MSI has introduced its latest notebook, the X370, which fits into the company's X-Slim series with a thickness of less than one inch. The new offering is based on AMD's dual-core E-350 processor, with Radeon integrated graphics capable of running DirectX 11. The CPU is said to utilize 18 watts of power, enabling a the claimed battery life to reach 10 hours when using an extended battery.
MSI claimed a first on Tuesday through the launch of the X-Slim X360. Teased briefly at CES, the 13-inch system is the first to use a low-voltage Core i5 and uses the 1.06GHz i5-520UM to provide 'real' notebook performance while remaining 0.9 inches thick. The dual-core chip can ramp up to 1.86GHz when only one core is needed and supports Hyperthreading, which can have the i5 behaving like a quad-core processor with optimized apps.
MSI began the week by moving the X-Slim line up in build quality, not just performance. The X350 still uses Intel's CULV-based Core 2 Duo processors but has both a magnesium shell as well as a laser-etched pattern and a 'chiclet' keyboard. It remains just under an inch thick, weighs 3.3 pounds and can run for as long as 9 hours on battery.
MSI tonight added another mid-size model to its X-Slim ultraportables. An upgrade of the X410, the X430 doubles up on processor cores and uses the Athlon Neo X2. It still uses Radeon HD 3200 graphics with HDMI output but should face less of a burden by coming with Windows 7 Home Premium in place of Vista.
MSI on Monday announced the upcoming release of the X-Slim X610 ultrathin notebook, an AMD-powered version of its currently available X600. The same 15.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution screen is used, though the Intel Core 2 CPU and related mainboard are replaced with AMD's Congo platform with an Athlon Neo processor. Other specs are shared, including the 1-inch thickness, 4.6lb weight and standard six-cell battery.
MSI this morning took the X-Slim line into AMD's territory by officially launching the X410. The crossover, 14-inch ultraportable uses the lower end of AMD's Congo ultrathin platform and uses both an Athlon Neo processor and the newer chipset to reportedly get twice as much battery life as a regular 14-inch notebook, although MSI is silent on actual numbers. The system uses the older Radeon X1250 for integrated graphics but claims its power is enough to decode 1080i video smoothly.
Taiwanese computer maker MSI has recently addressed some shortcomings in its 13.4-inch X-Slim X340 notebook PC, which is powered by Intel's CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors. Apart from a price drop to $799 from $899, the notebook also gets an 8-cell battery instead of the previous 4-cell battery, which more than doubles its operating life, now rated at nearly 9 hours. The battery does add half a pound of weight to the package, which now climbs up to 3.4lbs.
Many of the Windows PC makers building ultraportable notebooks based on Intel's low-cost CULV platform are learning first-hand that their cheaper case designs aren't enough to sustain the systems, a research note from AmTech analyst Doug Freedman says. Many of the companies design the systems with plastic shells to keep their prices down but are discovering that the cases are cracking, often forcing major replacements. Which companies are affected aren't mentioned, but Lenovo and MSI are some of the first making systems in the category with the IdeaPad U350 and X-Slim line respectively.
MSI today rounded out the hardware specs for the last of the current wave of X-Slim ultraportables. The 14-inch X400 will be the more colorful model of the group with "personalized" color bezels around the lip of the frame and its trackpad. It's also billed as one of the thinnest, lightest systems at its screen size at under an inch thick and 3.3 pounds.
MSI's flagship X-Slim series notebook, the MSI X600, has received specs for two of its variations today through a new leak. The company has previously only released teasers of the specifications for the notebook PC, which is meant to compete with the MacBook Air. The 15.6-inch notebook sports a 1366x768 resolution and is powered by Intel's CULV platform, in a package that is less than one-inch thick.
MSI this afternoon said it has started shipping the X-Slim X340 within the US. The ultraportable initially surfaces in a single, $900 spec ($800 at Amazon) with a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo for its processor, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. 802.11n Wi-Fi, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and Bluetooth are equally stock, as is a 4-cell battery. MSI doesn't provide an estimate for battery life but says the Intel chip uses a sixth the energy of a regular notebook and so doesn't need a larger battery pack.
MSI this morning claimed a further foothold in ultraportable PCs by providing early details of two larger X-Slim notebooks. The 14-inch X400 and 15-inch X600 are meant to improve not only on the 13-inch X340 but to offer a still-larger alternative to systems like the MacBook Air; despite their sizes, both are less than an inch thick and weigh far less than other systems in their class at 3.3 pounds for the X400 and 4.6 pounds for the X600. Both also use Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processors to provide better performance than a netbook but with less cost and battery use (as well as less performance) than the Core 2 Duo S used in Apple's system.
MSI late last week confirmed its plans for larger X-Slim notebooks through a quiet release at a Japanese event. In addition to the 13.4-inch X340, the company also says its larger 14- and 15.6-inch versions will be labeled the X400 and X600, each of which arrives in the "near future." Their specifications are still unknown but should include other variants of Intel's CULV ultraportable processors and display resolutions of 1366x768 or higher.
MSI on Tuesday announced the first notebook PC using Intel's CULV platform, the X-Slim X340, will become available in the US later this month. Introduced early this month, the notebook features a 13-inch LED-backlit LCD display, weighs 2.9lbs and is just under 0.8 inches thick. The 1.4GHz Intel CULV CPU consumes just 5.5W of power, according to MSI, but performs more like a traditional notebook than a netbook. The notebook also has the option of a WiMAX mobile broadband module but doesn't include an optical drive to reach its slim profile.
Electronista had the opportunity to try MSI's new X-Slim and Wind U123 notebooks at a press event last evening and came away impressed. The X340 is the centerpiece, as it's one of the first to use Intel's new CULV processors; that lets it run Vista Home Premium reasonably quickly without having to balloon the form factor. The system is disconcertingly thin: at about 0.7 inches deep and 2.8 pounds heavy, it's visibly almost as thin as a Dell Adamo and certainly feels much lighter. It should also cost half as much at about $1,000 while running about as quickly.
