MSI unveils U115, first hybrid notebook
MSI announced its U115 “hybrid” netbook on Tuesday. What’s a hybrid netbook? One with the ability to use both a solid-state disc drive as well as a spinning hard drive, apparently.MSI didn’t release a price or a ship date for the U115 netbook, which includes a 10-inch display and is designed around Intel’s 1.6-GHz Z530 Atom processor and its “Menlow” chipset platform. Other specs include the usual 1 Gbyte of RAM, 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth EDR, a few USB ports, either a 1.3-Mpixel or 2.0-Mpixel Webcam, and 4-in-1 card reader. MSI didn’t draw any overt comparisons to the MSI Wind, the company’s more famous netbook offering. The real innovation, at least according to MSI, is the 8- or optional 16-Gbyte SSD working in conjunction with the 120-Gbyte or optional 160-Gbyte rotating hard drive.
Within the U115, the SSD is used to store system files, while the magnetic hard drive is used to store data. In essence, the hybrid technology is basically an expanded version of the Intel Robson or Microsoft ReadyBoost technology, where the flash drive is used to increase the overall system performance through local caching. MSI powers the system using Windows XP Home, incidentally. One ergonomic note: MSI said it increased the distance between the keys to 17.5mm, making it a bit more comfortable for fat fingers. The MSI U115 measures 260 mm x 180 mm x 19-31.5mm, and weighs about a kilogram, MSI said. What’s missing, of course, is the price: SSDs usually don’t come cheap.
Source: PC World
Comments(14)
Martin, the title should be "Netbook" not 'Notebook".
Man hybrid is like a "hype word" everything is called hybrid these days.
who'd want a 10" screen?
the terrorists will win if you don't buy one
want a good and effordable netbook?
get the obsolete eeePC 900 with the old celeron cpu.
all this ATOM marketing is crap, the chipset uses much more power than the cpu. also, the atom cpus are slower than the celerons.
you can get the eeepc 900 for 210 eur (new in box) on amazon.
The full specs + pictures > http://comparenetbooks.org/msi-wind-u115-hybrid.html
I don't get it. Hybrid because it can use SSD and HDD? The EEEPC series has this already. It's had it since the 1000 Model or the 900A I don't recall but it's there.
I appreciate everyone making netbooks but change the record would ya? 10" screen – done, Atom processor – done to death, Bluetooth – done. When will someone release one with a real processor and a battery with a 10hr+ life?
@ 5
Too bad the eeePC sucks, and people will think you're g@y if they see you using one.
so it runs on gas and electricity?
Let's see now, either get something that weighs 1kb, has a 10" screen and CPU/mem that can't do anything other than surfing/typing or get something that weighs ~2.2kgs, has a 17" screen and can do pretty much everything. Hmmmm, yeah, tough one…
In terms of value for money, laptops own "netbooks" by about 3:1, ggkthxbai.
@ 10
Do you own a netbook? Have you ever used one? No? Then get your facts straight.
@ 8
doesnt stop apple zealots…
the eeePC is really nice at the price point.
@ 10
lol, 17" screen??? are you crazy? thats a desktop replacement.
stupid. id never get anything bigger than 13" 14" or maybe 15"
@3.who'd want a 10" screen?
I DO, I currently have 10" MSI Wind and it's just great for web browsing as it provides 1024 resolution which is minimun for showing webpages correctly.
And I don't want 20" laptop on my knees, but a small and handy 10" notebook which I can use where-ever and whenever I want.
Of course, it's not for gaming, though there are plenty of games that runs great on, like SW Jedi Academy and Battle for Middle Earth, but for everything else. For example, I have car battery charger and USB GPS dongle, so I can use my notebook as GPS Navigator too!
And only comes with 3 cell battery – haven't they learned anything fropm samsung??