Welcome to a Laptop AC Adapter specialist of the Msi Ac Adapter
The X-Slim X340 is a new 13.4" ultraportable notebook from MSI, offering a super thin chassis and powered by the new Intel Ultra Low Voltage SU3500 processor. When the screen is closed the thickest part of the X340 is just over 3/4", almost mirroring the dimensions of the MacBook Air. At the current price of $899 it is priced between the HP dv2 and Apple MacBook Pro, but can this notebook compete on its looks alone? Read our full review to find out.
MSI X-Slim X340 Specifications:
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
Processor: Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 CULV (1.4GHz, 800MHz FSB, 3MB cache)
Memory: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM (800MHz)
Internal Storage: 320GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD
Display: 13.4-inch diagonal WXGA (glossy, 1366x768)
Graphics: Intel X4500M Integrated
Wireless: Intel 5100AGN, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, HDMI, 2-in-1 SD-Card reader, RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, 1.3 megapixel webcam
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 13" x 8.82 " x 0.24"-0.78"
Weight: 2lb 14oz (not including weight of AC adapter such as Averatec 1020 90W Ac Adapter, Averatec 5200 90W Ac Adapter, LG P300 90W Ac Adapter, LG M1 Ac Adapter, LG LW60 Ac Adapter, LG R200 Ac Adapter, LG W1 Ac Adapter, MSI M510 Ac Adapter, MSI PR620 Ac Adapter, MSI VR610 Ac Adapter, MSI X480 Ac Adapter, MSI S250 Ac Adapter).
Power: 4-cell 32Wh battery
Warranty: Three-year standard warranty
MSRP: $899
The design of the X340 is super thin, and taking quite a few design cues from the Apple MacBook Air. The shape is sleek, not really taking up much additional space in your backpack over a thick paper notebook. Like the MacBook Air the edges are spread out to a sharp point, making the thin design look even thinner. In a way it reminds me of a MSI Wind that was squeezed through two rollers. Unlike Apple, MSI uses plastic instead of aluminum for the shell of the X340. While plastic might weigh less and be easy to shape, it doesn't give the notebook a high-end appearance. I think some metal showing, even if it were something simple like a brushed aluminum palmrest, it would have improved the looks significantly.
Build quality is nice when compared to low-cost netbooks, but doesn't measure up to high-end ultraportable notebooks. The plastic construction shows a good amount of flex in areas like the screen bezel, on the palmrest around the touchpad, and areas underneath the keyboard. Screen protection is average, needing heavy pressure on the back of the screen to show color distortions. While it might not show distortion, the screen can flex a good amount with minimal effort by twisting the corners. This isn't uncommon for some super thin displays, as we saw the same thing with the Sony VAIO TZ and Toshiba Portege R500.
The MSI X-Slim X340 is very thin and lightweight, but lacks some refinement. The keyboard could use some extra bracing and the missing driver support for the touchpad kills many standard features we have come to expect from laptops these days. Basic support for scrolling or defined touch zones is gone, and you can't even adjust sensitivity. This could be corrected with the release of proper drivers, but as it stands the support site tells you to use native Windows drivers. Battery life with the stock 4-cell battery wasn't the best with only 32Wh of capacity, but we understand that the smaller battery is thinner and more visually appealing. Overall if you like the looks of the Apple MacBook Air but don't like the price, and you think the HP Pavilion dv2z is too thick, the MSI X-Slim X340 might be for you.