[Jaime_Astorga]

I am the proud owner of an msi u100 Wind notebook (currently going for sale in Amazon for $373.97 http://www.amazon.com/MSI-U100-432US...dp/B001H0GEVG/).

Do you like/love it?

My Wind kicks ten kinds of ass, and I am very happy that I got it.

Do you read your books on it? How is that experience?

Yes, I read books in my Wind. I haven't used an E Ink screen for comparison yet, but I feel my experience has been great. I used to carry it to class because it contained my math book, for instance, and while it took a bit long to boot up, I was soon reading Green's Theorem and using it to solve the problem of the day, or something to that effect.

Outside of class and in my dorm room or house, reading textbooks or novels in pdf is just dandy. The netbook is small, so I can lie in bed and put it in whatever position I find most comfortable (including on my chest) and just read. I love computers and are used to staring at their screens for hours on end (incidentally, I am blind as a bat and wear glasses for seeing far away objects; I wonder if there is a relation?), so I don't mind reading books in my screen. It's just like reading webpages with a lot of text, but for longer periods of time.

What are the downsides? (Besides the obvious lack of storage/memory)

Huh? At 160 GB, I assure you my netbook has no lack of storage. And while 1 GB of RAM may seem like little memory these days, when running Windows XP (and, I assume, Ubuntu) it is more than enough to run everything beautifully except programs of very high demands (such as games). The bottleneck seems to the the processor; if I use the computer in Maximum battery mode, even YouTube videos can become laggy (note that this isn't a problem when plugged in, or when set to use full power even in battery mode). Also, for some reason the Wind has a habit of freezing once every couple of weeks or so. No big deal, just unplug, remove the battery, and re-start, but still annoying. It does make you a bit paranoid about saving your work, but that's a good habit, anyways.

Also, my Wind lacks a CD drive, but I haven't really needed it (I have a couple of games, but I doubt the Wind could run them, and I can find music and programs online).

Which one do you have? Why did you get that particular one?

See above. I tried several models at Best Buy before getting the Wind on Amazon, and I noticed something; the other netbook's keyboards sucked. They had tiny buttons that I wasn't able to press like I was used to, lowering my typing speed dramatically. The Wind was the only model I saw that had decent sized buttons, so I immediately decided on getting a Wind. I choose this particular model because I wanted this netbook to be my main, permanent laptop for years to come, so I didn't skimp out and got the model with twice the battery and higher storage instead of the Wind with 3 battery cells.

what is your power source, do you have to find a 'hot spot' for free internet access when you are out an about?

The wind can last about 4 hours in maximum battery mode without power. At university, there were electrical outlets everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE, including a handicapped stall in one bathroom) so between classes I could charge if I wanted to, but the Wind on a full charge and last battery mode would last through the day easily. As for hot spots, the university had a network which covered everything, so with a few exceptions (the chemistry departments are freaking Nazis about how their internet is used, for example) that wasn't a problem.

Outside of university and at home, we have a wireless network set up. Expecting to find random "hot spots" when out in the streets, though, strikes me as unrealistic. More people are locking up their wireless networks (greedy bastards), and anyways, a netbook isn't really a device you use while walking on the street. Even sitting on the street is not likely, between the couple of minutes of boot up, a fear of having it stolen, and a lack of open wireless networks. Netbooks are best for use in houses, and maybe a few places where wireless networks might be the norm (for example, airports or bookstores) as opposed to sidewalks, cars, or buses. They aren't as spontaneous devices as, say, cellphones; choosing to use them is quite deliberate.

What am I not understanding about them?

I am not sure. If you state what you believe netbooks to be like, or describe what you think a typical day with your netbook might be like, maybe I could help you correct what understandings, if any, you have about the things.