SlashGear Japan
For a while, MSI’s original Wind netbook seemed set to conquer all the other netbooks. With a relatively low price, sturdy build quality and, frankly, the fact that it wasn’t one of ASUS’ interminable Eee PCs, buyers flocked to the 10-inch budget ultraportable. Even battery shortages couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm. You might think the smaller 8.9-inch Wind U90 would be more of the same, but if Laptop Mag are to be believed the golden halo may have slipped a little.
The U90 uses the same chassis as its 10-inch sibling, so it’s hardly cramped. The keyboard is apparently the biggest and most comfortable tested of all 8.9-inch netbooks to date, and only the unnecessarily shrunken trackpad spoils the interface. Storage isn’t an issue either
Bizarrely, the SUSE Linux distro preinstalled doesn’t actually recognize the U90’s integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam; it also made connecting to a wireless network – something other netbooks such as the Acer Aspire One do almost transparently – more of a headache than it ought to be. In all, they weren’t impressed, rating the U90 2.5 out of 5. The $350 price-tag is appealing, yes, but you’d need to budget for a copy of Windows XP Home to make it reasonably usable.
3 Responses to “MSI Wind U90 reviewed: Linux let-down”
James October 10, 2008
“but you’d need to budget for a copy of Windows XP Home to make it reasonably usable.”
Yes, because there are NO other version of Linux that exist in the world besides the one that comes preinstalled.
NeutralSteve November 3, 2008
My sentiments are the same as James’… so Suse doesn’t work great? So what! Get a copy of Ubuntu…or slackware, or debian or mepis or PCLinuxOS or fedora or….
…get the picture? Anything is better than bloody Windows. I have enough trouble putting up with that two bit OS at work, let alone ‘budgeting’ to put it on something I buy for home! With the latest (I mean *latest*) linux kernel there should be virtually no webcam or wireless device that doesn’t work.
NeutralChris Davies November 4, 2008
You’re entirely right that there are plenty of other Linux options. However, how many basic, entry-level netbook buyers – drawn to the low price of the U90 – will be willing or able to delve into alternative Linux builds, and how many will simply reach for old, familiar Windows?
I’m not saying it’s *right*, I just think that for many users they won’t even consider another version of Linux.
Neutral