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]

There’s been work going on inside Microsoft for years to try to pare down the Windows system, to tame the beast so to speak. Dubbed “MinWin“, the effort aims to make a successive series of layers, with each layer depending only on the stuff immediately below it. So one layer might handle file system access and network protocols. The Internet Information Server would depend on that layer, but nothing in any of those sub-layers would depend on anything inside IIS. In a similar way, the Explorer shell and Internet Explorer can be more easily separated, so that you don’t need to have MSIE installed on every single server you run.

There are lots of changes associated with the MinWin project, and even though initial efforts are available for public viewing, the long-term payout is still quite a ways away. Some of the elements of that long-term payout include a more customizable installation footprint with an easier-to-update system, since you’d only be updating those components you’re actually using for your server; tighter system security; and enhanced system integrity, since faults in applications ought not be affecting lower level routines.

There’s an excellent write-up of MinWin at Ars Technica. It’s definitely worth a read. This quote, regarding system security, really caught my attention:

Fully two-thirds of the security patches released for Windows Server 2003 offered no actual increase in security for dedicated servers, but still required software to be installed and reboots to be performed on a near-monthly basis.

What’s ironically funny to me is that this entire initiative is, in many ways, a validation of the UNIX mentality that’s been driving Linux development since the very beginning. Microsoft has touted the superiority of it’s GUI, and the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and its snap-ins, as the best and easiest way to manage complex services. I think we can all agree, now, that that’s more than a bit of hyperbole: GUIs and the MMC make some administrative tasks easier, while simultaneously making other tasks much harder. The resurgence of command-line administration in MinWin, and the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 (original, and R2 flavors) is clear indication that a GUI is not the end-all-be-all of systems management.

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

This is one of the smallest netbooks I’ve had the pleasure to carry. It weighs less than three pounds and is about 12 inches long. It is quite thin and the 10-inch, 1280×720 pixel screen is covered in glossy glass. The keyboard us tucked tight against the screen giving you about four inches of palm space on the wrist-rest/trackpad portion versus the same space for all the keys.

The model we tested had a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a Intel Atom Z530 Processor running at 1.6 GHz. I has an SD card slot, SIM slot, and supports WiFi and Bluetooth. It includes an HDMI out port and a 1.3 megapixel camera. It is made of lightweight aluminum and has a definite MacBook feel except for the rounded front and top.

It also includes integrated A-GPS and GPS along with Ovi Maps, Nokia’s mapping software. It runs Windows 7 Starter edition. More on that shortly.

So what is this thing?
If your first question about the Booklet 3G is “Where can I buy it?” you may be slightly surprised. The Booklet is selling at Best Buy for $299.99 with two year Data Connect contract which ensures you’ll have 3G Internet in areas, presumably, where AT&T 3G is supported. It costs $599.99 without contract.

What you’re essentially buying here, then, is one of the first carrier subsidized netbooks. The question, here, then is whether to buy one of AT&Ts other mobile offerings for about $300 (*cough* iPhone *cough*) or a laptop with a keyboard and Windows 7. Call me old fashioned, but my money is still on a 3G phone when it comes to anything with a screen and a Mi-Fi dongle when it comes to portable networking. To lock yourself into one laptop for two years, especially one so underpowered, is, unfortunately, folly.

The Booklet scored 2.2 on the Windows Experience Index which puts it in the same classification as that old Dell in the closet or a potato ricer. It got 774 on GeekBench, a fairly lackadaisical score considering the year old MSI Wind scored 837.

The question, then, is whether this thing is a really big cellphone or a small, underpowered laptop. Given that you can’t make calls on it, I’m aiming for the latter. The buy-in required to own it is also a bit onerous.

Bad News: It’s Laggy
The biggest problem I found was lag. Closing a window takes a few seconds while browsing the web is an exercise in frustration. Because the processor can’t render pages fast enough you find yourself waiting quite a bit. YouTube videos took quite a while to load while other Flash load times were interminable. Netbooks were designed for web use and this is one slow web device.

The trackpad buttons are also a bit hard to press, which adds insult to laggy injury.

Good News: It literally lasts for hours
At first couldn’t test the battery on this thing because I didn’t have enough time to sit around and watch it. This laptop literally keeps going and going. It’s rated for 12 hours and I saw about 10 hours in movie playback. That’s great.

So who is it good for?
I feel that the Booklet is an odd chimera by any standard. It’s a netbook by one of the most famous cellphone makers and it’s subsidized like a cellphone but is not worth its unsubsidized price. In a nutshell, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Perhaps there is a market out there for subsidized netbooks. Perhaps a fleet of these things given out to a sales force in lieu of BlackBerrys might make sense. However, I’d be hard-pressed to find a mobile professional who wants to skimp on processor power to get WWAN capabilities.

I think devices like the Booklet are filling a hole in the market that will soon be overtaken by standalone, wireless WWAN-to-WiFi devices or, dare I say it, WiMax dongles. Until then, devices like this will fill that void although I feel that the end user will be underserved with these devices.

However, Nokia has proven it can make and build a nice netback, all things being equal, for the low end of the market. Is it a dream device? No, but it’s a strong showing and if they can get the unsubsidized price down to the subsidized price I’d be willing to recommend it to the general user.

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]

The Envy 13 reflects a few trends in Windows hardware. First, consumers are realizing that notebooks are garbage. They are willing to pay a premium for a more powerful computer in a sexier case. Second, Windows 7 is here and it’s ready to kick posterior and jot down identifying information.

The model we tested was running Windows 7 Professional and had an Intel Core Duo 2 L9600 processor running at 2.13 GHz. It also had 3GB of 1067 Mhz memory. Its GeekBench score was 2375. To put this into perspective, this ToughBook scored 1893 and something like the MSI Wind it 837. This is, needless to say, a full-bodied machine. Battery life hit about 3 hours of movie watching.

