Pine Trail was officially let out of the bag today, and comes in four flavors: the N450, D410, D510, and NM10 Express chipset. The two new Wind netbooks use the N450 chip, which is designed specifically for those smaller-sized laptops, giving 15 per cent extra battery life.

Both the U130 and U135 have 10-inch LED backlit screens with 1,024 x 600 pixels. The first model has a 160GB HDD, the latter 250GB. 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3.5G WiMax are listed, along with stereo speakers and a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

On sale in January, the price for the UK market is £229 and £279 for the two models (approximately $368 and $448), with the U130 coming in "snow white" and "brilliant black," the U135 in "sterling silver," "brilliant black," "midnight blue," and "cherry red." [MSI]

If you're one of the unlucky few, hit the link to grab the update. [Gigabyte via PC World]

The thread is only five pages long, but multiple users are claiming the exact same "0xE8000065" error message when trying to sync their data. The issue appears on P55-based motherboards from Asus, MSI and Gigabyte, and it seems like Windows 7 64-bit is more prone to the problem than its 32-bit brother.

Keep in mind the P55 is a new chipset, and unless you're computer is brand-spankin' new or you're the DIY type, chances are you have a setup that works perfectly fine.

If you do have a new P55-based motherboard, Microsoft is looking into the issue. Hopefully a fix for you unlucky few will come soon enough. [The Register via Engadget]

Aside from a few from MSI, all of these ultraportables are from ODMs, meaning they're waiting for a larger company to snap them up and rebrand them (they're ready to go to market now, so you could start seeing them very soon). But they're all working prototypes and all very svelte and usable, with a focus on affordability. Sure, my 2009 MacBook Pro is very nearly as thin as a lot of these laptops, but it also cost twice as much. My favorite has to be the little white 10-incher with the blue flower design.

Basically, this is the same netbook as the older U110, but subs the 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 for a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z530. The new processor is better for power efficiency, but has shown less performance punch than the typical netbook Atom. The system still has the same 1GB memory and 160GB hard drive. It's also offered with either Windows XP or Vista.

The real difference here is that giant 9-cell battery which supposedly gives a 15-hour run, and I guess the "Eco" name, which doesn't seem to refer to any particular environmental update. That battery doesn't only give the netbook a larger behind, but it adds to its weight. List price is $430, though Newegg has it right now for $400. [MSI]

• The Vue Personal Video Network kit we reviewed a few months ago is shipping today. The package comes with a base station and two wireless cameras. Check out Jason's thoughts for a better rundown, but in essence he found it to be an easy-to-use surveillance system that produces acceptable video quality. Whether or not ease of use is worth the premium over just setting up a webcam is your call. The base system runs for $300, and additional cameras can be added for $99 each. [Press Release]

• MSI's Wind U210 notebook is now available. The latest addition to the Wind family falls in the same price range as most netbooks, but some subtle differences under the hood set it apart from the crowd. For one, MSI went with a 1.6GHz AMD Neo processor instead of the standard Intel Atom N270 we're all used to seeing by now. The U210 also bumps up the RAM from the 1GB that has become the netbook norm to a healthy 2GB. Unfortunately, ION graphics are a no-show. AMD's integrated graphics solution drives the 12" display. The Wind U210 is available today for $430. [Amazon]

That's not crazy high-def by any means, but all up, the AE2010 looks pretty good for $649. Compared to other all-in-ones that is. I mean, you can get pretty good laptops for that much, and cheap desktops are more upgradable. Still, those options may not have same touchy-feely (Apple Cinema display-like) good looks. [MSI]

Intel's next generation Centrino platform, codenamed Calpella, will be launched at the end of September, says MSI. That means speedy new notebooks with Nehalem based mobile CPUs and chipsets will be arriving just in time to put Windows 7 on the hard drive.

MSI will ship 15.4 and 17-inch notebooks powered by Intel's new Core i7 7200M, Core i7 8200M, and Core i7 920XM with Windows 7. The Clarksfield CPU of the mobile Core i7 platform is expected to be a downscaled version of the desktop version we like so much, but will be one of the biggest jumps in laptop power we have seen in awhile. Intel's mobile Core i5 and i3 (codenamed Arrandale) are not planned until the first quarter of 2010.

Also coming from Intel around the same time (our guess this is all coming at September's Intel Developers Conference) are new dual core ULV processors. Intel's ULV (once called CULV) is aimed at ultra thin laptops (those right in between netbooks and mainstreamers, like the Acer Timeline). MSI plans to use the new Core 2 Duo SU4100 and SU7300 chips in its X420 (update to X400) and X620 (an update to the X600) which will ship with Windows 7.

