MSI X-Slim X340

[archer6]

Here is a new notebook from MSI that merits a good look. The form factor will remind many, of a certain Apple notebook, that side by side with the X340 model will truly look overpriced and no longer unique. I think this new MSI X-Slim notebook will be the first in a long line of new thin and light models from a variety of manufacturers as a great mid priced alternative between top of the line notebooks and entry level netbooks. Check out the link.

http://www.liliputing.com/2009/04/close ... video.html

[asiafish]

I'd still rather have a MacBook Air or X200/X300, but the price sure is right on that MSI.

[archer6]

I'd still rather have a MacBook Air or X200/X300, but the price sure is right on that MSI.

I have the MacBook Air, it was fun when it was first new, but after the "newness" wore off I find that it's just OK. The MSI on the other hand while not all that superior, makes a lot of sense as it's so much less expensive and has a few niceties that are not included in the Mac. Just out of curiosity what is it about the MBA that appeals to you?

Cheers...

[asiafish]

Well, first I use OS X as my primary OS and prefer it to Windows, which I use on my travel laptop. Second, the thing is just so sexy.

I could never use something like the Air as a primary computer, though I couldn't use the MSI as such either.

My primary computer is a unibody 15" MacBook Pro, while my travel/secondary computer is the T400 I just bought. The T400 will be used for all overnight travel as well as for my military duties and gaming. If somethig should happen to my MacBook Pro I might consider an Air as a replacement on account of the T400 now fulfilling much of what the MacBook Pro is capable of. For my work, which is mostly dealing with text, the MBA is more than adequate.

[TheRedFox]

The MSI sure does have better battery-life than the air (if I remember correctly). not near as good as an X200s, however.

[archer6]

I brought up the MSI just because it's an interesting computer made by the company whose netbooks have put them on the map in the US. Then because they are so much like the MacBook Air, at a price that is so low, its a fun comparison.

[asiafish]

Yes it is.

[archer6]

My primary computer is a unibody 15" MacBook Pro.

I've used PowerBooks, & now MacBook Pros for the last decade as my secondary machine of choice. Thus I too, have a fondness for OS X. My question to you, or anyone else here that has a new Unibody MBP, is how do you like the glossy display?
Personally I was disappointed (to say the least) when Apple removed the choice of a matte anti-glare display. Yet they do give one that choice on the 17" MBP.
Your feedback on the glossy display and how you deal with it is of great interest to me.
.
Cheers...
posted via BlackBerry Bold

[asiafish]

The glossy screen was a real concern of mine. Actually, I originally bought the old-style MacBook Pro at clearance price just to get the matte screen, and matte remains my preference.

That said, as glossy screens go, the one on the MacBook Pro is about the best there is. It is super-bright and has amazing color, better than any desktop or laptop monitor I've ever used. Reflections are a problem, but my eye tends to tune them out after some time. This is a personal issue that works differently with different people. My wife, for instance, hardly notices the reflection on her glossy MacBook except when it is off, but I see it right away and have to consciously focus my eyes on the image displayed rather than whatever is being reflected. Once I make that shift, however, I have no further problem.

If Apple reintroduced matte as an option on the smaller models I would definitely select it. Still, the monitor on the MacBook Pro is of much higher quality than that of my T400 (which is very good, by the way).

[Temetka]

MSI also makes some very good motherboards and video cards.

I didn't see any mention of price but can I assume it's around $700?

I do like the specs and the CPU is fine with me. My main concern for a machine this thin is how long it's going to last as a true portable machine. Meaning that with how some people treat their stuff I expect the average lifespan of one of these to be less than 1 year.

[asiafish]

Just bought that "certain Apple notebook" and up close and personal, I can honestly say, it looks like a Million Bucks. Since it only cost $1500 for the outgoing 1.86 GHz 128 GB SSD model, I didn't pay $800 too much, but rather got a $998,500.00 discount.

All kidding aside, the MSI may look similar on paper to the MacBook Air, but it is nowhere near on build-quality and of course doesn't pack a full Core2Duo inside.