The Envy is definitely quite a looker. Clad in metal alloy it’s not quite unibody but it does have some very slick design queues that tell you it’s a higher end machine. First, the glass on the screen is flush with the edges of the lid and melds seamlessly a la the Macbook. Then you have some nice dotted detailing on the wrist wrest which, I suspect, will be full of crud after a few weeks. The keys are a bit mushy but the keyboard is big enough for daily use. Then you come to the trackpad.

Your friends won’t “envy” this trackpad. It has two buttons, one on either bottom corner, and a central finger sliding area. It also supports limited gestures including two-fingered scroll but to activate them you need to tap the trackpad. Botton-scrolling is nigh on impossible because your thumb starts to touch the upper touchpad and results in all sorts of scrolling mess. HP tried to make a buttonless trackpad (like another laptop, ahem) but they failed. The trackpad is also very large and very sensitive, resulting in missed tracking every few swipes. This is the Envy’s biggest problem but something that can be accepted and even embraced given enough time and patience.

Like a lover, the HP Envy opens itself slowly and you come to realize the true majesty of future Win7 laptops. The operating system is specially tweaked to match the Envy’s style and the menu bars and buttons all flash for a moment before settling down. This is a nice touch.

The Envy also includes an instant-on OS which allows you to surf the web, run Skype, or listen to music. Is there value in this? That’s debatable, but it’s nice to know it’s there, I suppose.

The fan was a little noisy at boot-up and during major activities but nothing major. There is no optical drive but it has an SD card slot along with HDMI-out, two USB ports, and a headphone port.

Overall I was pleased with the Envy 13. It’s a small laptop with a minor trackpad quirk but it proves that the big guys like HP can still make a quality product without pandering to the Wal-Mart lowendization of the market. That said, guess how much this thing costs. $1,800 in this configuration. Oof.

Given that the cheapest 13-inch MacBook (I know, that word again) costs $1,199, the premium placed on this laptop is a little rough. Presumably this one is for the trendy early adopters, those who want Win7 Pro the very first week it’s on the market, and, to be fair, there’s a lot of machine here for the size.

Bottom Line
Windows 7 is going to be the belle of the ball in the next few months so expect lots of machines like the Envy to hit stores. While that price is fairly rough, there will be few options for folks who want the Win7 Pro experience on a laptop and those few options will be expensive. Manufacturers will have to clear out their Vista/XP netbooks before moving to Win7 and even then they won’t want to come down much in price. It’s the premium play all over again and it will suck for a while.

Also remember that this is based on the higher-end Voodoo Envy, a machine with a high price tag. Can HP take out the Voodoo DNA and sell laptops under the same branding without losing customers? Debatable, but we’ll have to see.

However, if you’re looking for a stylish, fairly powerful notebook with enough horses to run Win7, this is one of the better models out there. Give it a second look.

Product Page

The MSI X-Slim X600 tries so hard – so very hard – to be a full-size, Windows MacBook Air. It has the looks, it has the specs, hell, it even has the same shape. But one huge flaw keeps will keep it from becoming the de facto slim Windows notebook: the trackpad. It’s that bad.

Specs

• Intel Core 2 Solo U3500 1.40GHz
• GS45+ICH9M-SFF Chipset
• 4GB of RAM
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330
• 15.6-inch 16:9 1366×768 LED LCD
• 500GB HDD
• 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g/n
• USB2.0 X 2, E-SATA/USB Combo X1
• HDMI out
• SD card reader
• Webcam
• 4.6lbs
• .98-inches thick
• 320 GB at Newegg for $799

Build

It’s undeniable where MSI got the design idea from for the X-Slim series. They are almost an exact copy of the MacBook Air except for a couple small differences. The I/O ports are full exposed and not hidden by a trap door. Plus, there are three USB ports (one is a eSATA combo port) along with a Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI-out, SD card slot, and VGA out. The MacBook Air only has one USB port, a Mini DisplayPort, and a headphone jack. That’s it.

But a direct comparison isn’t exactly fair as the X600 is a larger computer with a 15.6-inch LED-backlit screen, instead of the 13.3-inch one found on the Air. Plus, all the extra ports and removable battery are so last-gen according to Apple. No one wants that type of stuff, right?

Screen

I found the screen to be satisfyingly bright, but not especially color accurate. I was hoping that the Vista GPU drivers for the ATI HD4330 were to blame, but the colors look only marginally better in Windows 7. The glossy screen is a glare magnet, as you might expect. The glossy bezel around the screen doesn’t help either.

Battery life

I managed to sneak out just over 4 hours on the 6-cell battery. That was in Windows 7 with the screen at a somewhat bright setting and with the WiFi on. I’m sure that if you crank everything down and run just Microsoft Word, you can probably get near 5 hours without a problem.

Hardware

Let’s just say that this notebook surprised me at how competent it is. The low-voltage Centrino 2 setup is helped greatly by the ATI Radeon HD 4330 GPU. It handled just about every video I threw at it including .MKV files.

I was also able to do some basic video editing in the new Windows 7 Movie Maker just fine. Yeah, the encoding took a bit, but it got the job done and unlike the Air, the notebook didn’t heat up to an egg-frying temperature.

The X600 has enough power for the average casual user. Don’t expect to fire up animation software, but it will handle MS Office and Internet tasks just fine.

Keyboard and trackpad

But nothing above matters because it’s nigh impossible to use the X600. The keyboard and trackpad fail in such catastrophic fashion that there is no way I can recommend the notebook. Let me explain.

