Gone are the days of your netbook being as low powered as one of the flunkies in The Thick Of It. The MSI Wind 12 U200 is the latest lappie we’ve laid our hands-on that mixes the small style skills of a netbook with the beefed up grunt of a proper lappie. So how does this 12.1-inch laptop mashup mix it with its rivals? Read our MSI Wind 12 U200 review now and we’ll deliver up the final say.
With prices kicking off at £399, the MSI Wind 12 U200 is definitely more netbook than laptop, especially when compared to pricier slimline competitors from Samsung and Toshiba. That said, this is very much a laptop. It rocks Windows 7 Home Premium rather than Starter, as well as an Intel Core 2 Solo as opposed to the netbook necessity that is Atom.
It all means that things move along at a rocking speed. Crank up the MSI Wind 12 U200 and you’ll find it can handle more than a couple of apps when open at the same time. We were pleased also that Windows 7 Home Premium didn’t hamper proceedings either.
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In terms of build, the MSI Wind 12 U200 is sturdy and sharp. Thanks to that 12.1 inch screen everything has a reassuringly full size feel and typing isn’t as cramped as the Tube at 7am on a Tuesday. That said, they need a hammering in order for your commands to roll up on screen, not ideal when you’re trying to touch type.
HD Ready panels are becoming a must on these machines and the one on the MSI Wind 12 U200 certainly delivers, with crisp, clear colours and ace detail. Sure we’ve seen better from 1366×768 efforts, but they’ve always been on far pricier machines.
Battery is more than ample to get you through the working day, with seven hours squeezed from the rather ugly number which is shoved into the back. The MSI Wind 12 U200 won’t win any awards for its looks, but it’s solid, if unspectacular. Chuck in 2GB of RAM, standard connectivity and a stonking 320GB of storage and it really does look like a top value proposition.