The MacBook Air is simply gorgeous. It was a very tough choice between this and the ThinkPad X301, but close-out pricing made the choice easier.

[Harryc]

... as glossy screens go, the one on the MacBook Pro is about the best there is. It is super-bright and has amazing color, better than any desktop or laptop monitor I've ever used.

+1
The Mid-2009 uMBP LCD's are amazing. 60 percent greater color gamut than the previous version with 700:1 contrast ratio .

[asiafish]

Yup, Apple stuff is REALLY nice.

[archer6]

All kidding aside, the MSI may look similar on paper to the MacBook Air, but it is nowhere near on build-quality and of course doesn't pack a full Core2Duo inside.The MacBook Air is simply gorgeous.

Congratulations on your new MBA!

I could not agree more, there is a certain "cache" to Apple laptops that is indeed quite an experience. From the unboxing experience (unlike any other) to the "look & feel". There is a distinct ultra classy look and build quality present in the MacBook Air, that is lacking in every other competitor.

As much as I love my ThinkPads, I also love my collection of PowerBooks / MacBook / MacBook Pros. I go way back to the very first PowerBook 140, and have kept a current Mac Laptop (for personal use) during the same time I've used ThinkPads for work.

A passionate laptop guy I just bought a new 15" MBP yesterday and candidly, I don't know if it's just my imagination, or if it's truly _less glossy_ than my MBP of just a few months ago. I do know that side by side the new one has a decidedly better display which thus far has been unpublished to the best of my knowledge. You know how Apple will do that (a quiet change) sometimes. By design I have a very low light environment in my home office so reflections are not a problem. In that environment the display is just stunning.

Enjoy your new MBA, and Kudos on your timing and the deal you got.

Cheers...

[asiafish]

Thanks. I know that Apple claims the new MBP has a 60% improved color gamut than the outgoing model, so perhaps that is what you are seeing. I don't see how they could be less glossy as they are still behind glass.

The Air, on the contrary, is less glossy than the other unibody laptops but then its display is conventionally mounted with a bezel surround. It is still a glossy panel, but less so than the MBP.

We are quite similar in taste it would appear. I've owned an Apple laptop since the PowerBook 145, and a ThinkPad since the 600E. Apple has frequently strayed off my wish-list when they discontinued small and light models and concentrated on big and heavy ones, like during the G3 era. IBM/Lenovo, in contrast, almost always has something I want.

Between the MacBook Air and the T400 I feel that I am covered for just about any situation. Strangely, the Air is my primary work laptop as it is just so well suited to use in court and is adequately powerful for any and all legal document work. The T400, for me, is the more specialized machine. I use it for long-haul travel and overnight trips where it will be as much game machine and theatre as work tool.

As nice as the T400 is though (much better than other PC brands), it doesn't come close to Apple's gear for fit and finish.

[archer6]

I don't see how they could be less glossy as they are still behind glass.

Precisely! ... that's just it, the display is still behind glass.

Yet when the computer is off and I view the display from about 80 degrees off center, there is a purple cast that is not present on my earlier MBP. I wonder if this could be some sort of coating. There is a distinctive difference that I'm researching to try and identify. If I didn't have the prior model to use for side by side comparison, I may not have noticed the difference. When both are running there is a difference albeit small. But as bad as the display reflects, even a small improvement is noticeable and welcome.

I do know that they offer a "matte" option on the 17" and it would be nice if they would do the same for the other two MBP's that comprise the new lineup.

Cheers...

[asiafish]

Absolutely, I'd choose matte on the Air as well, if it was available. Even though my T400 has nowhere near the color quality of the MacBook (still the best ThinkPad display I've ever had), I still prefer it for movies and games because of the matte surface.

[archer6]

Absolutely, I'd choose matte on the Air as well, if it was available.

Frankly I think Apple has shot themselves in the foot, by killing off matte as a choice when it comes to the display. The official company line is "customers only want glossy". To which I say...bunk! I have a lot of friends that are die hard Mac users and few have bought the glossy laptops. Most everyone, myself included is waiting and hoping that Apple will bring back the matte option as they have with the 17" MBP.

Cheers...