Review MSI Wind U135

For:

  • Good Design
  • Touchpad with good opportunities at the correct drivers
  • Good keyboard

Cons:

  • The lifetime of less than half than the other netbooks on the Pine Trail
  • In the delivery there is no software for the touchpad, but Windows drivers
Wind U135 – one of the latest netbook from MSI with 10-inch screen. Based on the platform Pine Trail, this netbook, promises an increased battery life and improved performance, compared with models, still using the previous generation chipset, Intel Atom. Currently, the most “long-playing” netbook ASUS Eee PC 1005PE, up to 12 hours of continuous operation at high load. In this review, we investigated the MSI Wind U135, to see how he is able to compete with ASUS Eee PC 1005PE in almost identical configurations.

Specifications MSI Wind U135:
Processor: Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz (667MHz FSB, 512KB Cache)
OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition (32-bit)
Display: 10.1 “1024 x 600, glossy, with LED backlight
Memory: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM built-in (1 slot free)
Video Card: Intel GMA 3150, integrated
Data Warehouse: 250GB Seagate 5400.6 HDD
Wireless: 802.11BGN 1T1R, Bluetooth
Card reader: 4-in-1
Battery: 6-cell 5200mAh, 58Wh
Dimensions (WxDxH): 26 x 18 x 1,9 – 3,2 cm
Weight: 1,3 kg
Construction and Design
At MSI Wind U135 enough unpretentious design with a simple but pleasant, contrasting colors. The display is finished using the technology of Color Film Print (film coated with a color pattern), which is very similar to the Imprint finish on laptops HP. This film has a better stability, compared to conventional painted surfaces, while allowing make to the design of notebook additional design notes. MSI U135 used for simple wavy texture, which blends well with the features of a laptop. This teksturatakzhe repeated on the surface of the touchpad inside netbook. Many other surfaces inside and silver, but here the manufacturer switched otvolnistoy film texture to dyed corrugated plastic, frosted look, but pleasantly smooth to the touch, like a glossy surface. The glossy black frame of the screen and keyboard backing, look great with silver-colored surfaces and combine the desire of the manufacturer to give netbook polish glossy surfaces with the departure from the use of gloss on the most local brands, such as stops for the wrists.
Build quality average netbook, similar to most other netbooks. Separately, it should be noted strong cover the screen, which is well protected in its closed position. Glossy finish cover resists scratches, to a certain extent. The average user who is accustomed to wear a netbook along with other things in a bag or backpack, in between gatherings, or moves, this coverage will ensure the good condition laptop for quite some time.
Netbook keyboard and wrist rests are slightly bent under severe pressure, but this in general does not interfere with the normal printing on it.
Users who want to improve the performance of its netbook would be surprised at the lack of any panels to access its innards. To replace the wireless card, hard drive or adding memory will need to review case into two parts. One of the advantages over other netbooks U135 is a free memory slot. 1 GB of memory is soldered to the motherboard, so that the free slot would allow low-cost future upgrades. In netbooks like the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE need to replace 1 GB of memory on the module 2 GB, which will cost significantly more expensive, with the same total amount of memory as a result.
The screen and speakers
Wind U135 features a glossy 10-inch screen with LED backlight, which is relatively worse than in most other netbooks with a similar screen size. On our test model with a maximum brightness noticeably thrust itself out on the edges of the screen on all sides. This was especially noticeable when downloading netbook, when the operating system screen saver appears on the all-black screen. Also, this effect is and when watching movies in a dark room. Colors and contrast of the screen were comparable to other netbooks due to its glossy surface. If the lights would not be so noticeable, it went very well this notebook would be for watching movies while traveling. With a maximum brightness of the image on the screen is easily readable in a bright office and even outside, if you stand in the place where it will not appear reflections from the sun.
The angles of secondary, vertical angles can reject the display at 15-20 degrees forward or backward until the colors start to appear distorted. Horizontal angles, as usual, the better. Moreover, they are great, colors are not inverted, even under very high lateral angles.

Playback quality built-in speakers mean that the usual for most netbooks and means that they lack the volume of sound and there are no bass compared with full-size notebooks. They should be fine for most users, if you want to see a rapid clip on YouTube or listen to what a tune, while performing other tasks, but for viewing movies or listening to quality music is desirable immediately stock up a pair of headphones.

The keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard on the MSI Wind U135 is very similar to the keyboard netbook ASUS Eee PC 1005PE, just a copy of some sort. Both the keyboard island type, with the same layout, size and shape of keys. The only notable difference between the two keyboards are printed on the key characters in MSI are more convex. If you compare the two models, the U135 keyboard is harder and harder to drag to the hull netbook, while the keyboard 1005PE a bit loose. Tactile sensations are also very similar, the strength of keystrokes and the same sound when you press the keys is also very similar.
Untuned touchpad initially disappointed, because it has not came with any drivers or utilities. Also, as X-Slim X340, MSI U135 which is not supplied or own touchpad support, relying on the built-in drivers Windows. As a result, we got the brake touchpad without scrolling, not to mention common management capabilities several fingers. Climbing on the Internet, we discovered that the driver for the touchpad Sentelic this netbook is at MSI, but in the delivery netbook or on its hard disk of the drivers was not. After installing the drivers touchpad back to life and become accessible even to the various functions of the management of multiple fingers, oh!
The surface of the touchpad seemed to us very good, better than normally encountered, with a matte finish, which was easy to slide a finger. Do not even compare with a glossy coating, which are often found on the latest laptops! Keys touchpad though united in a single swinging block, but it is flexible enough to be able to press both keys touchpad simultaneously with minimal effort.
Ports and Features
A set of ports on the MSI Wind U135 usual and compare with other competitors. Offered three ports USB, audio ports, VGA output, network port and SDHC compatible card reader. Netbook is also equipped with a security lock slot Kensington
Front: Status Indicators
Rear: Battery
Left: Lock slot Kensington, power connector, two USB ports
Right: One port USB, card reader SDHC, audio jacks, output VGA, LAN port
Productivity and performance
Relatively good performance of the system for daily activities for netbooks, but certainly not comparable to the new ultraportable notebooks processors CULV. Although the lack of the latter, in turn, is less battery life, compared to netbooks. We did not raise any problems with performance under hikes in the network, comes on site with a flash-content, including YouTube. Of course, HD videos are still hard nut to crack for netbooks, but the commercials SD scrolled without stammering. The system also normally played all the videos from the hard drive HD 720p resolution and lower, choking only movies 1080p Full HD. Loading, shutting down the system and input-output from hibernation made quickly. When using the netbook is quite possible to slam the door before leaving the screen, without shutting down the netbook, and translated it into hibernation, throw it in the bag and, if necessary, to quickly obtain and include it in the road. Compared to most netbooks, in our opinion, much of the increase in performance still provided a new operating system Windows 7, not faster platform Pine Trail.
The comparison test CPU wPrime: (smaller values correspond to better performance):
PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher values mean better performance):
Compares 3DMark06 graphics performance at 1024 x 768 (higher values mean better performance):
HDTune assess the performance of hard disk:
Heat and Noise
MSI Wind U135 good fights with heat, but it happens due to constantly running cooling fan. Even in the absence of load U135 fan rotates, albeit on a small constant speed. Leaving the air at the netbook almost room temperature, and we did not understand, why do not switch off the fan during the idle times within a netbook is not heated, at least in order to increase the lifetime and efficiency of the fan. Users with sensitive ears, hear the sound of the fan in a quiet room, just finding themselves far from the netbook. The noise is comparable to a whisper.
Battery life
Mindful of the fact that recent netbooks at Pine Trail are able to work out the battery to 12 hours, we had every reason to expect similar results from the MSI Wind U135. Unfortunately, in reality, although the U135 and has the same with 1005PE characteristics, except for the wireless card and the battery capacity (in U135 is 10% lower). During our tests, and screen brightness set at 70%, wireless enabled and the selected profile “Balanced” Windows 7, netbook only spent 6 hours 30 minutes, consuming from 7.5 to 8.5 watts of power. During the same test Asus Eee PC 1005PE remain active 12 hours and 1 minute, consuming from 4,5 to 4,7 Tues In order to equalize the chances, we even moved the WiFi card, these netbooks places, suggesting that this may be a problem, but power U135 has not changed. We assume that the level of customization at netbook MSI is not so good compared to Asus, which means that even using identical components, can achieve significant and compelling distinction between netbooks.
Conclusion
MSI Wind U135 outperformed rivals in terms of software and battery life. The bundled U135 did not have any software for the touchpad, but the standard drivers Windows, which is very limiting its characteristics. We later found the course a driver on MSI’s web site and got the scroll function, control touchpad several fingers and better responsiveness, but you must admit, it’s not very logical and convenient. Another obvious drawback of this netbook is the battery life, which is two times less than the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE with the same characteristics and only slightly larger battery. Such a striking difference was mainly due to increased energy consumption U135, which consumed nearly 8 watts in Idle, while 1005PE consumes only 5 watts. In general, we believe that the MSI Wind U135 simply can not be brought until the end, though if the manufacturer has to fix the problem of power consumption and add to supply the missing software, it would be a good little netbook.
For:

  • Good Design
  • Touchpad with good opportunities at the correct drivers
  • Good keyboard
Cons:

  • The lifetime of less than half than the other netbooks on the Pine Trail
  • In the delivery there is no software for the touchpad, but Windows drivers

Leave a Reply