MSI X340-218US 13.4-Inch Notebook - Black

This is the updated X340-218 with the improved keyboard and standard 8 cell battery.

I bought this knowing that an(other) update is imminent in the X350 (core 2 duo vs core 2 solo processor), as I needed an update to my netbook ASAP. I have the eee pc 1005ha and, while a great little netbook, it just couldn't handle video as well as I had hoped and the 10" screen was really starting to feel cramped.

The X340 is quite the specimen. With the 8 cell battery, it really has some heft (feels like a solid machine), but it is still amazingly thin and very light. Holding it in your hand, it feels like no other computer except for possibly the Macbook Air. It handles 720p HD video with minor stutter (only at the beginning), and it can multitask enough for my purposes. I installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 Ultimate on it immediately, and it runs exceedingly well. Battery life so far seems excellent; I got approximately 6-7 hours on a full charge of mixed use (using...Read more

Got this laptop a week ago today (as of this review). When I first got it, I was psyched. I was blown away by how sexy, sleek, and light this thing was. Unfortunately, looks don't always account for everything, so alas, here's my honest review, weighing out the pros and cons of a light notebook that had the potential to be (and nearly is) perfect. Before I start though, I want to mention why I chose this particular notebook: I bought this as a second laptop, mainly for my wife, but also as an uber portable option for taking quickly on the go. I currently carry my HP dv3510 (with a dedicated graphics card and upgraded features) in a heavy briefcase, so I needed something that would go in a small skin/laptop bag and stow away under my arm. And so I needed portability, a low price, long battery life, and something (with me being a tech geek) that wasn't a pawn-off laptop that any house mom would buy...or in other words--it had to have a decent engine under the hood. Now for the review...Read more

I have the 021 model which is identical to this one except it has the 4-cell battery, Vista vs Win 7, and more flex in the keyboard. This model was updated to fix the flex and add additional battery life and Win 7. Virtually the same, otherwise.

Summary: This is an excellent value in an "ultra-thin" notebook and performs well for the "super-netbook" category.

I was looking for something light and handy for everyday use (email, web, etc.). I already have a gaming laptop so I was OK with no gfx card for this unit. I have a netbook which is nice, but the small screen was becoming an issue for me. I felt this 13.4 inch screen, still fairly compact design would hit the sweet spot for me for web surfing and such. And it does.

The build quality seems fine for the price. Plastic surfaces yes, but nice appearance even so. Everything seems sturdy enough -- not "rugged" by any means, but fine for its intended use. The unit looks very nice and is well...Read more