( 16:9 )
HDD 2.5" 250/ 320/ 500GB SATA
Card reader 4 in 1 ( XD MS SD MMC)
I/O HDMI, D-sub, USB 2.0*3, Mic-in, Headphone out, RJ-45, Kensington lock port.
Battery 6 cells battery
Wireless 802.11 b/g/ draft N, Bluetooth V2.1
Webcam 1.3M Webcam
Sound 2 Speakers
Dimension 247.5*374*35mm
Weight <2.5 KG

MSI has a $499, 10-inch tablet coming soon, too

Matt Burns — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:00:18 +0000

Open the floodgates, Jimin! We’ve got a rush of tablets coming from all directions. Too bad most of the internet will call them iPad clones even though they were clearly in the works for some time, eh? Just like this $500 MSI 10-inch tablet.

DigiTimes is reporting that the NVIDIA Tegra chipset will be at the core of the tablet. MSI must have been paying attention to our cries because the only pic we can find shows that the tablet runs Android and not Windows.

Not much else is known at this point besides it will have “wireless support.” Does that mean 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth? We don’t know, but even if it has 3G, chances are the iPad’s sweet data plan won’t be available on it. Maybe T-Mobile will help out, though…

MSI Wind series netbooks go multi-platinum. So here's another one.

Contributor — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:45:09 +0000

MSI has sold millions of their Wind series of netbooks. Let’s all give them a round of applause shall we? But what does this mean for you guys? Good things, as luck would have it. Instead of some useless, commemorative award, they roll out the U135 model. And unlike most “Yay us!” products, this one actually has some worthwhile upgrades under the hood.

The Wind U135 is the first to contain Intel’s new Pine Trail Platform for the Atom processor. The keys are also supposedly 20% larger, always nice for small-form factor products. On a whole, the device operates on only 7 watts of power, and when combined with the optional 6-cell battery, gives you a decent amount of up-time. The rest is pretty standard. You get Windows 7 and 1 GB of DDR2 memory stock, and you can choose between a 160GB or 250 GB hard drive. It also integrates a 1.3M webcam, 3 USB 2.0 ports and a 4×1 card reader.

These units will run you between 309.99 – 329.99 USD at your favorite electronics retailers.

MSI's two-screen wonder looks a lot like that extinct OLPC 2.0

Devin Coldewey — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:01 +0000

Remember that OLPC design that had two touchscreens joined at the hip, kind of like we saw with the Courier later? Yeah, it got canned, but the basic design seems to have lived on in this MSI concept.

I begged and pleaded but they wouldn’t let me play with it or the bigger version… and then I saw why: the large one was basically a transparent printout over an LED backlight. The little one I think was actually showing a real display, but now I’m starting to doubt that as well. They were kept under glass, like rare cakes, and even the most despicable name-dropping and assurances of MSI glory on TechCrunch left their guardians unmoved.

MSI gets into the video streaming game with the Movie Station HD1000

Matt Burns — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:30:35 +0000

There isn’t a lack of network video streamers these days. MSI is the latest to out what is probably a quality little AV appliance. I mean, it’s somewhat difficult to mess these things up. Really the only way is to not natively support .AVI or .MKV files. Right, Moxi?

The Movie Stations HD1000 has nearly everything we’ve came to expect from these devices with 1080p HDMI, Ethernet, dual-USB jacks, SPDIF, and component/composite jacks. Good thing there are a bunch to choose from here in the States as this €99 guy looks like he will be restricted to Germany for now. [Fudzilla via liliputing]

New X-Slim X600 Pro from MSI looks slick

Devin Coldewey — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:00:51 +0000

While I wouldn’t say, as MSI does, that this laptop is “Shattering the Boundaries of Ultra-thin Technology,” it does look like a hot little item. It’s got a 15.6″ screen but is only an inch thick, which is a pretty good ratio. Its shiny black finish (scratch-proof but somehow I don’t think fingerprint-proof) will attract eyes wherever you go, and the 6-cell battery means it won’t crap out on you while they’re watching.