First off, the X600 features a full keyboard and number pad. That’s not that uncommon for a 15.6-inch notebook nowadays. But some keys are cropped and I still haven’t gotten used to it. The enter key, along with most of the keys to the immediate north and south are slightly smaller. That’s not that the dealbreaker though.

I must say, however, the keys themselves feel great with just the right amount of springiness. This is one of the selling points to the notebook, but it’s too bad that the designers placed the trackpad in such a terrible location.

Look at the pic above. The green lines represent the home keys while the red show the trackpad boarder. Do you see the issue? There is no way to type on the notebook without the palm of your hand hitting the shallow trackpad because of the trackpad’s alignment with the home keys. It doesn’t help that there isn’t a border between the trackpad and the wrist pad or that the the trackpad is less than 0.5mm beneath the wrist pad.

Turn off the touch to click option, you say? I tried. The software is a joke and doesn’t seem to help at all. In fact, there is an option that is supposed to address accidental trackpad clicks but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.

So every time your thumb or palm hits the misaligned trackpad, it causes the mouse to click and transfer attention to something other than where you’re trying to type. This is a huge problem and is basically like having your mouse randomly click whenever you’re typing. In order to counter this side-affect, you have to lift your right wrist and palm so it doesn’t touch the wrist pad at all. Try typing on your notebook that way. It sucks after a quick minute.

The trackpad does get bonus points for supporting multi-touch gestures, but I don’t know how well they work. I had to completely turn off the trackpad just so I could type on the damn thing.

But it’s not just the alignment that bugs the hell out of me. The trackpad button also has a problem. It looks like a single button, right? Well, it’s a Windows machine so there is a right and left click area, but the button is very hard to press unless you’re on the far edges of the button. It’s a pain.

The bottom line

I want to love this notebook. It’s super slim, has just the right amount of inputs and enough computing juice to power through almost anything. But something that seems as trivial as a misaligned trackpad thoroughly ruins the ultra-slim notebook. You simply cannot type on this notebook when the trackpad is enabled, and that’s a big problem.

But if somehow you can get past this design flaw, the notebook is great. MSI hit the “enhance” button on the photocopier when copying the Apple MacBook Air. The more inputs, user-replaceable battery, and dramatically lower price tag all combine to create a hell of a notebook.

Product Page

Okay, here’s the MSI Wind U110 ECO. It’s a netbook, through and through, with the added twist of a nine-cell battery good for what MSI claims to be over 15 hours of battery life. Not bad considering the weight of the computer is kept at a very-portable 3.2 pounds.

It’s not going to set any performance records, with an Atom Z530 CPU at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM, Intel GMA500 graphics, and a 10-inch screen with a resolution of just 1024×600. It’ll probably appeal to those of us who hate carrying AC adapters around everywhere, though.

Comes with Windows XP and a 160GB hard drive and is priced at $430 (MSRP) from MSI or, better yet, $399 at Newegg.

MSI’s gone the AMD Neo route with the Wind U210, available now for $429 at Amazon and Newegg. The U210’s got a 12.1-inch screen with a 1366×768 resolution, 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, Vista Home Premium, 3.2-pound weight, and a six cell battery good for over four hours according to MSI (five hours, according to Amazon’s product page).

Full press release:

MSI US Announces Availability of the New 12.1” Wind U210

The U210 Features the new AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 Processor, 12.1” HD LCD, and a Spacious 250 GB HDD

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – September 15, 2009 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is excited to announce the availability of the new Wind U210. Weighing in at just 3.2 pounds, Wind U210 is MSI’s first notebook to feature the AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 1.6 GHz processor. The newest edition to the Wind family of ultraportables, also features a 250 GB hard drive, 2GB of DDR2 memory, and an energy efficient 6-cell battery with a 4+ hour life.

MSI paired the Wind U210’s 12.1” HD (1366×768) 16:9 aspect ratio LCD with ATI Radeon X1250 for crystal clear graphics. The combination delivers a bright widescreen visual experience with exceptional color saturation and crisp imagery.

The Wind U210 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 provide a more comfortable typing experience.

Additionally, MSI included a 1.3M webcam, HDMI port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA port, and a 4×1 card reader in the U210.

The new Wind U210 is available now at Amazon.com and Newegg.com for just $429.99. MSI offers a 1-year limited warranty with the U210 and extended customer services hours at 1-888-447-6564.

The only problem is that Windows Home Server and the current version of iTunes 9 do not get along. It takes a little hacking to get the program installed right now, but hopefully the next release will install fine. Until then though, I got iTunes 9 to install on my WHS following some of the tips mentioned in this forum thread.

Warning: You will not be able to sync your iPod or iPhone directly to your WHS if you install iTunes 9 with this method because you have to remove the services needed for device control in order for it to install. But with Home Sharing, you can easily manage the content you want on another computer anyway. It will also cause a few pop-up error messages when your WHS starts up but it’s not like you restart your server everyday and, in my eyes, the benefits of Home Sharing outweighs the annoyance of the pop-ups.

Step one: Download iTunes

Head over here and download iTunes 9 to your WHS.

Step two: Download and install Orca

We’re going to use this program to edit the iTunes installer.

Step three: Download and install WinRAR

You probably already have WinRAR installed, but if not, it’s available here. Install it.

