Light and phenomenally thin,the MSI X400 is definitely for those on the go who wish to make a statement with their gadgets.
When you first set your eyes on the MSI X400, still unwrapped and unpacked, you will first approve of their choice of a simple black cardboard box rather than a garishly designed box to protect the laptop.
What’s inside the box will take your breath away when you see how beautiful the X400 is. That’s how we felt anyway. The X400 is simple and slim, its corners are gently rounded off and before you turn it on, you will marvel at how white the X400 is. It is very pleasing to the eye aesthetically and its shiny and glossy cover is admirable.
It carries itself with a touch of class, confident that people will take a second glance and definitely does not have an air of serious geek or businessman. No, the MSI X400 is for the style conscious.
The insides
The main selling point of the X400 is its ultra slim design. It is truly thin and its dimensions are reminiscent of an Apple MacBook Air, the other popular slender notebook around. So, if you are looking for a dazzlingly different, fresh and definitely more affordable alternative, then the MSI X-Slim series is a very safe bet. The X400 has pretty good specifications. It comes with an Intel ULV SU350 processor which is powerful yet energy-efficient.
One would expect MSI to have used an Intel Atom processor but this is a much better choice. The laptop comes with a 4-cell battery which may seem lacking compared to other laptops that come with a standard 6-cell battery. The battery lasts approximately two and a half hours.
We did not tweak the laptop to its most minimal power saving settings so the battery life is decent enough. The laptops AC adaptor is quite compact so it matches the MSI X400. The screen is bright and compared to most of our CRT monitors, the colours on the X400’s 14 inch WXGA are vivid and rich. It must be due to the LED Power-Saving Backlight Technology that has been incorporated into the MSI X400.
It also comes with a DVI Port and a HDMI port which makes it a handy and well thought out addition as hooking up to LCD projectors and TVs will not be a problem. Also, it comes with a webcam and a well placed microphone. The MSI X400 does not come with an optical drive but it is catered more for those of us who are mobile and constantly use online tools to complete our tasks.
The hard drive is an ample 320GB, more than enough to store whatever we need on the go. Start up was quite slow compared to my Core 2 Duo laptop but that could be because of the programs installed on this review unit. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium performed exceedingly well throughout the review. However, we cannot help but think the laptop is still laggy in some form or other.
A few gripes
The MSI X400 has a lot going for it, especially in terms of its minimal design and price. However, the texture of the product may turn some people off because it feels plasticky overall. The materials used are not as sturdy as one would want it to be but it does make the laptop feel relatively solid. Although the keyboard is supposed to be ergonomically designed, somehow the placements of the keys feel a bit cramped as there is no space or divisions between the various keys.
For one, the arrow keys are narrower than the other keys on the keyboard so you are liable to make some mistakes and it will take some adjusting too. And the keyboard feels flimsy because when you type, all the keys bounce slightly so this may be distracting.
The touchpad gives your finger a good grip and is sensitive enough but it is too close to the keyboard and we had the problem where the wrist or palm would lightly graze, just even the corners of the touchpad and the cursor would move and the words would end up somewhere else on the page.
This got quite annoying especially when replying to e-mails or writing documents. The problem clearly is that everything is too close together. The sound on the MSI X400 is tinny and not appealing at all. There is no surround sound feeling and it lacks bass and is lifeless. But you cannot expect the MSI X400 to deliver on all aspects but the sound is a major disappointment since the laptop is so pretty to look at. If only it sounded as good as it looks.
Conclusion
Overall, the MSI X400 is a revolutionarily designed machine and brings the appeal back to laptops considering the flourishing netbook market. The X Slim Series wins because of its weight and portability. The MSI X400 is worth considering for those of you who have problems with small 10in netbooks as the MSI X Slim Series comes in various screen sizes starting from 13in.
Pros: Slim, lightweight and sexy; stable; portable.
Cons: Keys are too close together; touchpad is a little over-sensitive and close to keyboard; bad speakers.
X400
Ultra-portable notebook
Processor: Intel ULV SU3500 (1.4GHz) processor
Memory: 2GB RAM
Graphics: GMA 4500MHD
Display: 14in WXGA (1,366 x 768-pixels) with LED backlight
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet port
I/O ports: Two Usb 2.0 ports, HDMI out, headphone jack and microphone jack
Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium
Other features: 1.3-megapixel webcam, card reader (SD/SDHC/MMC)
Battery: 4-cell
Dimensions: 349 x 234 x 24.5mm (W x D x H)
Weight: 1.5kg
WEBSITE :
www.msi-malaysia.com
Price: RM2,099
Review unit courtesy of MSI Malaysia, 1-300-22-1986.
0 comments:
Post a Comment