Specifications
The MSI U210 isn’t your typical netbook as I mentioned before. It runs an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor at 1.60GHz. The FSB of the CPU is 1600MHz and it has a 512K cache. The machine runs Windows Vista Home Premium and sports a 12.1-inch HD WXGA LCD with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Graphics for the machine are via ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics. Other features include 2GB of RAM, 250GB of storage, and integrated Wi-Fi. Power for the machine is from a 6-cell Li-ion battery.

Benchmarks
To test the MSI U210 I will be using Windows Media Encoder, iTunes, and Battery Eater Pro to test battery life. The first test up it my Windows Media Encoding test. I used Windows Media Encoder to turn the 1080p Magic of Flight video from Microsoft into a DVD quality video with CD quality audio. It took the MSI U210 14 minutes and 28 seconds to encode the video. That is a significantly faster time than the Atom powered Lenovo S10-2 I reviewed turned in for the same task at 18 minutes and 14 seconds.

The next benchmark up was my iTunes encoding test where I take an MP3 album of Stone Temple Pilots Core and turn it into AAC format using iTunes and time the process with a stopwatch. It took the MSI U210 3 minutes and 48 seconds to encode the album. That time is again a significant improvement over the time the Lenovo S10-2 turned in for the same task of 9 minutes and 1 second.

The final benchmark was a battery life test with Battery Eater Pro. This test is much harder on battery life than you will be in the real world, so your mileage will vary. I ran the test with the screen set to 100% brightness and the machine using no power saving options. The 6-cell battery in the MSI U210 lasted 125 minutes, which is nowhere near the 247-minute battery life that the Lenovo netbook offered.

Hands On
After the benchmarks were finished, I used the MSI U210 like any user would for surfing the net and other tasks. I am very impressed with the quality of the screen. I had the MSI U210 on my desk beside a larger and more expensive notebook from Gateway and the MSI U210 screen is much better for sharpness and color reproduction.

As with any glossy screen, the MSI U210 throws lots of glare. Colors were sharp and bright with good blacks and realistic skin tones. The keyboard was top notch with large flat keys that are well spaced and offer lots of tactile feedback. I didn’t care for the right shift key, which is about half the size of the left shift key. However, the smaller size wasn't a determent when typing and the right shift key is in the correct location.

The MSI U210 is well sized and after using a 10-inch netbook for traveling for a long time the larger 12-inch U210 seems massive by comparison. That said, I would take the larger screen and keyboard over the increased bulk. The MSI U210 weighs about the same as your typical netbook and the only real downside to the MSI U210 is the battery life.