Step four: Extract the iTunes installer

• Right click on iTunesSetup.exe (the first file you download)

• Click “Extract To iTunesSetup\” to make a folder with all the contents of the installer

Step five: Edit iTunes.msi

• Open up Orca
• Open up the newly-created iTunes.msi file within Orca
• Select ServiceControl in the left column

• Select each one of the files within the ServiceControl table and hit the Delete key on the keyboard
• Save and close the file

Step six: Edit AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi

• Open AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi in Orca
• Select LaunchCondition from the left column
• Change the number 501 to 502 in the appropriate condition on the right.
• Save and close that file

Step seven: Install iTunes 9

• Double click on the modified iTunes.msi file. NOT on the original installer
• Click through the prompts to install as normal
• It might give you a Quicktime error, in which case you’ll have to go back and install Quicktime.msi afterwards

That’s it. It’s really not that bad of a hack. But once again, you will get errors relating to the iPod when your Windows Home Server restarts and you will not be able to sync your iDevice with the WHS. Uninstalling iTunes 9 does get rid of these messages so hopefully iTunes 9.0.1 will fix these issues. But until then, enjoy the Home Sharing function. It’s great.

If anyone has a better method, drop it in the comments below.

Hey, hey. Look what the Fedex man dropped off! Why it’s the sexy MSi X-Slim X600. His big, white truck is like Santa’s sleigh to me. Anyway, I just unboxed the svelte notebook, shot some pics, and came away with these impressions.

Things I like:

• The matte black finish
• The bright 15.6-inch screen
• The full size keyboard including number pad
• The 4.5 hour battery life according to Windows (untested)
• The multi-touch trackpad
• The MacBook Air inspired design
• The small-ish power adaptor
• The HD video capable ATI Radeon 4350 GPU
• The USB/eSATA port
• The flat 6-cell battery

Things I don’t like:

• Windows Vista
• It gets toasty
• The large, glossy black bezel around the screen
• Some keys have been shrunk in size to make room for the number pad
• Some of the included MSi apps that auto-start are corny
• The flat – physically and acoustically – down-firing speakers
• The small trackpad buttons
• 47sec Vista boot-up time

The first point is my biggest gripe so far. This notebook is screaming at me to install Windows 7 on it – or OS X if possible. I don’t know how long I can ignore its cries either. I’ll probably end up doing two reviews on the X-Slim X600: one would be just the way it ships and the other with Windows 7 or OS X installed. But even Vista can’t totally ruin the X600. I can’t wait to spend more time with this capable MacBook Air clone.

But while I have you, is there anything you wanna know about it?

The screen is 20″ at 1600×900, You’ve got an Athlon X2 dual-core 1.5GHz processor (better than it sounds, and way better than the Atoms out there), integrated Radeon 3200 graphics with discrete memory, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 7200RPM HDD, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Integrated webcam, mic, and SRS speakers, a card reader, six USB ports… it’s really quite fully featured, and starting at $650, it’s pretty light on the wallet, too. Did I forget to mention the whole thing runs on a 90W power supply?

And wait, did I also forget to mention that you can get the thing with a touchscreen? Man, if I were a kid trying to decide between this thing and an iMac, I’d be having a hell of a tough time. It comes with Vista, but you can fix that pretty easily.

[via Tech Report]

MSI’s got a 12-inch Wind netbook rolling out to the US in the next few weeks. The U210 will feature an AMD CPU, though, which ought to place it in direct competition with Gateway’s LT3100. We can probably expect to see shorter battery life (the LT3100 promises five hours) in exchange for some extra power over Intel’s Atom offerings.

The U210 will apparently ship in two configurations: an XP version for $379 and a Vista version for $429. Both will, according to Gizmodo, feature 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. I’d normally expect the Vista version to have at least 2GB of RAM, though we’ll see if that actually happens or not. The 12-inch screen, too, means that it’ll have a decent resolution — likely 1280×800.

MSI is also planning to debut a touchscreen Wind netbook based on Intel’s upcoming Pinetrail initiative (see previous coverage here). We won’t see the U150, as it’ll be called, until CES in January. It’ll apparently be a touchscreen convertible tablet-type affair, though.

[via Gizmodo]

MSI’s big-but-light X600 is now available for $800 from Amazon and Newegg. The ULV computer rounds out the X-Slim series with a 15.6-inch LCD, six-cell battery, 5.5 pound travel weight, and is less than an inch thick.

You get some decent extras, too, like an external optical drive, 320GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM, and an ATI HD 4330 GPU. Other features include Windows Vista Home Premium, 1366×768 resolution, 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth, two USB ports, HDMI out, memory card reader, and a three-year warranty.

Full press release:

MSI Announces Availability of the X600 Ultraportable Notebook

Newest X-Slim Features ATI HD 4330 graphics card, external optical drive, and 6-cell battery

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – August 24, 2009 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is excited to announce the availability of the ultra-slim 15.6″ MSI X600 Notebook. The X600 notebook weighs just 5.5 pounds, is only .98 inches thick at its widest point, and is now available for only $899.99 MSRP. The X600 features the Intel® ULV CPU, which uses 1/6th the power of a regular mobile CPU.The X600 also ships with an MSI external optical drive, allowing users to view DVDs on the X600’s HD LCD that features a 16:9 aspect ratio and 1366×768 resolution.

The X600’s crystal clear display is partnered with an ATI HD 4330 Graphics card to deliver brilliant images andvideo. The newest edition to the X-Slim family of ultrapotables also features a spacious 320GB HDD, 4GB ofDDR 2 memory, 6-cell battery, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam.

The X600 notebook is available in sleek Silver and stylish Black at Amazon.com and Newegg.com. MSI offers a 3-year limited warranty with the X600 and extended customer services hours at 1-888-447-6564.

The MSI Wind U120 with a six-cell battery dips slightly below $300 after a $10 mail-in rebate good until the end of the month. Amazon currently has a $20 price break on the machine, bringing the price to $309.99 before the rebate.