Why do we care? MSI tells us the price of these seriously slim notebooks will stay in the same ballpark (around $600 to $900), but the chips provide better performance than the Celerons that they were formerly using.

What this all really means is that not only is MSI hitting the market with a crap load of notebooks that have brand spankin' new chips and a fresh Microsoft OS, but the other notebook vendors (yes, Apple) will most likely do the same. You may just want to wait to snatch up a new PC; the notebooks are a coming this fall.

However, Intel tells us that it has not nailed down the launch of Pine Trail yet and maintains it will ship products to its customers before the end of the year. MSI hopes to be first to market with Pine Trail netbooks, including its 10-inch convertible U150 with Windows 7.

Either way, the sooner we get a newer Atom the better (also keep in mind the next version of the all-popular Atom also differs by blending the CPU and GPU on the same chip). According to MSI, Pine Trail is showing improved graphics performance and at least 20 percent better power consumption.

We are hoping the netvertible with its planned resistive touchscreen performs better than ASUS' Eee PC T91. However its lack of a capacitive screen and multitouch support means it won't support any of Windows 7's cool Touch Pack apps.

But before going touch, MSI will release the 12-inch Wind U210, which like the recently released Gateway LT3100, has AMD's Yukon platform rather than Intel's Atom. MSI will offer it in two different skus, including one with Windows XP, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive for $379 and another with Vista Premium for $429. The U210 will be available in the U.S. during the first weeks of September.

Following handwritten correspondence and a voicemail, I'm fairly certain that "Macwind" is just one industrious high school kid with a nice website.

But Macwind has requested this review, and how could I possibly pass it up?

So Apple, I plead that you go easy on "Craig," the owner of Macwind, even if his practice of preloading OS X onto netbooks for resale (using publicly available tutorials, I'm sure) is pretty unquestionably a breach of one or more laws.

His site shares your aesthetics, and the MSI Wind he's selling, loaded with a 1.6GHz atom, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and of course, OS 10.5.8, is really a pretty good product even for the $100 premium over a stock U100.

You guys should sell these things!

Because the build is solid with all the necessary drivers preloaded (some of which MSI has actually "leaked" themselves). The 1024x600 screen displays your desktop beautifully, while most of they keyboard's function keys are operational (like brightness, volume and sleep).

You can even pop in an SD card to expand the storage, just like your latest Macbooks!

But alas, we know that you know that you must shut Craig down. We won't frown upon your actions. After all, just because the kid is young doesn't excuse him from your trademarks and copyrights.

We simply ask that you go easy on him. Make him cry, sure, but pity him, too. Don't crush him with a lifetime of legal debt. A kind call from Steve Jobs, a middle manager or one of those attractive ladies in Apple PR will probably clear up any legal misunderstandings. (His number is on the site, otherwise I'll be happy to provide it.)

And maybe, while Craig's first garage-based computer business has failed him, his next one will not. [Macwind (down)]

No installs needed.

Reasonable price for the laziest among us.

Oh right, this operation can't be legal.

A kid might go to jail or something.

According to Laptop Magazine, the standard battery has been upped from 4- to 8-cells (previously a $99 option), the keyboard "no longer acts like a trampoline", and the price has been dropped $100 (now $799) to boot. Core specs (Core 2 Solo SU3500 CULV, 2GB RAM, 320GB) remain the same.

Of course, the battery adds a little extra heft, but with the current 4-cell model being sold at about $749, the update seems like a decent deal. [Laptop Magazine]

An Acer product manager is quoted saying "touch-enabled netbooks may see good market acceptance if they are to be marketed as cheaper alternatives to tablet PCs." Unfortunately, the report doesn't make it clear whether such a netbook is one of the three initial Windows 7 products or not. Either way, we know at least one: the Aspire Z5600 multi-touch all-in-one PC.

Meanwhile, Though Intel has apparently postponed Pine Trail-M to the first quarter of next year, DigiTimes says MSI intends to launch the platform ahead of schedule—in netbooks expected to run Windows 7 and have touch screens. No time frame was given, but we'll keep you posted. [DigiTimes]

You can read the stats of the entire line of laptops above (click on that image to see a larger pop-out version), but they reach a balance of power to price to size that's pretty palatable on paper. We're just wondering what MSI's Color Film Print laptop finish, "which creates vivid designs when the unique surface interacts with ambient light," looks like in person.