The X600 Pro runs on Intel’s CULV platform and has a discrete Radeon 4330 512MB video card. It runs an unspecified Core2 Duo, which is an improvement over the Solo in the X600, and can handle up to 4GB of RAM. The Blu-ray player is nice, but mainly you’ll want to use that HDMI out, since HD isn’t so hot at 15 inches. They’ve added WiMax to the mix, and I’d take that option no matter what, just to be sure you’re future-proof.

We reviewed the X600 Pro’s predecessor, and found it capable but compromised by its trackpad. Hopefully they’ve changed that this time around.

CrunchDeals: MSI X320 for $380

Contributor — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:30:00 +0000

If you’re keen on the whole low voltage ultraportable idea (bigger screens, slightly faster processors than standard netbooks) but you can’t quite stomach the $600+ price tag that accompanies most of those systems, you may be happy to hear that JR.com is blowing the MSI X320 right the hell out.

Now to be fair, this is basically a netbook in an ultraportable’s body. You get a big 13.4-inch screen and decently-sized keyboard along with a 2.8-pound weight and a thickness of just 0.79 inches, although the innards include an older Atom Z530 CPU, dumpy GMA 500 graphics, and Windows Vista Home Premium.

Full specs:

Intel Atom Z530 CPU at 1.6GHz
2GB of RAM
320 GB hard drive
13.4-inch LCD at 1366×768
Intel GMA 500 graphics
Draft-N wireless, Ethernet, Bluetooth
Webcam, card reader, VGA out, 3 USB ports
Weighs 2.86 pounds, 0.79 inches thick

MSI Microstar X-Slim 13.4-inch X320-037US [JR.com via FatWallet]

MSI launches 21.5-inch Wind Top AE2220: 1080p and multi-touch starting at $750

Contributor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Ooh la la, this looks to be an interesting machine right here. Starting at $750, MSI’s latest “Wind Top” all-in-one features a big 21.5-inch 1920×1080 multi-touch LCD, NVIDIA ION graphics, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a wireless mouse and keyboard set.

That’s pretty aggressive pricing an attractive all-in-one with a big multi-touch display.

Full feature list includes:

Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU at 2.2GHz or Pentium dual-core T4300 at 2.1GHz (depending upon configuration)
NVIDIA ION, NVIDIA GeForce 9300 chip with 256MB of RAM
4GB of DDR2 RAM
Double-layer DVD burner (Blu-ray optional)
Wi-Fi (b/g/n), webcam, card reader
VGA and HDMI outputs. 6 USB ports
Wall-mountable (VESA)
5.1-channel surround sound
Windows 7 Home Premium
Optional TV tuner

Various configurations are slowly appearing on online retail sites (this one on ZipZoomFly.com, for instance) so we should start seeing increased availability soon.

Press Release | Product Page

MSI readying 12-inch MSI Wind U230 with AMD Neo CPU, Windows 7

Contributor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

It looks like MSI is getting set to launch a 12-inch Windows 7 netbook from its U200 series. You’ll recall that the company released the Vista-based U210 back in mid-September, and this new one, the U230, appears to be very similar with the exception of the newer operating system and a bumped ATI Radeon GPU.

Let’s run down the specs for good measure:

AMD Neo X2 MV40 CPU at 1.6GHz
Windows 7 Home Premium
AMD Radeon HD3200
Up to 4GB of RAM
12.1-inch LCD at 1366×768
160GB/250GB/320GB hard drive options
1.3-megapixel webcam
Card reader, Ethernet, b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
VGA and HDMI output
Three- or six-cell battery options
Weighs 2.86 pounds with three-cell battery
Up to four hours battery life (with three-cell battery)

No word on pricing or availability yet, but the Vista-based U210 model carries an MSRP of $429.99 so it’s likely that the U230 would settle in close to that number – maybe $449.99 or so. It’d also stand to reason that the machine would go on sale in the near future, what with all the recent Windows 7 hoopla still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Wind12 U230 [MSI Global via The Link]