The U120 features standard netbook specs: 1.6GHz Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB SATA hard drive, Windows XP, 10.1-inch backlit LED screen with 1024×600 resolution, six-cell battery, webcam, Wi-Fi, and weighs just 2.3 pounds. All in all, a pretty good deal on a relatively popular offering from MSI.

MSI Wind U120 [Amazon]

Wow, this is impressive. An enterprising young man from a faraway land (the Czech Republic!) took an ordinary battery from an MSI Wind netbook and added a USB charging port to it. He can charge his iPhone twice over and the battery still works like normal in his MSI Wind. They should add USB charging ports to all batteries!

You’d have to be relatively comfortable with mod-trickery to attempt this one but if you’ve got the brass ones, here’s the how-to video that’s found over on the guy’s site.

Just a word of warning, the video’s underscored by four and a half minutes of European techno-funk break beats, as the guy who put this together is apparently a DJ.

USB iPhone battery pack from MSI Wind battery [Prusadjs.cz via Gizmodo]

Disney Interactive Studios announced today that French dev Etranges Libellules has begun development of videogame adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s beloved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to complement Tim Burton’s upcoming film, Alice in Wonderland. The Wii, DS and PC title take place a few years after both stories in Underland and players must help Alice battle the Red Queen and Jabberwocky.

The Wii and PC titles will follow the storyline of Burton’s film while the DS version pits Alice against the Red Queen’s Army. All three titles are due out the same week as the film release. A “promo” app will be released this December with a full release for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Java/Brew devices in February of 2010.

BURBANK, Calif. – (July 23, 2009) – As Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll fans become curiouser and curiouser (Carroll, 1865) about Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming “Alice in Wonderland” film, Disney Interactive Studios today announced development of video game adaptations of the beloved story. The video games, inspired by Tim Burton’s highly anticipated film starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, find Alice several years after the original “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” stories. Alice in Wonderland for Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Windows-based PC takes players on a topsy-turvy and immersive journey in Underland as Alice finds herself in a world of illusion and magic where nothing is quite like it seems. Alongside her endearing friends –Mad Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit – players aid Alice to defeat the Red Queen and Jabberwocky. Alice in Wonderland mobile games will begin launching later this year.

“These games fully capture the magnificent and whimsical world of Underland while experiencing key moments from the film,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “More than just a retelling of the movie, Alice in Wonderland introduces fans to an entirely new style of innovative gameplay designed to challenge the puzzle solving skills of older players while making the adventures accessible and enjoyable for the younger crowd. Innovative gameplay and distinct artistic styles on each platform gives players a range of unique and engaging experiences.”

Alice in Wonderland allows players to guide, protect and aid Alice as she journeys through the world of Underland while unraveling the game’s many twisted mysteries. Along the way, players call on a diverse and unique cast of characters such as the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat who each have unique abilities to help evade traps and solve challenging puzzles. The Mad Hatter can help Alice alter her perception of Underland and take advantage of optical illusions to open up places in the world the player alone would not have noticed. Meanwhile, the Cheshire Cat can use his ability to make himself and objects appear and disappear helping Alice through this strange world. Players must choose wisely when using each of the characters’ powers and combine the abilities to solve more complex puzzles.

The Wii and PC versions follow the film’s epic storyline and introduce new fiction and locations. With an upgradeable combat system, players collect “impossible ideas” to replay levels and unlock Underland’s secrets. Players must carefully select the supporting characters and their abilities to defeat the numerous enemies set forth by the Red Queen and her army of cards, destroy the Jabberwocky and restore Underland back into Wonderland.

The Nintendo DS version will introduce a new twist as players guide Alice alongside her diverse and enduring friends to combat the legions of the Red Queen’s Army. Creating their own path through Underland using an oracle, players lead, protect and help Alice on her quest. The DS version features an innovative art style unique to the platform, a playable character not seen on the home console version, and unique character abilities similar to those of the Wii and PC versions. DSi players will use the system’s camera to detect colors mapped to unlockable content when tasks are completed. Also included in the DS version is DGamer, the online community exclusive to Disney gamers on Nintendo DS, allowing players to connect with others and unlock additional items in their DS game.

Developed by Etranges Libellules in France, Alice in Wonderland will be available for Wii, Nintendo DS and Windows-based PC with the same week as the film release in early 2010.

Disney Interactive Studios will also release iPhone and iTouch applications for the franchise. A promo application will release in December, 2009 with the full game releasing next year. Alice in Wonderland: The Mobile Game will take you on an upside-down, inside-out adventure on your phone. The whole world is a puzzle and players must twist and turn their iPhone to have Alice make it through Wonderland safely. Also available on Java/Brew, Android and RIM February 2010.

Ah, the netbook. Back in 1999 or so I remember one of my co-workers spent over $3,000 for a mini Sony Vaio PCG-C1, the kind with the tiny keyboard and woefully underpowered processor. Fast forward a decade and we’ve come full circle with the netbook. These still woefully underpowered laptops still have tiny keyboards but they cost a pittance and, for a certain subset of users, they’re some of the most compelling pieces of hardware to come out ofTaiwan and Japan in years.

Origin Story

The netbook was supposed to save the PC industry. Cast your memory back to 2007. We were just on the edge of the global financial precipice. Desktop sales were flat and laptop sales were soaring. All seemed fine. But there was a problem: the laptop market was considerably different than the desktop market. Desktop PCs sat comfortably in a den and were upgraded over time. Junior wanted to play The Sims so he installed a new graphics card. Sis wanted a scanner – she added an all-in-one. Dad was going through a mid-life crisis so he bought a new case. PCs generated sales in peripherals and, once the PC was maxed out, it was relegated to the basement and a new one purchased. PCs cost a pittance to make and could be sold at a slight profit.

