MSI unveils new X-Slim models ahead of CeBIT

We certainly aren't tired of the X-Slim 320 laptop from MSI, with its Air-like form-factor in less expensive and slightly more practical packaging -- it's still many moons away from release, after all. Despite that, MSI felt the need to announce two new models to round out the still unreleased lineup: the 13.4-inch X340 and 15.6-inch X600. We don't know much about these two yet except that the X340 is slated be priced somewhere in the (wide) range of $699-$999 in the US, that both offer HDMI in addition to VGA output, both are Centrino 2-based, and that the X600 even has an eSATA port on top of its two USBs. We'll surely be seeing a lot more of this pair (plus the X320 as well) at CeBIT in just a few weeks, and are hoping that MSI will go ahead and maybe release one before introducing any more.

[dave95 Posted Feb 23rd 2009 12:52PM]

I take it none of you are industrial designers (or designers in general)? Why don't I never see the same: "There's only so much you can do with a design" response when Apple introduce a new product? As a designer myself, it erks me when I see such comments. As technology improve and becomes smaller, stronger, lighter, faster, there will always be ways to improve upon a design.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 1:07PM]

@Dave95

Hey Dave guess what they did improve on the design the one on the left has a full keyboard the Air doesn't.

I am not bad mouthing apple at the time the Air was a unique design inspiration, but you are still constrained to what you can do with a rectangular shape. It takes loads of money and influence to get everyone on board with a major platform redesign. I am sure it was no small feat getting Intel to buy in on the idea of pulling off such an ultra thin concept. They did it turned out profitable so they made the technology available for everyone else to copy.

The only thing that has really changed in the physical design of computers and laptops in 10 years has been faster, smaller, and lighter. Radical design is usually hard to get people on board with. I am just sick of people praising apple and badmouthing anyone who make anything that remotely resembles an apple product.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 9:09AM]

I'm waiting for someone to come out with this form factor in a 11 inch size.. Thats what i wish the original air had been.

[Rollins Posted Feb 23rd 2009 9:20AM]

I don't see much resemblance to the Air. MSI definitely took some...inspiration from the MacBook/MacBook Pro though. Anyone who says that the design is purely coincidental is a moron; this would be pretty decent KIRF material if it wasn't from a respected manufacturer. They should really concentrate on making original designs to differentiate themselves in the market. Products like this just make them look cheap.

[neeko18 Posted Feb 23rd 2009 9:31AM]

Please explain to everyone what other way could this be designed? Yes its similar but cmon what else could a laptop this thin look like? You can only do soo much..



EVERYONE STOP BITCHING ABOUT LOOKS. And start focusing on performance and PRICE...because thats what makes a great laptop..

Lipstick on a pig is not what smart consumers should be spending cash on...Performance is what matters unless your an idiot whose sitting at Starbucks only surfing the web on a $1800 machine.

[Rollins Posted Feb 23rd 2009 4:03PM]

Since I'm not positive you can read, I may be wasting keystrokes, but I'll make an effort to respond.

It has nothing to do with how thin the laptop is. In fact, my first sentence was about how I don't see a strong resemblance to the Air. I can give them a pass for having a similar chassis design to the Air; like you said, there's only so many ways that you can make a thin laptop.

What I can't give MSI a free pass on is the fact that they've completely aped the MacBook/MacBook Pro color scheme. The only thing they didn't take was the keyboard color. Even the logo placement is nearly identical.
Anyone who really wants to claim that MSI came up with this design on their own is either ignorant or in denial.

They would have been better off making it all black or something similar; at least then they wouldn't be clearly imitating the most easily identifiable laptop model out there. It doesn't matter how well-built these laptops are, because they'll still look like they're trying to be something they're not.

[soobin Posted Feb 23rd 2009 10:55AM]

I'm sure there will be plenty to bitch about when this thing comes out, build quality, ridigidity, heat and battery life would be where I'd look first.
I can care less if they aped the Air. It might get my attention if it performed like one too.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 2:20PM]

Man, Apple must be consulting with their lawyers on a daily business about MSI. It's one thing if your laptops look dead on similar to another company's, because the design is simplistic enough to where one can expect overlapping concepts. But when MSI releases a perfect Ipod clone as well, it's time to find a way to circumvent those international copyright laws.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 11:09AM]

What a copy of the macbook air and the new aluminium macbook and macbook pro's screens. Couldn't they have thought of their own design or still a little too hard I guess.. Oh and fanboys will probarbly vote this comment down and say its not copied or some other stupid excuse like they always do with the pro comments.

