We have to give c0ff33 from Insanely Wind, the unofficial MSI netbook forums, some amazing cred. He's in the process of turning a MSI U100 rebrand (actually an Advent 4211c) into a sliding display like those you see in the Vaio UX. The build also support a dual boot of Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It's not yet done but it's getting there and a sliding mod is something different to watch out for.

source InsanelyWind via netbooked

If you're in the US, you might want to check out Samsung's new netbook over at retail site Newegg. It's got a rubberized case to withstand those bumps it might get while mobile. The keyboard is spill-resistant and the hard drive has a free-fall sensor to protect your data from sudden impacts. If you think of yourself as a bit of an adventure buff, this might be the netbook for you.

Samsung NB30

• 10.1" 1024 x 600 screen
• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• Intel GMA 3150
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD
• Windows 7 Starter
• 802.11b/g/n WiFi
• 3 x USB ports, Ethernet, VGA out, mic and headphone jacks
• Sd card slot
• 6-cell 4400mAh battery (6.5 hour battery life)
• 1.24kg

Newegg is selling this for $375 with shipping.

source netbooked

Still remember Dell's first netbook which Dell officially retired sometime in June 2009?  Well, if you're on e of those who got disappointed when this happened, probably because you were eyeing the said netbook, well here's your chance to finally get it. Dell is offering the Inspiron Mini 9 again, but only for four days.

Here's what the Inspiron Mini 9 has to say about its limited time comeback. (I would have to admit that this is one cute way of writing an announcement):

A few months ago Anne C. was kind enough publish a post about my retirement. It was an bittersweet moment for me – being the “eldest” of the Dell Inspiron Mini portfolio, but my siblings the Mini 10 and the Mini 10v have been introduced, and frankly are capable of offering anything I can, plus more. Imagine my surprise when I got the call to return for a limited engagement. I checked my 401(k) and saw that it really wasn’t at the point I needed it to be to support a comfortable retirement, so I have agreed to return.

I am back, for a limited time, and for now can be found as part of a few key limited time promotional deals on dell.com. Both Ubuntu (starting at $199) and XP versions are available, as are a few color options (Obsidian Black and Alpine White are standard, Jade Green and Promise Pink add $40). Not to sound immodest, but I do want to acknowledge and thank my fan club members who expanded my pre-retirement horizons with various mods and hacks. I hope to renew our acquaintance, even if for a short time and continue our adventures. I do want to assure that this will be my last appearance – I disdain those “final sales” campaigns that seem to go on perpetually. Next time I retire, it will be for good.

So, tell me folks, can you resist such kind of publicity stunt?

If you're really interested in getting the Inspiron Mini 9, you better head over to this site.

Via Gadgetell

For anyone who is feeling adventurous or just fancies a change from the 'usual' operating systems on their netbook, a new version of MilaX has been released, along with a version which is optimized for use with the Asus Eee PC netbook, as reported on Liliputing.

MilaX runs from a USB stick and is an OS based on the Solaris Nevada operating system. The new version - v0.4 and the  0.4 Eee PC LiveUSB version, have been released and are ideal for netbooks due to their minimal need to use system resources.

Reports are that by using the Eee PC optimized version on your Eee PC netbook both wifi and ethernet are working with the OS.

Both the 0.4 Eee PC LiveUSB version of MilaX and the 0.4 version can be found here.

Windows 7 has been tested and deemed impressive on yet another netbook. This time round it's the Advent 4211. As Windows 7 has previously been tested on the MSI Wind U100, it's no surprise to read the results of Windows 7 on the 4211, which is a rebadged MSI Wind.

The installation is described as being quick and easy, with Windows 7 up and running within 30 minutes. Once installed the Wifi drivers needed to be downloaded and installed if you plan to browse the net wirelessly. The System Control Manager, which provides on screen details on the brightness, volume and whether bluetooth and wifi are switched on, is also an additional download if you wish to keep this feature on Windows 7.

GamezandGadgetz soon put the netbook to the test by firing up several Firefox windows, Adobe Photoshop, Windows Media Player as well as Windows Live applications. The netbook took all these tasks easily, with the only problems occurring while using Winrar. Desktop Preview is also reported to run smoothly, even with all of the above applications open.

For those unfamiliar with the Advent 4211, a UK exclusive netbook, GamezandGadgetz have also posted a review up on the netbook shortly before the results of Windows 7 on the netbook were posted. Featuring the same specifications as the MSI Wind, the netbook retails for £280 from UK retailer PC World, which is slightly higher than other netbooks. The review states that the extra price difference really is worth it though as it features a familiar operating system, a good hard drive size as well as a good screen size and sturdy keyboard. Installing Windows 7 has only made the netbook even better.