Laptops, on the other hand, were stagnant. You bought a laptop and held onto it. For many it became a main computer, but one you never upgraded. You could add some memory and plug in a printer, but you weren’t purchasing overpriced graphics cards or hard drives.

In the years preceding the netbook, laptop manufacturers played with a few possible upgrade paths. First, they stuffed desktop hardware into laptops to create the Desktop Replacement. These massive laptops weren’t portable, had horrible battery life, and were prohibitively expensive. They knew that this was the wrong route towards riches.

Then they played with mini-PCs for the living room. These PCs fit in teeny-tiny cases and were supposed to sit next to your TV. Windows Media Center promised a 10-foot TV computing experience for all. I doubt many of us have actively used Windows Media Center – let alone Apple’s Front Row experience on the Mac Mini – in the intervening years.

These two branches of hardware manufacturing looked like dead ends. However, by learning how to stuff more technology into a tiny package, laptop manufacturers were able to use fairly low-power desktop chips inside tiny cases.

In about 2007 the OLPC suddenly appeared. The OLPC, if you’ll recall, was the proto-netbook. It was a woefully underpowered laptop for developing countries with a hand crank to charge it. It was great for kids who have never seen a computer but not so great for power-hungry Americans. I once saw a man who could be charitably called a massive geek – in a good way – whip out an OLPC at a conference. He started it up and its speaker began to quack like a scalded duck. It was, in general terms, useless as a real laptop.

Then Asus, a heretofore unknown PC company, hit upon an idea. Why not take cheap processors, stuff them into some of the small motherboards they had been working on, add a laptop screen and keyboard, and make a mini-laptop? They could stuff in Intel’s cheap new Atom processors and make something that is essentially a peripheral laptop. In a strategy that can be attributed to Pimp My Ride, laptop makers knew that consumers loved laptops so they decided to add a laptop to their laptops. The larger, more expensive laptop would sit quietly in the den while the netbook would scoot around the Internet, while you were on the couch watching TV or in the kitchen making pizza bagels.

Thus the eee PC was born. It was amazing. Laptops were now less expensive than some graphics cards. A $400 laptop was something the average consumer could stand behind. Sadly, manufacturers didn’t stand behind the consumer.

The Terrible Truth

The netbook will die soon. They were a cynical play by an industry in panic. They knew they couldn’t get people to buy expensive hardware so they sold inexpensive hardware at a massive discount, hoping against hope that they would sell enough units to make a profit. And profit they did. But, almost three years later, people are discovering the awful truth: netbooks are horrible. Devices like the Macbook Air, for example, are on par with hardware that came out at the turn of the century and the tiny notebooks we tested were fine for most purposes but try to get any real work done and you run into a wall. While they are striking, they’re unacceptably slow for most applications.

But, in a way, it doesn’t matter. You’re not supposed to run desktop apps on your netbook. In fact, you can bypass most of the major issues simply by focusing on web-based apps like Gmail and Zoho Office.

Also, try telling a cash-strapped consumer not to buy a netbook. It’s futile. Nintey-nine percent of computing time at home is spent on the web. Unless you’re a gamer, you probably fire up the laptop for porn or recipes and little else. So, on the aggregate, netbooks are just fine. But woe betide the netbook user who suddenly wants to do some video editing. Interestingly, many netbooks are going back to the store for exactly this reason: consumers feel conned by their relative uselessness.

What’s Next

The next logical step in the netbook world is the ultralight. These ultrathin laptops – think a better MacBook Air rather than eee PC – appeared briefly in about 2006 but disappeared when folks realized they still wanted optical drives. I remember bringing a Gateway ultralight to an IT shop once in about 2006 and the team thought it was an “old” notebook because it didn’t even have an optical drive.

Now, however, optical drives are all but useless. Streaming and downloading are the way to go. Therefore, expect to see ultralight laptops with screens 12 inches or bigger. The netbook will turn into what can only be described as an iPod Touch and manufacturers will fall over themselves trying to replace their mid-tier laptop line – the kind that you’d carry with you on a business trip – with ultralights that can actually do a little work. The prices will rise and crap notebooks like the Cloudbook will blow away.

Think ChromeOS will appear on netbooks? Think again. It may appear on devices similar to the CrunchPad but the netbook as we know it will soon be running Windows 7 and liking it.

Where Does That Leave Us?

It leaves us on the edge between notebooks and ultralights and so we dug up the best of the current crop of what we’d still call notebooks yet can actually run a few apps. The current MacBook Air is much more powerful than its predecessors and new processors from AMD and Intel will supplant the runty Atom with something like the Athlon Neo, a more balanced chip with a bit more speed.

However, the days of $200 laptops are numbered. There’s no profit in it. This race to the bottom has to stop and, although you will see laptops like the Lenovo Ideapad S10, below, netbooks will slowly migrate to faster – and more expensive – hardware. If this year’s COMPUTEX was any indication, this is the year of the ultralight.

This is not to say that $200 laptops will go away. Manufacturers have already opened that Pandora’s Box and can’t close it. But they will be marginalized by manufacturers and distributors.

That said, here are a few hotties that we played with over the past few weeks. N.B. Apple didn’t get back to us about the 13-inch MacBook or new Air in, but I’m sure Apple makes fine hardware, right?

To test we ran an AVI movie on repeat for a full battery cycle and then ran PrimateLabs Geekbench.

But I’m Shopping for a Netbook

What should you look for? Lots of memory – 2GB at least, and a 2GHz or better processor. A Core 2 Duo is probably your best bet at this point. Unless you’re absolutely sure you won’t even be watching video on your netbook, anything less is a waste of money. I’ve seen some netbooks that can barely surf YouTube let alone run Final Cut Pro.

