Posts Tagged 'hardware'

Update on living with the MSI Wind.

I’ve had this for netbook for a few months now, so time for an update. I have it running with Ubuntu 8.10 and have now got to the point where it has replaced Windows XP completely. The changes to the networking on 8.10 are so good that it just works. Plug in my 3 mobile dongle, it picks it up immediately and away we go, no configuration, no messing around just perfect. The same for the wireless networks I connect to (home, work etc.) they just get recognised and work.

I have got used to the screen wobbble, and maybe it isn’t so bad at all.

I have now invested in a second “cloverleaf” kettle lead for power, so at least I only need to carry around the converter so not such a problem there.

My biggest gripe however is the battery life, I am lucky to get 2 hours out of it let alone the claimed three. The reality of this is that I seem to spend my whole life charging it – annoying in what shluld be a perfect portable device. I believe there is an aftermarket alternative battery, but I’m sorry I don’t want to have to buy another battery. I could live with that, if there was a way to charge the battery outside of the netbook itself, but there isn’t.

So, maybe I need to look at a newer version.

I got an Eee PC when they 1st came out (thanks Woody!), great concept and a good package. After using it for a while though its limitations became apparent, screen too small, no bluetooth, limited disk space being the prime ones for me. On the other hand the weight, Linux support brilliant way it scales up the display when you add an external monitor, makes it a great USB stick replacement for presentations.

We are now looking at (and typing on it at the moment) the Advent badged MSI wind, and a jolly fine machine it is. Now, let’s get this straight right from the start, if you are looking for a full on review, go elsewhere, this is a quirky personal opinion (it’s the only one I’ve got).

So, I like it, a lot the screen is a good size, some people complain about the 600 pixels depth, but I haven’t found it a real problem, yes you don’t get much of a preview in say Thunderbird, but I don’t have to resort to Littlebird as I do on the Eee. At this point I must admit to not having tried the Eee PC 900 series, so maybe the comparison is unfair, such is life.

The Advent/MSI Wind is really good to use, it is doing all the things I need it to, it bluetoothed to my P1i phone like a dream, connects to all my networks, does it all with minimum fuss and is light and easy to carry.

It has its faults though:

The hinges are not very firm, this means that sitting on a train (or even in a chair with it on you knees) the screen wobbles just enough to be really annoying.
The Eee PC has a great power supply akin to a mobile phone with the transformer inthe plug, the Advent/Wind has a big “kettle lead” that attaches with that weird laptop 3 pin plus into a separate transformer then into the Wind. Too big and too awkward to carry around in a small bag.
Windoews XP, a good Linux distro would be soooooo much better, I will try Ubuntu and report back.
It gets hot, especially on the thighs.

There will be more Atom based sub notebooks out soon some better some not, and this is not a “comprehensiv review”, however I have to say that for £280 at PC World (wow I never thought I would be suggesting that anyone buys something from PC World) it is a winner for me.