MSI Wind12 U230
Specifications
Notebook: MSI Wind12 U230Processor: AMD Athlon Neo MV-40
Graphics Adapter: ATI Radeon HD 3200
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:9, 1366x768 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 1.3kg
Price: 500 euro
Average of 5 scores (from 6 reviews)
Reviews for the MSI Wind12 U230
Source: PC Advisor

The MSI Wind 12 U230 netbook has a lot to like, but its battery life - 3hrs, 48 mins in our tests - is a dealbreaker. The average battery life for netbooks is about 7hrs. It's unfortunate, considering the Wind12 U230's strong general performance and portable design. But being mobile means not being tethered to a power outlet; and in the configuration we tested, the Wind12 U230 lacked staying power.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/23/2010
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Legit Reviews

The MSI Wind12 U230 netbook uses the often overlooked AMD Athlon Neo X2 dual core processor which is a great performer when compared to the Intel Atom 330 without sacrificing too much battery life. MSI has a great implementation of this AMD processor in the U230 and is deserving of the LR Innovation Award for stepping outside of the Intel Atom comfort zone so many netbook manufacturers are in!
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/12/2010
performance: 90%
Source: Hardware Central

We're big fans of netbooks, but we're bigger fans of more -- more power, more convenience, more value. That makes us fans of the Wind12 U230, which has few direct competitors -- Lenovo's IdeaPad S12, for example, is a 12-inch-screened netbook that starts at $399, but its comparably equipped version (with 2GB, a 250GB hard disk, and Ion graphics) is a pricey $599.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/25/2010
Rating: Total score: 87% price: 100% performance: 80% features: 80%
Source: Test Freaks

If this is where netbooks are headed then this is a good thing. The Wind12 is priced not much higher than some other Atom based netbooks out there but it’s much more powerful making it more useful overall. The Wind12 US230 is a great choice if you’re looking for a new netbook, it offers the portability of a netbook but the power of a notebook in the same form factor. The Wind12 is nicely made and it seems durable. The battery life is a bit short, but that’s expected for most netbooks out there today. The keyboard is nice and large, the keys are about the size of a desktop keyboard so you’ll be typing easily on it.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/19/2010
Rating: Total score: 90% performance: 80%
Source: Hexus

AMD's Congo platform is what Yukon should have been. Offering dual-core CPU performance that's better matched against Intel's ultra-low-voltage Core 2 Duo parts, the platform makes for an interesting argument when priced between Intel's Atom-powered netbooks and CULV-powered notebooks. GPU performance is good thanks to the introduction of ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200-series graphics. Though, good is a relative term, as 3D gaming remains suited to just basic, casual use.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/27/2009
Rating: Total score: 71%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Komputer for alle
DA→ENSingle Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 12/10/2009
Rating: Total score: 70%
Comment
ATI Radeon HD 3200: Onboard (shared Memory) graphics chip (on RS780M chipset) based on the HD 2400 graphics core. It also features the UVD video engine to decode HD videos. Beware: Under Windows XP the HD 3200 may have no 2D accelleration because of a driver problem.
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
MV-40: Slow single core processor for small and thin laptops. A bit faster than Atom based systems but the power consumption is also higher.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
12.1": This is a common display format for subnotebooks. Most netbooks have a tinier display. The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the small display needs few energy, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that the reading of texts is a bit exhausting for the eyes, especially with high resolutions.» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
1.3 kg: This subnotebook is one of the most lightweight of all notebooks and can be carried very easily. There exist only few sub-notebooks, which weight less. 10 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.
MSI: Micro-Star International (MSI), is a Taiwan based computer hardware manufacturer since 1986 best known for desktop computer motherboards. MSI also designs and manufactures graphics cards, barebone PCs, notebook computers, networking products, servers, multimedia, consumer electronics, and storage devices. MSI, as most Taiwanese computer manufacturers, sells products on OEM/ODM basis. It also sells products worldwide based on its own brand name "MSI". The market share of laptops with the MSI brand is rather low.
75.6%: This rating is not convincing. The laptop is evaluated below average, this is not really a recommendation for purchase.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.




