Update: We've received some updated information on the MSI Wind launch schedule. On June 27 MSI will begin shipping an XP version of the Wind with a 3-cell battery for $479.99. Then in July MSI will start shipping the Linux version for $399 as planned, and begin shipping the XP version with the 6-cell battery for $499. The reason for the delay and switch to the 3-cell battery was indeed based on the industry wide battery shortage.
We've seen many Eee-wannabes enter the emerging sub-notebook market in recent months, but from what we've seen so far it looks like if there's a contender poised to give the latest Asus Eee lineup a run for its money, it'll be the MSI Wind. Initially scheduled to start shipping today, however, the MSI Wind has been delayed.
The company is citing a battery shortage due to a recent fire at LG Chem's Ochang plant as the reason for the delay. LG Chem is South Korea's second largest battery maker and one of the main providers to computer makers for battery packs used in laptops. As it stands now, MSI will ship the Linux version of its sub-notebook on June 27 with a 3-cell battery and a $399 price tag, whereas the Windows version - originally slated to ship before the Linux model - won't ship until sometime in July at $479 with a 6-cell battery.