MSI Wind U160
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We have collected 5 reviews of the MSI Wind U160. Experts rate MSI Wind U160 7/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the MSI Wind U160 and MSI Netbooks.
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MSI Wind U160 Reviews
MSI Wind U160-007US
Basic Netbooks are a fairly simple formula to pull off. Combine an Intel Atom 450 processor, 1GB of RAM, Windows 7 Starter, and a 250GB hard drive, and you've got any of an army of products from Asus, Acer, HP, and others. MSI was another early combatant in the Netbook wars, and its Wind models have typically followed the usual trends in components and pricing, making them perfectly acceptable alternatives. The current version of the MSI Wind, called the U160, happens to stand out from the crowd in a couple of ways. It boasts some of the longest battery life we've seen, at 7-plus hours, and it ran some of our benchmark tests just a few seconds faster than other Netbooks. It's not enough of a performance difference to notice in real-world use, but if you're looking for the maximum possible battery life, the Wind is certainly up there. This extralong life, however, comes at a price. First, the system's massive battery sticks out significantly from the bottom of the chassis, like some kind of awkward kickstand, and second, the Wind U160 costs $380 (although the official list price is even worse: $429), which is $80 more than largely comparable machines from other PC makers.
MSI Wind U160-007US
Netbook manufacturers are finding it hard to offer netbooks with the kind of top-of-the-line components and features you see in its laptop brethren, especially when they're constrained by price. The MSI Wind U160-007US ($380 street) distinguishes itself with a big battery that delivered almost 9 hours of battery life. But other than that, this netbook doesn't stand out from the rest. Nothing makes a netbook more generic than a plain design. The U160 comes in either glossy brown or black and lacks any sort of decorative touches that have made netbooks like the Samsung N210 ($380.00 Street, ) and Asus EeePC 1001P ($300 street, ) easy on the eyes. The matte finishes, like those found in the Editors' Choice Toshiba mini NB305-N410 ($400 direct, ) and Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 ($370.00 Direct, ), mean that it doesn't attract smudges and fingerprints. Even more appealing, the fancy aluminum metals found in the HP Mini 5102 ($400 Direct, ) and the Nokia Booklet 3G ($600 Street, ) are the finest materials used in netbook designs. At 2.7 pounds, the U160 is only a shade lighter than the Toshiba NB305 (2.9 lbs) and HP 5102 (2.9 lbs) - making it a pleasure to tote around. Ten inches is the absolute minimum for a netbook screen these days.
MSI Wind U160 review
Originally started as a motherboard and graphics card manufacturer in 1986, MSI has since branched out into the laptop and netbook market. The Wind U160 is an excellent machine which ticks all the right boxes and excels when it comes to portability. The netbook boasts a fantastic battery life of 518 minutes, keeping you productive on the road for over eight hours. This provides you with a lot of flexibility while you're on the move, and also makes the netbook more environmentally friendly than some of the other machines here, as you won't be charging it as much. At only 1.3kg, this is also one of the lighter machines to feature such an impressive battery. Being a shiny machine, the netbook attracts smears and fingerprints, and the chassis is quickly covered. While most laptop manufacturers are contractually obliged to include Microsoft and Intel stickers on the palm-rest, MSI has unfortunately gone a big step further and coated the surface in stickers describing the included warranty and other system information. We found the stickers aren't easily removable and the netbook's look is cheapened considerably as a result. Nevertheless, the machine's usability is admirable.
MSI Wind U160 Review
The Wind U160 is the latest Intel Pine Trail based-netbook from MSI boasting an impressive 15 hours of battery life. Like its sibling, the U135, which we reviewed in February, the U160 is equipped with the Intel Atom N450 and Intel GMA 3150. With a slightly larger battery and nearly identical parts configuration, can this new model beat the U135's battery life of six hours and 30 minutes? Read our full review to find out.MSI Wind U160 Specifications: Build and DesignThe MSI Wind U160 has a very good looking appearance with a glossy piano black finish inside and out. Compared to the U135, MSI went with a cylindrical hinge design on the U160, which allows the extended battery to blend with the shape of the back of the netbook. Gateway and Sony have also used a similar design on some of their notebooks. The common trend with these configurations is including the power button at the end of the hinge, which MSI also does. The battery design on the U160 elevates the rear of the notebook with the rear half of the battery pack sticking out under the computer. ASUS uses a similar scheme but works the wedge shape into the design making the lift less noticeable.
MSI Wind U160
MSI has been churning out netbooks since the category's inception, so it’s no surprise that the 10-inch MSI Wind U160 ($379) gets most things right, including long battery life, better-than-average performance, and cool operation. When it comes to ergonomics, though, it doesn’t quite match the competition. A few quirks, including a slightly cramped keyboard, narrow touch button, and protruding battery might compel some shoppers to get a sleeker model instead, but we don’t think these imperfections are serious enough to ignore the benefits that the U160 offers. At 2.6 pounds, the U160 is lighter than other 10-inch netbooks, such as the 2.8-pound Samsung N210 and the 3-pound Dell Inspiron Mini 10. And yet, it feels bulkier, thanks to its protruding butt of a battery. The Toshiba NB305 and other systems more discreetly integrate their 6-cell batteries, so we're surprised that MSI didn't make a similar effort. Otherwise, the U160's design is simple: a glossy black lid with matching interior, both of which pick up fingerprints easily. We like the glowing MSI logo on the lid and the bumpy trackpad (which looks similar to those used on recent ASUS Eee PCs), but some may be turned off by the large metallic hinge, which gives the screen a higher-than-usual profile.
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MSI Wind U160 : (7/10)
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