Netbook showdown: The top 10 mini laptops rated

By Derek Chesterfield on 30 October 2009, 12:48pm

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MSI Wind U115 Hybrid £460

Proving that all netbooks aren't the same, the Wind U115 Hybrid's design incorporates both a solid-state and hard disk drive, as well as a graphics chip that can help speed up high-definition video decoding. But this divergence from the netbook norm doesn't come cheaply.

Design and usability

The U115 looks pretty much identical to the original MSI Wind. Although the glossy finish on the lid still looks classy, the U115's overall design is beginning to look rather tired when compared to that of newer models from companies like Asus and Samsung. Nevertheless, the 10-inch, 1,024x600-pixel screen is bright and easy to read -- even outdoors, thanks to its matte finish. The keyboard is also relatively roomy for a netbook of this size, but the trackpad is rather cramped.

Connectivity

The U115 doesn't break any netbook taboos when it comes to its range of connectivity options. Alongside both wireless-n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, there are also three USB ports for connecting peripherals like hard drives and 3G modem sticks (this netbook doesn't have built-in 3G). An Ethernet socket is also included, along with a VGA port for hooking it up to an external monitor or flat-screen TV.

Performance and battery life

The U115 certainly doesn't follow the herd in terms of its underlying hardware. It uses an Atom Z530 clocked at 1.6GHz, but this is tied to Intel's GMA 500 GPU, which can speed up decoding of certain video formats as long as the software player you're using supports the new chip's capabilities. Furthermore, the machine has two drives. One is a traditional 160GB hard drive, while the other is a smaller but less battery-hungry 8GB SSD model. There's even a button on the front that lets you switch off the hard drive and only run the netbook from the SSD, so that you can eke out as much battery life as possible. The results are stunning -- the U155 managed to keep running for a whopping 7 hours and 9 minutes in Battery Eater's Classic test.

Should I buy it?

It's not the prettiest netbook on the block and it's quite expensive, but, if you need exceptional battery life, there's no doubt that the U115 is head and shoulders above most of the competition.

Read our full MSI Wind U115 Hybrid review