[Aaronage Posted Feb 23rd 2009 12:03PM]

These comments just make me laugh!

Theres the people who say "Apple Rip-Off" and those who reply "Its not a rip-off, just because it uses black and white"

STFU it clearly is taking cues from the Macbook/Macbook Pro

You think it was unintentional that it looks so similar? Do you think it was just coincidence that the screen has rounded edges, black border, logo placement on the border etc.

No

Who gives a shit if its a rip-off, but you can't deny it is.

[Oli D Posted Feb 23rd 2009 1:02PM]

$699 for the 13", thats a steal

I hope it will be that way round..

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 1:22PM]

i would love to see all those kiddies putting their apple sticker which comes with your iPod above this ugly MSI logo and pretend this is a macbook (air) :D
oh and btw: apple is not only about design and hardware but also about a smart solution to combine both things. cheers to multitouch, magnetic plugs, shock sensors, unibody design and so fckn many more things that companies like MSI are just not able to invent as they are worried about profits and competition instead of costumers and usability!
Cheers!

[Crystalarc Posted Feb 23rd 2009 2:29PM]

Heres the thing. Consider if you were materials engineer/designer for this product.
MSI went with the aluminum for a reason. It gives the entire product improved structural support over plastic casings.
Plus having rounded edges do a better job at handling impacts than corners that would easily break off and react to shock or light bumps (lets say you banged the corner alittle but not exactly drop the laptop). Just because Apple did the aluminium with round edges doesnt mean MSI cant. Its like saying GM cant make a silver truck because Ford already made a silver truck. Or Honda cant have their Fit because there is a Prius of the same color and form.

You can argue they could of used some other material such as carbon fiber or polycarbonate. But aluminum is cheap, durable, easily dissipates heat, and more scratch resistant compared to polycarbonate. Carbon-fiber is out of the question unless they want to be pricing their products at the same level of Apple.

Shape? Uhhh its thin.... What else can you do with it. If it didnt have the rounded edges, people would then probably complain its a copy of the thin MacBook Pro.

"The ports look the same". There's not really any other way you can have ports sticking out of the rounded edges while keeping a nice aesthetic appearance. And also if you compare to the macbook air, apple flushed their ports deeper than MSI

"They could of changed the color" Are you really telling them to paint aluminium? It would give all the haters more reason to complain about scratches to the paint. To do a color would mean using a polycarbonate casing which in all honesty I would prefer the aluminium again. Even if they did their options would be what most consumers want anyways: Black, Silver, White (noticed how Apple also released their MacBook Pro with these colors) because those three colors are the main colors people want for their laptops anyways. If they released Blue and Pink FIRST I'm pretty sure it would put off more buyers than it would bring in.

For those of you who are complaining, did you even look at the pictures on the chinese engadget? Because Looking at it I can tell that the MSI really is different.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 2:43PM]

If the keys were black, it would seriously look just like the MB/MBP.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 3:15PM]

the pricing here is so much more realistic than the air

[mpeters13 Posted Feb 24th 2009 8:29AM]

Oh come on people. It's cool to shoot people down when they bring up the "who's copying who" argument, but willful ignorance is just as annoying. This thing looks very similar to the Macbook Air. Does that mean I wouldn't buy one? Absolutely not. It's gorgeous. But seriously... there's nothing wrong with calling it like you see it.

[weinerschnitzelboy Posted Apr 20th 2009 10:45PM]

HMMM they look oh so familiar. didn't i see them in the apple store yesterday?

[(Unverified) Posted May 1st 2009 7:13PM]

This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for.

While I like the form factor of the Air, I HATE the sacrifices in basic functionality & limitations of options that Apple is NOTORIOUS for (ie. no copy/paste on Iphones and in the case of the Air, no VGA, ethernet, few USB connections & lack of desktop replacement power). It's insulting...

The bottom line here is that the Air is a GADGET in the form of a laptop & the X-Slim is a TRUE LAPTOP that blows Apple away. Check it out at http://www.dynamism.com/xslim_x340.shtml