Don’t be fooled by price. The cheapest netbook is the worst one. A laptop manufacturer can’t sell something for $350 and still add in any bells and whistles. Windows itself takes up a large percentage of a laptop’s cost.

Avoid Linux, at least the pre-installed versions. Sorry, Linux nerds, but it’s true. Buy an XP model and install Ubuntu or whatever later, but don’t get the Linux netbook because it’s cheaper. Maybe Chrome OS will change all that, but Linux-based netbooks are usually running some wonky, kiosk-oriented installation, making them nigh-on unusable.

Go major manufacturer. If there’s anything China is good at it’s creating OEM devices and badging them for sale in the US. All of those Sylvania, Everex, and CloudUnicornNotebooks you see online are exactly the same netbooks with a different sticker on the front. It may look like a bargain but it’s garbage.

Reviews

Click to read

Lenovo Ideapad S10-2

Price $349.00
Screen Size 10.2″
Processor Intel N270 1.6 ghz
Memory 1 GB
Benchmark 861
Battery Life 4:05
USB 3
Display out 1 VGA
Keyboard Tiny, but usable
Mouse A bit too small, side scroll
Bottom Line Priced to move. B

This small netbook uses its patterned gloss top to add a little pizzazz to an otherwise standard appearance. Despite its light weight (2.65 lbs according to Lenovo) it feels very solid, not flimsy or delicate.

Like all notebooks, its keyboard is rather small. However, it’s surprisingly usable. The key layout is very standard feeling, and with a little practice, or small hands, it would be just fine for any daily use. The touchpad is also cramped, though it also is intuitive after the first few minutes. It makes up for its small size by being sensitive. Not only that, it has some multi-touch features as well as standard side scrolling. The 1.3 Megapixel camera also works as a facial recognition system for logging in. An interesting feature sure to wow the ladies.

Hardware wise this machine is pretty standard, based on a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom, it packs 1 gig of RAM for pretty standard netbook performance. Its battery life at 4:05 minutes while watching a movie also seems standard. Its 10.2” screen is very readable, and the colors are acceptable. The included Windows XP works great for its OS, and it will already be familiar to almost any purchaser.

MSI XSlim X340

Price $899.99
Screen Size 13″
Processor Intel U3500 1.4 ghz
Memory 2 GB
Benchmark 1248
Battery Life 2:18
USB 2
Display out 1 HDMI + 1 VGA
Keyboard Flimsy, standard size
Mouse unremarkable, no scroll
Bottom Line Nice styling, underpowered. B

Although this is an ultra-thin very light laptop, and it’s definitely sleek, I couldn’t help my immediate impression of cheapness. With plastic chrome accents on its ports that seem to have been put there in an attempt to distract from its ultra-bland, uniform gloss black finish, to complete its blandness all of its status lights are plain white. It almost looks like a laptop I could buy in a shady market somewhere in China. In the interest of fairness I tried to look past that. Aesthetics, after all, have little impact on the utility of a laptop, and it is weight and thickness are definitely impressive, especially at its price just under 900$. It may be the only sub-grand ultra-thin out right now.

Unfortunately I was immediately disenchanted again when I attempted to open it. A magnet holds the lid shut, and to open it, you have to grip the lid by the narrowest of lips, then suddenly, its vaunted lightness is working against you because the bottom wasn’t heavy enough to separate the magnet. I had to use my fingernails to open it the first time. After the first time though, the problem seemed to get less and less extreme every time I opened it. Now it seems to open just fine. So again, I forgive it, after all everything has a break-in period.
Once opened, I like the screen, its colors are 13.4” screen looks good. Its colors are bright and vibrant, brought out by the glossy screen. The keyboard looks good with large un-crowded keys. Unfortunately they also have a problem. The whole keyboard flexes alarmingly. While unsettling, and in general adding to my impression of cheapness, it doesn’t actually interfere with typing. The keys are large, and have a satisfying amount of resistance, which makes up for the flex after the first few minutes of typing. The touchpad is acceptable, its smooth plastic finish is very usable and familiar, and the uni-piece button has a satisfying press and subtle click. The pad itself seems to be missing any scroll features though, no side scroll or 2-finger, it brings back fond memories of Windows 98 when I had to click and drag the scrollbar down.
On the hardware side, this laptop runs on a single core Intel Ultra Low Voltage processor, which along with a much better than netbook integrated Intel GPU means it benchmarked significantly higher than a netbook. Along with this comes higher power consumption, and when your keeping it as light as this (2.7 lb) that means short batter life. In our test it lasted 2:18. Honestly, despite its shortcomings, using this laptop was fine. It’s definitely quicker than a netbook, even running Vista. Its large screen and keyboard make it feasible as your main computer, while still maintaining great portability. The price is even pretty good, and if you are want a netbook supersize, they even make a model that runs on an Intel Atom.

Dell Adamo

Price $1,998
Screen Size 13.4-inches
Processor Intel U9400 1.4 ghz
Memory 4 GB
Benchmark 2010
Battery Life 3:07
USB 2 + 1 eSata/USB
Display out 1 Displayport
Keyboard Backlit, Large, good
Mouse Nice pad, bad buttons, side scroll
Bottom Line Amazingly slick, expensive. B+

This sleek ultra-thin laptop looks great. Its black-brushed aluminum body is accented by a strip of high gloss plastic. When you open it, the first thing you notice is the large backlit keys with huge futuristic font glowing at you. When you type on them they are satisfying, and probably my favorite feature of this whole machine. The touchpad also is really nice, one of the best textures I’ve come across. It’s an ultra fine-brushed metal that feels incredibly smooth. The mouse buttons I am much less sold on. They click loudly, and require a deceivingly firm push, deceiving because of a slight play in the buttons. The high-gloss, 13.4” screen looks great, very vibrant, but that’s inside. Its so shiny, I suspect if you tried to use this in the sun, it had better be to do your make-up. That’s not the only problem with this laptop. It’s all about the appearance. The hardware inside it is less than exciting, especially for the base model’s starting price of just under $2000. Its processor is an Intel Core 2 duo running at 1.4 GHz. Although it has 4 gigs of RAM, it acts sluggish constantly. Its battery life is its most impressive performance point, and in our test it lasted 3:07 hours. This laptop was clearly designed to look good, and it definitely does, but for the kind of money you have to pay for it I would have expected better performance.

