Buying MSI U100-013US 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 3 Hour Battery Life
Terrific -go for it
Love this little netbook. Screen and imagery is terrific for its size. I also have an Acer Aspire One, which I also like, but the slightly larger screen of this works much better for me, and I also like the fact that you don’t have to scroll as much. It will even run my powerpoint through a digital projector fine, except that it can’t handle playing the imbedded video. Plays the video fine if not imbedded. The keyboard is comfortable, and I actually like the rocker mouse a great deal. I find it really easy to use and I like it better than the usual laptop mouse. This netbook is speedy for its size, and operates well on the internet from my use. Quite powerful for its size as well. So far it seems very well made and durable as well. In short, I like everything about it!
Read More Reviews MSI U100-013US 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 3 Hour Battery Life
Discount MSI U210-008US 12.1-Inch Black Netbook - 5 Hour Battery Life
Good little netbook
I did my research on netbooks because this was my first one to purchase. What I was looking for was something small enough to fit on that small airplane tray table you get in coach, has a screen big enough that won’t make me go blind after a few hours of use, and that has keys that were big enough to use without needing to grow out fingernails to enable a clean stroke on the keys. I only needed the netbook for doing work projects using office suite software. I did not need it for watching movies, using voip, or playing games so this review is only written with what my needs were. I decided on this MSI U210 due to the screen size (12in), large keyboard, and connectivity. I was not disappointed.
Pros:
>Comparative setup and features of other netbooks
>Screen- Larger screen (12in compared to 11in of other netbooks). Supports a second monitor through either a monitor port or a HDMI port.
>90%+ keyboard size as compared to 80%+ in others (that extra room makes alot of difference)
>Connectivity- bluetooth, wireless AND hard LAN connections
>Storage- 2 hard drives (1 50GB primary 1 200GB secondary). Now I don’t have to move my docs, pics, music, etc when I want to upgrade or replace the primary HD.
>SD Card Reader- works with Readyboost to add more RAM
>Heat- Fans blow out sideways, not down and doesn’t get hot sitting on your lap even after hours running. The fan is also very quiet.
RAM- 2GB. Plenty for what I need it for and it is more than what you get with some other netbooks plus you can use Readyboost to give it an extra umphff when needed.
>Casing- the layout of the keys, overall size and weight are great. The battery pack does make the netbook sit at a slight 1 inch incline that some people do not like but I like it because it makes typing more ergonomic and the incline is great when you have to type on your lap.
>Multimedia- Though not what I bought it for, I tested the netbook with YouTube and CD/DVD playback. It has 720p HD and works great for Youtube and other online streaming media. CD’s played well and DVD’s looked as good as they do on my primary home laptop. Of course your experience will differ depending on your ISP and type of external CD/DVD drive you buy.
>VOIP- again, not what I bought it for but does work great with SKYPE. The built-in web cam works good with Skype as well. Tested it with the wireless and LAN port but not tethering with any phones or other devices.
Cons:
>Processor- Even though the AMD MV40 is comparable to the Atom N270 I would have liked to have something more closer to the N280 in my netbook.
>Battery- The claim is 5 hrs battery life. I am testing the battery power now as I type this. I had a full charge and all I have done is transfer 2gb of music from a USB onto the HD, poked around the Control Panel a few minutes and the rest of the time it has been running unplugged on battery and Idle for about 2 1/2 hours on “High Performance” power settings. The current battery power is now at 48%. I have not tested it actually running a database file or designing a powerpoint presentation but I would assume this would chew some serious battery power on “High Performance”. There are 2 other lower power settings so I guess when I am actually doing heavy work I will need to turn down the power settings. Might need to invest in an extra battery for long haul trips.
>CD/DVD- the netbook does not come with one so I had to buy a $50 CD/DVD external drive. That brings the total cost of my netbook to $500! You could use a USB to install an OS or other software if you know how to and that will save you from having to buy an external CD/DVD drive. Using the DVD player takes a chunk out of your battery power so be warned. It is same for any other netbook.
>OS- unfortunately my netbook came with VISTA. I get the “free” Win7 upgrade but I have found that the process for getting that upgrade through the mail is a tedious and time consuming process. There are many steps you need to take to actually get the upgrade disk in your hands and you’ll really need patience and strong desire to have Win7 to allow the process to take its course. I would recommend getting this netbook WITH Win7 already installed. I am sure that once I change OS my battery power might improve as well.
>Crapware- yes, it is packed with all the crapware you’d normally get when installing VISTA plus all the MSI crapware that they feel you need to operate the netbook. This is easily fixed by deleting all this stuff but who likes HAVING to to that in the first place? I will replace everything with my favorite software later.
>Touchpad- not a biggie for me but there are those that hate the fact that there is no scroll bar on the touchpad.
Overall I love this netbook. For the price I paid I think I got a good deal. This netbook was in the top 20 rankings of several web review sites as of 10/09 when I bought it. It should hold me off until the next gen netbooks start hitting the shelves.
Read More Reviews MSI U210-008US 12.1-Inch Black Netbook - 5 Hour Battery Life
Lowest Price MSI U123-033US 10.2-Inch Netbook - Red
great little machine!
Just got my red MSI u123 (9 cell) last night. I am NOT tech-y at all and set it up in 20 mins with ease. The battery bump serves to elevate the back of the computer, which is really a thoughtful and useful solution to what might have been aesthetically really ugly. Some power users might find it a little heavy, but after carrying around a 7-pound full size laptop AND and A-5 Filofax, it feels like a feather to me :).
I have read reviews complaining that the netbook does not fit the case, but it really does. Here’s the trick: first put the charger and power cord in the accessory pocket (Uncouple them so that the cords will lay smoother) THEN, holding the netbook by the battery, insert it into the case, making sure that the bottom of the netbook faces the accessory pocket. (The battery will be at the open end after insertion) If you do it this way, the cords in the accessory pocket fit into the natural space formed by the bulge of the battery. It is snug, but it definitely fits. (with room for a flash drive and maybe even a mini mouse in the accessory pocket as well)
Read More Reviews MSI U123-033US 10.2-Inch Netbook - Blue