14 DAY TRIAL // Despite the fact that it might not be the best selling netbook on the market, MSI's Wind could literally win a yet-to-be invented award, for the “The netbook with the most number of clones” category. As it turns out, the small-sized Wind is actually available worldwide in 23 differently branded versions, so it might just be that if you are buying a netbook with a brand name that you have never heard of before, you are actually buying a portable system based on the design of the MSI Wind.
There's even a Wikipedia entry dedicated to the MSI Wind, and it mentions 17 OEM versions of the Wind netbook, although a shorter while ago, the article indicated the existence of only 13 rebranded versions of the MSI Wind.
However, website cloudbook UMPC seems to have the most complete list of MSI Wind clones, including the locations where these versions are available. The list was recently updated from 18 models to 23 - which can only make one wonder how many of these rebranded MSI Wind netbooks we are going to count before the end of the year.
The netbooks basically feature the same specification list as with the original MSI Wind U100, which is available worldwide, but they are differently branded, according to the country in which they are being sold. In certain cases, some of the rebranded MSI Wind netbooks are actually available in several countries. The list includes the Advent 4211, the Medion Akoya Mini, the Averatec Netbook and the Sylvania MAGNI, all of which have made the headlines on countless past occasions.
As mentioned above, these netbooks boast the same technical specifications as the original MSI Wind, which means that they are powered by an Intel Atom 1.6GHz N270 processor, 1GB of DDR2, a 80GB 2.5-inch SATA hard, integrated webcam, wireless 802.11 b/g and onboard LAN connectivity, and a choice of a 3-cell or a 6-cell battery. These netbooks are equipped with a 10-inch LCD with LED backlighting, and come with Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition OS.