Lenovo Thinkpad T400s

Price $1,599
Screen Size 14.1″
Processor Intel P9400 2.4 ghz
Memory 2 GB
Benchmark 2753
Battery Life 2:22
USB 2 + 1 eSata/USB
Display out 1 Displayport + 1 VGA
Keyboard Very standard, good, Top lit
Mouse Nice texture, satisfying, 2 finger scroll
Bottom Line Excellent build quality, speed. A

This laptop looks just like Thinkpads for years. It does because that look is utilitarian, logical, and well thought out. Its keyboard feels perfectly standard, requiring no getting used to, my one small complaint is that the control key is not the bottom corner, it is one in from the corner, and as a result I have hit the function key accidentally often. The touchpad has an interesting texture that I like, a fine grid of tiny bumps. It makes using the touchpad very tactile. The touchpad also allows you to 2-finger scroll. There is of course also the ThinkPad’s signature “trackpoint” nub.
An interesting feature is the built in keyboard light, which makes so much more sense to me than backlit keys. With the LED keyboard light you get some ambient light that you could read by or whatever you need. The 14” monitor looks fine, it can get quite bright, to the point it hurts my eyes inside, but that combined with a matte finish screen makes this laptop feasible to outside use on a sunny day. Those combine to make this a laptop that is useful virtually anywhere I would normally be. Combine that with its light weight (3.9 lb) and you have one of the most useful laptops available. Hardware wise it’s also very capable, based around a 2.4 GHz Intel Core2 Duo, it has 2 or 3 gigs DDR3 of memory. Of course running all that while keeping the weight down means that the battery life is less that phenomenal, and during our tests died after 2:22 hours. This laptop is the one for you if you need a powerful easily portable laptop you can use almost anywhere.

with Berkeley Beyers

While the jury’s still out on the idea of portable Blu-ray, Sony’s not taking any chances. It’s announced the new NW series of notebooks, starting at $800 and equipped with a Blu-ray drive at $880.

The six-pound notebook features a 15.5-inch “high-resolution” widescreen display (no mention of actual resolution), 2.10GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, Vista Home Premium, 4GB of RAM, up to a 400GB hard drive, and a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4570 GPU. There’s also HDMI out and a handy instant-boot web browser that you can access without booting up into Windows.

No firm release date except for “this month,” so you won’t have to wait all that long.

VAIO NW Series [SonyStyle.com]

Full press release:

NEW SONY NOTEBOOK DELIVERS STUNNING BLU-RAY ENTERTAINMENT AT ENTRY-LEVEL PRICE

SAN DIEGO, June 19, 2009 – Sony today unveiled the VAIO® NW notebook– a new line of PCs that provide a powerful high-definition experience while starting at just $800 for the standard model and $880 equipped with Blu-ray Disc™ technology.

Part of a series, the NW notebook features an optional Blu-ray Disc ROM drive making it ideal for viewing pristine HD content on-the-go. It also has the added convenience of DVD and CD read/write functionalities.

The model features a high-resolution 15.5-inch widescreen display (diagonal), making it easy to view two full web pages– no side-to-side scrolling necessary. Sony’s XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology has also been added so movies and photos can be enjoyed in brilliant clarity and razor-sharp detail.

For those who prefer to watch content on a big screen television, the PC has an HDMI™ output connector so it can be connected to a TV set for a larger viewing experience in high-definition.

“This notebook sets a precedent in the industry merging powerful Blu-ray technology with a portable, head-turning design– all for an unheard of low price,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of the VAIO business group at Sony.

Gracefully thin, the notebook has a wavy textured finish and is available in three colors: walnut brown, birch white, and rattan silver.

The NW notebook features an isolated keyboard making it comfortable while reducing typing errors. Its translucent, textured touchpad enables you to smoothly control mouse movement.

The model is equipped with a “display off” button so you can turn off its screen while the notebook continues to run in the background. This lets users conserve power while enabling them to quickly resume PC functionality without waiting for it to boot back up. An instant internet button launches directly into the web without having to wait for the Windows® operating system to load.

The series comes with three Sony entertainment software applications. Offerings include VAIO Movie Story software– an easy way to produce your own high-quality home movies, VAIO MusicBox software– a fun and automated way to enjoy music based on one’s mood, and Click to Disc/ Editor software– for easy video editing and creation.

Easily transfer data, such as photos from your digital camera or music from an MP3 player, to and from the PC with a multitude of connectivity options including three USB ports and ExpressCard®, SD card and Memory Stick PROTM slots.

A built-in webcam and microphone lets users video chat with family, friends and colleagues. A third-party internet service provider is required.

The PC incorporates an Intel® Core™2 Duo processor for fast processing speeds and multitasking. An optional dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570 graphics card makes it perfect for watching movies. It comes pre-installed with Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit.

ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliant, the NW notebook comes in packaging comprised of 98 percent recycled content. Sony will also recycle your old PC. (www.sony.com/green).

The VAIO NW notebooks will be available online at www.sonystyle.com/pr/nw. It will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and authorized retailers nationwide starting this month.