14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese netbook vendor MSI is said to be planning the release of a new Wind netbook, which is expected to combine Intel's next-generation Atom platform, codenamed Pine Trail, with the much-anticipated Windows 7 OS. Dubbed Wind U150, the new system will be designed as a convertible netbook, which will make it a competitor for ASUS' Eee PC T91. According to MSI, the new Intel low-power chipset is scheduled to arrive at next year's Consumer Electronics Show, in Los Angeles and the company hopes to be the first to market with a new system based on said platform.
In a recent news-article on Gizmodo, MSI is said to have confirmed plans for the Wind U150 netbook, which is expected to adopt Intel's next-generation Atom platform, in combination with a touchscreen 10-inch monitor and Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. The new platform will bring forward a new processor design, as Intel's next Atom will incorporate both the processor and the graphics core on the same chip.
MSI claims that the new platform is planned for release at CES, but apparently Intel hasn't established a launch date for Pine Trail, claiming that it plans to ship products to its customers before the end of the year. That said, MSI is committed to becoming the first PC vendor to adopt Intel's new netbook platform, planning new Pine Trail-enabled netbooks, including said 10-inch convertible Wind U150.
In addition to the new Intel Atom-based netbooks, MSI is also reported to be planning the launch of a new 12-inch Wind U210 ultraportable laptop, which will adopt AMD's Yukon platform, much like the Gateway LT3100. There will be two SKUs of said laptop, with one boasting Windows XP, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, while the other going for Windows Vista Premium. The two will be priced at US$379 and US$429, respectively.