14 DAY TRIAL // MSI definitely seems to have gotten a taste for slim and light laptops, not just ultrathins but also netbooks. Even though some of the last items it showed off were the Twin Frozr II GeForce GTX 470 and GTX 466, the company got a significant amount of attention even prior to that for unveiling things like the U250 ultrathin and the U135DX DDR3 netbook. Now, as it happens, MSI somehow managed to turn the U135DX into the news of the hour once again, this time by issuing an official announcement.
The portable PC, as all netbooks must, addresses the needs of the entry-level laptop market and stays faithful to the 10.1-inch from factor that all Pine Trail netbooks have come to make use of. Even most of the actual specifications are the same as those of previously-released models, though the Atom N455 definitely brings the overall the performance up a notch.
Basically, the Atom N455 is noteworthy because, even though it doesn't best the N450 in speed (1.66GHz), it has support for DDR3 memory instead of just DDR2. Sure enough, 1GB of such RAM is present, a significant advantage compared to most such mobile PCs currently on sale. Other specifications include the obvious 10.1-inch LED-backlit screen (1024 x 600), 10/100 LAN, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a hard disk drive of 160GB or 250GB, the GMA 3150 integrated graphics, optional Bluetooth, a 0.3 megapixel webcam and a 3- or 6-cell battery.
The MSI U135DX will be available in multiple color options, such as red, silver and blue, as well as black, pink and white. The total weight of the device will be 1.2kg. The company even threw in a chiclet keyboard. Unfortunately, the exact date of arrival to market still hasn't been disclosed, but the price should be of roughly 300 Euro.