The MSI R4890 Cyclone SOC, which shares as much aesthetically with a motorcycle engine as it does a PC component, is a perfect example of everything that is confusing, irritating and unnecessarily obfuscated with graphics cards today.

There's a lot of impressive tech here—an overclocked 1GHz ATI Radeon HD 4890 GPU and 1GB of GDDR5 RAM— but instead of putting that into meaningful terms, MSI is content to just throw the numbers out there and brag about the card's "200-year lifespan" and "largest ever" fan. I'm sure this is fun for the hardest of the hardcore enthusiasts, but for the rest of us it's just a headache. The card should ship any day now, priced somewhere in the ballpark of $250. [Slashgear]

CNET caught up with Doug Freedman, an analyst for AmTech who has been speaking to device manufacturers:

Early production units being built in plastic, with the bottom case being plastic, are cracking...So, to get that really thin form factor that they're after, they're probably going to have to go with a metal case.

The obvious issue here is that they can't go with a metal case, or else they'll almost certainly cease to be "budget" laptops. As Mark noted in his review, the MSI X340—on the high end of this particular category already—suffered from an alarming flimsiness. Switching the case to aluminum would solve this problem; it would also push the laptop's price even closer to the MacBook Air, effectively eliminating its entire reason for existence.

To be fair, most of the laptops announced in the category haven't even started shipping yet, and problems like this could conceivably be conquered with some clever industrial design wizardry. Sometimes, though, there's a reason a particular product niche—especially an obvious one like this—hasn't been cracked before. [CNET]

The sub-inch-thick laptop will be packing one of two variations: One's got a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Solo proc, 4GB RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, and one will have a 1.2GHz Celeron, 3GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive, as well as losing the more powerful version's native Bluetooth. Both will have the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics chipset with 512MB memory and HDMI out, which isn't too shabby, plus Windows Vista and a 6-cell battery.

The laptops are a bit underpowered, though that's the price you pay for such lithe bodies. They'll cost about $1,320 and $1,120 respectively when they're released in Italy at the end of June, and should make their way Stateside in a reasonable timeframe. [Electronista]

MSI Eco-Friendly All-in-One PC, Wind Top AE1900, features touch screen, sleek and
green design at an affordable price of $529

See this and other MSI Desktop models at the Pepcom EcoFocus Green Technology Showcase in
New York City April 29th from 6pm – 9pm

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – April 21, 2009 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is excited to announce the MSI Wind Top AE1900. The AE1900 is a complete home computing solution featuring touch-sensitive PC navigation, a true 16:9 widescreen 18.5-inch screen, SRS Premium Sound and a sleek modern design that fits in with any décor.

The MSI Wind Top AE1900 features the Intel® Atom 230 Processor and runs Windows® XP Home operating system. It features a built-in webcam and microphone to insure convenient audio and video recording. Continuing along MSI's tradition of "green" computing, the MSI Wind Top AE1900 consumes 80% less energy then a traditional desktop PC. At full operation, the MSI Wind Top AE1900 consumes no more then 50 watts of power.

MSI also included a spacious 160 GB SATA 2.5 inch hard drive, 4 USB ports, a 4-1 card reader and ships the MSI Wind Top AE1900 with a stylish matching mouse and keyboard. The ultra-silent, state-of-the-art cooling system eliminates traditional cooling fan noises and keeps the sound level to no more than 26 decibels.

The MSI Wind Top AE1900 features MSI Wind Touch; allowing for easy user interface with all PC functions. Additionally, picture viewing has never been easier or more fun with MSI Easy Viewer. Users can quickly browse, enlarge, rotate and scan through all your images with the swipe of a finger. Lastly, data entry using natural handwriting or the touch on-screen keyboard and the SoftStylus™ program is now easier then ever. Please visit www.msicomputer.com/msiaio for a user-friendly and dedicated webpage designed specifically for MSI All-in-One PC.

[MSI]

This bests the already respectable 13-hour life of an MSI Wind armed with a 6-cell battery.

For his unofficial test, Johannes used Battery Eater set to its lowest setting. This is obviously as bare bones as you're going to get, so it's not unsurprising that he was able to achieve 25 hours, 4 minutes. However, even when you factor in what the time would have been if the netbook was being used for web surfing or other netbook-related tasks, you'd have to think the 9-cell would get 18 hours or so, as Liliputing suggests. [EeePC.de via Liliputing]