MsiX-slimX340
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MSI X340 reborn as DIY carbon fiber tablet, watch it stream YouTube at 720p (video)
Tired of touchscreen tablets that lack speed, a usable UI, or support for a certain streaming video format that will go unnamed? As one of our favorite sayings goes, if you want it done right, do it yourself. One Engadget reader took that idea to heart in crafting the 13.4-inch carbon fiber contraption you see above, imbuing it with enough high-end netbook parts to run Windows 7 at a brisk pace and play 720p video on its large, resistive touchscreen. Starting with the guts of an MSI X320, adding an accelerometer and 40GB solid state drive and finally sandwiching a random Chinese digitizer on top, the whole 1.6GHz Atom Z530 machine cost him under $700 in parts. For that price, we're sure many of you would be happy to follow in his footsteps, but if not, by all means continue complaining to your tablet manufacturer of choice. We have another favorite saying: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Video after the break; Q&A with the creator at our more coverage link.
Keepin' it real fake, part CCLIX: X-Slim X340 KIRFed, MacBook Air empathizes
The secret to a great KIRF is that it represents not just a knock-off but an homage to a beloved product (at least, that's what we tell ourselves when we sit in our workshop, trying to build the first ever shanzhai Grippity). Recently spotted in the stalls of Shenzhen, the above device is reminiscent of the MacBook Air, yes, but more tellingly, the MSI X-Slim X340. This 13-inch (1366 x 768) bad boy features a 1.2GHz Intel ULV processor, 1GB of RAM, up to 250GB of HDD, WiFi and Bluetooth, an SD card slot, three (count 'em!) USB ports, and HDMI out. You can expect to spend about $350 if you ever manage to track 'er down -- or you can just say the hell with it and go back to reading Garfield Minus Garfield. Either way, we support you. Get a closer look after the break.
MSI's X-Slim X340 becomes a little chubbier, a little cheaper, and a little better
You might think that making a super-skinny laptop like the MSI X-Slim X340 wider would necessarily be a bad move, but when that extra girth more than doubles the battery life to a whopping 8:48, it's a trade-off many will make. Extra bonuses include a keyboard that won't bow under the pressure of your more expletive-filled rants and an MSRP $100 cheaper than the $899 it launched at. Given the older, four-cell model is already shipping at well under that ($749 at most major electronics retailers) we're eager to see just how much of a better bargain this already excellent deal can become. Oh, and if you're one of the folks already slinging one of these around wherever you go, you can get in on the eight-cell battery bandwagon for $99, but will just have to make do with that bouncy keyboard.
MSI X-Slim X340 gets reviewed, loved on - despite the 'flexy' keyboard
We've had our eyes on MSI's answer to the MacBook Air (yeah, we said it!) for a while now -- and that includes a shady, late night hands-on photo session live from the Neville Island Motel and a horrifying back-alley vivisection, to boot. Now it looks like the crazy kids at Laptop are dead set on having their say on the X340 13.4-inch ultra-portable -- and why not? The more the merrier! According to the reviewer, what this character lacks in processing power, it more than makes up for in price, weight, and battery life -- at 2.9 pounds the device is certainly lighter than the Air, and its over three hours on a single charge are none too shabby. Even the 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo processor (coupled here with 2GB memory and running Windows Vista) is characterized as "snappy." Sadly, the keyboard is said to be flimsy and graphic performance pretty weak -- but still, at $899 (price as reviewed) this is sure to be right up some of your proverbial alleys. Interested? Hit that read link for all the gory details.
MSI X-Slim X340 gets dissected
They're still pretty hard to come by 'round these parts, but it looks like the folks at UMPC Fever have managed to track down one of MSI's shiny new X-Slim X340 ultraportables and, like any good citizen of the internet, they've promptly gone and ripped it apart. As you might expect, there aren't exactly a ton of surprises, but it looks like anyone hoping to do a quick and easy 3G upgrade is out of luck, unless, as SlashGear points out, they're willing to ditch the built-in WiFi to free up a PCI-E slot. Hit up the read link below for the complete, not always pretty breakdown.[Via Slash Gear]
MSI X-Slim X340 photographed, benchmarked in mysterious hotel room
We've seen plenty of photos of MSI's X-Slim X340 floating around as of late -- but these ones -- which were taken in a Las Vegas hotel room at CTIA, are pretty interesting, artistically speaking. More interesting, however, is the fact that the lucky chap from Laptop Magazine also did a little preliminary benchmarking of the laptop as well. He found the display to be quite satisfactory for viewing videos from any angle, though the speakers (housed on the bottom of the system) produced disappointingly weak sound, and that performance-wise, the CULV CPU is speedy enough to run Windows Vista without any hitches. Applications also loaded quickly, and things like multiple browser tabs didn't strain the system either. They're planning on running the full battery of benchmarks at a later date, but hit up the read link for further impressions. Also, there's one more snap after the break.[Via Slashgear]
MSI X-Slim X320 and X340 coming in April
Hint of déjà vu notwithstanding, we're pretty stoked to hear MSI''s ultra-thin X-Slim laptops, the 13.4-inch X320 and X340, are making their way to the retail channels this April. The X320 is sporting a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, while the Intel CULV-equipped X340 will be available in two configurations: a 1.2GHz Celeron M 723 and a 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500. MSI's Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung says he expects the trio to run for around $700, $750, and $999, respectively. If that's not enough, two more X340 models are coming in May, in 1.3GHz Core 2 Solo SU2700 and a Core 2 Solo SU9600 options. No word on the 15.6-inch widescreen X600 model, but we're hoping to see it sooner rather than later.
