14 DAY TRIAL // We have already seen, earlier this year, how MSI's bet on the netbook market, the Wind, can boot into an OS X operating system. Even back then, the MSI Wind wasn't the first netbook to be tested running on Apple's Mac-only OS X, as the Acer Aspire One was probably the first ever to be spotted on the Internet, running an OS X operating system.
However, there's one problem with those OS X-enabled systems, as you can't legally install Apple's OS on anything else than on an Apple Mac system. On the other hand, users that have grown tired of using Windows XP on their netbooks also have the option of installing a more customizable Linux-based operating system, or even Window Vista.
Yes, you read that right - it looks like at least one of the many Atom-powered netbooks on the market is capable of booting, and even of delivering a decent Windows Vista experience. According to an article on liliputing, MSI's Window netbook can also handle Microsoft's Windows Vista, aside from the old Windows XP. Moreover, it seems that the Windows Vista-enabled MSI Wind can actually deliver a better battery life, compared with an identical netbook that runs on Windows XP.
No details are yet available on the duration of the installation process, but after installing the Windows Vista Home Premium on a MSI Wind equipped with a salvaged 160GB hard drive, the Windows Experience Index base score was 2.7. This low score was mainly due to the low graphics capabilities of the MSI Wind's integrated Intel i945 graphics.
Aside from the low score, the overall performance of the netbook was actually quite acceptable, especially after disabling the Aero Glass effect. Running on Windows Vista, the MSI Wind isn't all that good with graphics but, then again, these netbooks haven't been designed for graphics in the first place.
The fact that MSI's Wind can run Microsoft's Windows Vista is a good indication of how these systems can be used to improve the popularity of Microsoft's latest operating system, especially since they are expected to play a significant role in the growth of the PC industry on a worldwide scale.