Unfortunately, the 10-inch Wind U120 isn't really much of an improvement over its predecessor. While the U120 has been upgraded with a fancy black matte screen, dissections have found the internals to be nearly identical to the U100, and the stat sheet agrees:

• Intel Atom 1.6 GHz Processor
• 512 KB L2 Cache, 533 MHz Bus speed
• 160 GB SATA Hard Drive, 1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM, 2 GB Max
• 6 Cell Battery
• Built-in Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Modem Module, Built-in 802.11b/g/n WLAN Card

The U120's claim to fame is 3G support (in the U120H), not found in the current model available at Amazon for $470. While this base U120 will surely come down in price, you might as well pick up a U100 for the time being and save yourself a $100 or so bucks, if you can handle the 3-cell battery found in the cheapest versions. [Amazon via Crunchgear]

The new U120, out now overseas with HSDPA and WiMAX options, will be available for an undisclosed price next month. Simultaneously, the U110 and U115 will see a refresh with the latest Atom Z530 (still 1.6GHz) processor and a standard hard drive that can be turned off, allowing the system to run at lower power with a smaller SSD.

There will also be a touchscreen Wind on display at CES, along with a very thin and light 13.3-inch U300 that's promised to be both affordable and jaw dropping.

That's the big news, but any real MSI junky should probably check out the link for more. [Laptop]

Here are its features:

MSI U100 MacBook Nano
Windows XP Pro + Mac OS X 10.5.5
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
2G DDRII
10" WSVGA LED (1024x600)
320GB SATA
1kg
MMC/SD/MS 4
Windows XP Pro + Mac OSX Leopard

[Flickr]

MSI WIND BLOWS INTO BEST BUY

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – October 06, 2008 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is excited to announce the MSI Wind U100 Netbbok is now on sale at Bestbuy locations across the country. The Wind, an acronym for “Wi-Fi Network Device,” was the first 10” netbook to feature the speedy new Intel Atom™ 1.6GHz processor

“We are excited to be able to reach our clients through this new channel,“ said MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung. “By partnering with Best Buy we can introduce more people to the Wind, and meet the needs of the buyers who either don’t want to purchase online or would like to touch and try out our netbook before making a decision.”

Weighing in at just 2.3 lbs, MSI designed the Wind to be lightweight and ultra mobile, without sacrificing convenience or performance. The Wind features an ergonomically designed keyboard that is only 20% smaller than a full sized notebook keyboard, with the keys spaced a comfortable 0.68 inches apart.

The Ultra II line includes the U600, U700, U300, and U100. Huzzah for more consumer choice! No word on carriers or specific release dates, but we will, of course, keep you updated. –Adam Frucci

Samsung Sends Super Skinny Ultra II Cell Phones to USA [MobileMag]