Conclusions
Our discussion of the MSI Wind U100 must unfortunately end with its least attractive feature: the price. Despite the fact that the system is well-rounded and only truly falling short in the battery life department, its price threatens to sink the whole endeavor. With a suggested retail price of $499 for the 3-cell unit we reviewed and $549 for a version with a 6-cell battery, the Wind is a hard sell given its competition. Asus' Eee PC 1000 offers nearly the same functionality (and faster 802.11n Wi-Fi) with substantially better battery life on the 40G model we reviewed recently. That model features a 40GB SSD and is nearly $700, but the 6-Cell Wind costs the same as the Eee PC 1000H, which features a similar 80GB mechanical hard drive. Based on our experience with the 40G, we'd expect the 1000H's battery life to easily eclipse that of a 6-cell U100.

It would be nice to see a little more polish on the Wind, since despite relatively weak battery life, the system does have potential. Little things like improving the recovery prompt at system boot or removing some of the more eccentric programs included with the machine could go a long way toward making the Wind more friendly for the average consumer. The back-heavy nature of the system that allows it tilt off-balance could be easily mitigated by adding a little more weight to the front of the machine. Including a custom-fit sleeve carrying case like the one Asus packages with its Eee PCs would make the whole package more attractive, as well.

All that said, though, the Wind proves itself largely worthy of consideration. The bundled software is unobtrusive and easily removed, the memory is easily upgradeable should you wish to add another gigabyte of RAM, and performance is very snappy. While the keyboard is on the small side, it's as large as MSI can make it given the size of the chassis, and there are no layout quirks to worry about. Aesthetically, the Wind is quite pleasing to look at, too. The system also comes in black, but the glossy white finish is attractive and less of a fingerprint magnet.

Ultimately I would be quicker to purchase the Wind over some of the more eccentric netbooks like Everex's Cloudbook or HP's Mini-Note. The U100's comfortable surface temperatures and low noise levels are welcome, and tweaking may be able to extend battery life up to three hours. Don't forget the screen, either; it offers excellent viewing angles and is one of the most attractive screens I've seen on a portable system. There's really a lot to love here, and if you're in the market for a netbook and not too concerned about price, the MSI Wind U100 needs to be on your short list.