BETT 2009: MSI X320 will cost less than £499

by Scott Bicheno on 15 January 2009, 13:15

Tags: MSI

MSI

However while MSI, which made its BETT debut this year, was keen to bring attention to its new Wind U120H 3G netbook, there was actually an emphasis on other applications of low power processors.

So we had things like the WindBox, which is essentially a PC in a box that you attach to the back of any TV/monitor that is VESA compatible.

There was also a prototype of the more compact version, which uses an Atom Z510 or 530 processor and known only as the MS-9A06 for now. It's modelled here by MSI marketing dude Richard Stewart and the WindBox, mounted on a monitor, is below.

Stewart only had approximate dollar pricing for the WindBox and put it at $400, with an expected UK arrival date of early March. There doesn't appear to be any concrete pricing or availability for the MS-9A06.

For those without a spare monitor there's the NetOn, which expected to arrive at around the same time and is priced at around $550.

Stewart was, however, prepared to commit to a UK pricing for the new thin and light X320 notebook, which we also brought you early details of from CES. MSI is "aiming for a price below £499," for the X320 and is expecting it to arrive in the UK by the end of March.

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its an atom, i should bloody hope it costs below £499

Only problem here is that extra thin, light and portable is not generally what you want in an educational environment.

What you need is tough, rugged, vandal resistant, long battery life and a lack of “whissles and bells”
What you want are laptops with toughened screens & lids with non-scissor action keyboards that students cannot “pick the keys off” or if they do they are easily replaceable and the underlying structure of the keyboard is less easily damaged.

Having to spend £40+ too replace a keyboard because one “little darling” removed a single key and in doing so snapped the thin metal that the scissor snaps into or ripped off the rubber nipple under the key, happens all too often in a school.

Forgot to add another major requirement of a school,
Cheap
good warranties

Bear in mind, though, that the X320 really isn't targeted at education environments, as such. It's far more likely to be targeted as being a companion portable for someone whose main machine is non-portable and who wants something light but capable that will look professional and not break the bank. Education environments are probably far more likely to go for, say, an Eee or Classmate (or maybe an XO), I'd have thought.

To be fair to MSI they weren't exhibiting the X320, I just took the opportunity to ask about it.

BETT 2009: MSI X320 will cost less than £499

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