MSI Wind U210 Review
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review – 6.25/7
The 12 inch MSI Wind U210 is the netbook for people who don’t want a small screen, small keyboard, or slow Intel Atom processor. It’s powered by the AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 and a ATi Radeon X1250 graphics card. The specs are quite similar to the HP Pavilion DV2, but it’s actually smaller and lighter than the HP netbook. In a nutshell, the MSI U210 offers a decent combination of power and portability at the reasonable price of $428.99.
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review – Top Features
- High performance – In raw computing power, the AMD Athlon processor comfortably quashes its competitors – the Intel Atom and the Intel CULV systems. For our simple needs, the performance of the U210 was almost flawless. We were easily able to work on a document in Microsoft Works, download and install Google Earth, and navigate between 4 tabs in Internet Explorer.
- Screen Size and Resolution - The U210′s 12.1″ screen is remarkably bright, and the 1366×768 resolution is ideal for watching HD video.
- Strong selection of ports – This includes the HDMI. For a complete list, see technical specs below.
- Good WiFi connection – The machine catches networks as far as 50 feet in range with above-average performance.
- Full Size Keyboard – The keyboard is quite comfortable and easy to type on. The touchpad is large as well.
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review – Drawbacks and things to keep in mind
- Software Load – The U210 comes with a bunch of pre-installed crap ware, and the booting time is over a minute. However once you uninstall this stuff, the U210 boots in a spiffy 20 or so seconds.
- Sound isn’t so hot – The speakers on this netbook are puny, and the audio sounds quite bad. We recommend plugging into the headphone port, as with most other netbooks.
- Some WiFi issues – Some users have complained that they aren’t able to connect to networks. This has happened to a minority, but it’s cropped up more than once.
- Short battery life – The battery life is advertised at 5 hours, but lasts about 4 with moderate usage.
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review -Ratings
- Price and Value for money – 1.0 Star. The U210 is larger than your average netbook and a better performer. Sure it has its weak points, but for a 12.1″ netbook which creams others on speed and graphics, we’ll award a full rating.
- Speed and Performance – 1.0 Star. As mentioned before, this model scores high on these parameters. Oh and have I mentioned the 2GB of RAM.
- Screen – 1.0 Star. The size is large for netbooks, it has high resolution, is bright and plays HD video.
- Keyboard, Touchpad, Useability – 1.0 Star. The U210 has a goodly sized keyboard (a bit on the noisy side) and ample space on its touchpad. It’s comfortable to use.
- Portability and Battery Life – 0.75 Star. This is where the unit loses some points. The battery is below-average when compared to some of the netbooks out there.
- Looks and Design – 0.75 Star. It’s got a nice glossy finish, the battery doesn’t jut out and the keyboard is standard. It’s plastic, but good quality plastic.
- Connectivity and Extensibility – 0.75 Star. Lots of ports, with the standout being the HDMI output. Loses some points because although some users are raving about its WiFi, others are downright dismissive.
This gives the MSI U210 a rating of 6.25 out of 7 Stars.
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review – Our Recommendation
The MSI U210 is a good choice for someone who wants a larger screen and better performance and is willing to pay a bit more for these. While it doesn’t blow your socks away, it remains rock solid. We can safely say this is one netbook you should go out and buy. (Remember to remove the crappy bundled software though!)
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review – What have buyers on Amazon said?
Pros:
- “I can play HD video without missing a beat.”
- “Multiple tasks and video is no problem for this baby.”
- “I even called tech support to see how fast I could get a live person I could understand. It only took 5 minutes.”
- “I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!”
Cons:
- “I want a clean OS.”
- “I have to be within 15ft to get connected. Maybe I got a bad unit and you may not have the same problems that I got, but I am disappointed.”
- “I had some troubles with its WI-fi adapter.”
All in all, a solid netbook. You can pick this up at amazon for $428.99.
MSI Wind U210 Netbook Review – Technical Specifications
- OS: Windows Vista Home Premium
- CPU: Athlon Neo MV-40 1.6GHz Chipset AMD RS690 + SB600
- RAM: 2GB 200-Pin DDR SO-DIMM RAM
- Storage Space: 250GB SATA Hard Drive
- Screen: LCD Type 12.1″ HD WXGA 16:9, 1366×768 resolution, AMD Radeon X1250
- Connectivity: HDMI and VGA output, 3 USB ports, Ethernet jack, Kensington lock slot, Headphone & microphone slot, 4-in-1 card reader
- Battery: 6 cells (5200 mAh)
- Weight: 3.2 lbs
Filed under: MSI Netbook Review
This is a mighty fine notebook. I have to say as a college student the price is reasonable as well. I recently came across their msicomputer.com website and saw a contest that they’re having. They’re actually giving away 6 of their U210 in the contest. It’s a design contest for the skin/cover of the u210. The winning design actually get’s painted onto a u210 and given to the designer. And the two runner ups get the original black or white u210. and the last three units are given to three randomly selected voters of the contest. Pretty sweet. Just thought you might want to know and pass it on to whoever might be interested. Hope this helped!
@ boogie
aaaaaaaaaaargh. Ifi your pain man. OK that WAS lame.