MSI nixed the flush keyboard and replaced it with a chiclet one (was there some sort of industrywide vote on moving to this style keyboard?), and we found the matte keys to feel a bit sturdier than those on the 1005PE. The trackpad, which has that same striped pattern at the, has been expanded. Also, it looks as if MSI is using the same silver single mouse bar as ASUS, though its at least quieter. The 1024x600 resolution 10-inch display is unsurprisingly glossy, but the quality is pretty standard.
As for performance, were seeing the same sort of experience as with the 1005PE: Overall it seems snappy for a netbook, but not much faster than N270 or N280 machines. The 5200mAH six-cell battery is a bit smaller than the 1005PEs so you might not get that 10 hours of juice, but wed still expect it to get more than seven hours.
With the loads of refreshed Pine Trail netbooks hitting during the first few days of the new year youll have your pick, but at $330 -- $50 less than the 1005PE -- the Wind U135 looks like it will be one of the most affordable. Though if you can wait just a little longer weve heard MSI will be releasing the Wind U160 at CES, which will have similar specs but an entirely different design.
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