Customer Reviews

MSI X340-023US 13.4-Inch Laptop - Silver

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The MSI X340 is an extremely slim (0.7" thin) and light (just under 3-lb) laptop that rivals the MacBook Air, but without the high price tag and it also runs Windows! Vista Home Premium 64-bit to be exact. I have an Lenovo U110, which is an amazing laptop all on its, but I found myself wanting a bigger screen, and the x340 is the perfect answer, its 13.4" LED-backlit LCD screen is bright and show good vivid color contrast. The keyboard is not as responsive as the Lenovo (which generally regarded as having the best keyboard in the industy), but nevertheless, it is a very respectable keyboard that show little flex during typing. The HDMI 1080p works perfectly on my Samsung LCD, which I used quite often not just to watch video, but also to simply use it as a large computer monitor along with my cordless Logitech keyboard and mouse. The HDMI also passes audio to my Samsung LCD TV speaker, not sure if it pass 5.1 digital surround signal since I don't have an HDMI AV receiver. This is just about the most perfect ultra-portable laptop, with its price, weight, large 13.4" screen. The only thing I can think of that would make this laptop perfect is an additional USB port (currently only 2) and the additional of a second/right mouse button, and perhaps a slightly more powerful battery. The standard 4-cell last a little over 3 hours of mixed use with Wifi on at all time with FTP upload, web browsing, document creation and screen brightness set at about 75%. I know some of you might also want to add DVD/blu-ray drive to the mix, but the resulting increase in price, size and weight will not justify the benefit. This is a wonderful laptop for those of us who want a small and light ultraportable with a large screen, but didn't want to spend more than $1000 for a new laptop.

After trying and returning an HP Mini 1000 from Verizon I ordered an X340 from Amazon and have no regrets. While I think the new 11.6" form factor machines (e.g. Acer 751h) will be ideal for train use, I wanted the perfect ultra-portable for home which had a little more horsepower and a bigger screen. As others have said, while this machine costs double what a 10" netbook does, it is a fraction of the price of a Macbook Air or Sony Vaio with pretty equivalent specs.

The packaging and design of the X340 are beautiful, and contrary to some other reviewers, I do not find it to be too plasticy or the keyboard to have too much flex. I think Timothy Lam's review is spot on so I won't duplicate. The machine runs Vista 32 respectably right out of the box, but I immediately upgraded to Windows 7 32-bit without a hitch or DVD drive using a shareware program called Virtual Clone Drive. Projected battery life increased by about 20 minutes to 4:07, but I have not had it long enough to cite what you can realistically expect. If that is unacceptable there is supposed to be an optional 8 cell battery, or you should consider the X320 with Atom Z530 and 8 hour battery life for $600 (same size and great screen).

I think the screen size is ideal for an ultra-portable, and despite the screen being glossy, I noticed very little glare, especially compared to the HP 1000. Although the touchpad lacks 2 discreet buttons, I found it to be excellent, as are the speakers for a notebook. The light weight and ergonomics were perfect for chilling on the couch, and working or surfing. It really is a delight to use, and kind of intoxicating.

In summary, depending on your needs, there is virtually nothing to dislike about this computer and I think MSI has scored a big hit in this 13.4" ultra-portable category.

The MSI X340 is an extremely slim (0.7" thin) and light (just under 3-lb) laptop that rivals the MacBook Air, but without the high price tag and the MSI runs Windows! Vista Home Premium 64-bit to be exact. I have an Lenovo U110, which is an amazing laptop all on its own, but I found myself wanting a bigger screen, and the x340 is the perfect answer, its 13.4" LED-backlit LCD screen is bright and show good vivid color contrast. The keyboard is not as responsive as the Lenovo (which generally regarded as having the best keyboard in the industy), but nevertheless, it is a very respectable keyboard that show little flex during typing. The HDMI 1080p works perfectly on my Samsung LCD, which I used quite often not just to watch video, but also to simply use it as a large computer monitor along with my cordless Logitech keyboard and mouse. The HDMI also passes audio to my Samsung LCD TV speaker, not sure if it pass 5.1 digital surround signal since I don't have an HDMI-capable AV receiver. This is just about the most perfect ultra-portable laptop, with its price, weight, large 13.4" screen. The only thing I can think of that would make this laptop perfect is an additional USB port (currently only 2) and the additional of a second/right mouse button, and perhaps a slightly more powerful battery. The standard 4-cell last a little over 3 hours of mixed use with Wifi on at all time with FTP upload, web browsing, document creation and screen brightness set at about 75%. I know some of you might also want to add DVD/blu-ray drive to the mix, but the resulting increase in price, size and weight will not justify the benefit. This is a wonderful laptop for those of us who want a small and light ultraportable with a large screen, but didn't want to spend more than $1000 for a new laptop.

Other than the keyboard, I absolutely love this machine. The LED screen is bright and crisp just as my MacBook Pro. I was just about to buy MBA before I read about this laptop.

I installed Ubuntu 9.04 and with minor tweaks (mostly to xorg.conf for the weird screen resolution), got everything working correctly. I need to use Unix as I'm a software engineer and the performance of this does not disappoint. It is now the portable machine for the RubyHead.

Pros:

* Beautiful design
* Lightweight
* Runs Vista well
* Cool operating temps
* Did I mention beautiful design?

Cons:

* Absolutely horrible keyboard

If MSI does not release a replacement keyboard for purchase, I will likely get rid of this thing.

Pros:
Inexpensive- Got mine for $400. It was the least expensive laptop I found with a screen larger than 12"
Reasonable Specs
Looks great - I get a lot of compliments when I go out with it.
Light weight
USB Ports Plenty are readily available - unlike the Macbook Air.

Cons:
The keyboard feels cheap
Windows Vista, but if you buy between July and December (I think) you get a free Windows 7 Upgrade. I'm waiting on mine.

I got this to replace a 5+ year old Powerbook G4. I'm a little disappointed that Vista has crashed twice in the week I've had it, but I'm anxiously awaiting my Windows 7 upgrade. I would have preferred a Mac, but they're too expensive.

**Update** I returned the computer to the online vendor because the hard-drive crashed. I don't have negative feelings towards the fact that after three weeks of use the hard-drive crashed because that's just what happens sometimes. I'm livid about the customer service that MSI offers. I spent probably over an hour and half on hold (between two different phone calls) without ever speaking to a tech rep. I never heard from them about the Windows 7 upgrade. After the headache I just wanted to get rid of the computer. If I never buy an MSI computer again it will be because of their horrific customer service, not because of the quality of the product.

When I saw this on sale, I jumped on it. 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. There is very noticeable keyboard flex, but it's not bad enough to kill the deal for me. The unit looks very nice and is well designed. I like having the vents on the angular wall of the case, as this means they won't easily get blocked when you set it down. It seems to run cool. It gets warm, but not hot anywhere.

It runs Vista Home Premium fine, definitely good enough for something in the near-netbook/ultra-portable category. I open lots of tabs in Firefox, often multiple windows with lots of tabs, and it does fine. I would not do video editing on it, but for general use, seems OK.

It has a good complement of ports and they are well located. I get about 3 hrs 20 mins on the 4-cell battery (more in power saver mode). There's an 8-cell battery option also available. The display is bright, sharp, colors fine. Viewing angles typical for this class. There was very little bloatware on mine (thankfully).

All in all, it seems very well suited for my intended purpose which is basically a "better netbook" -- I wouldn't be so happy at the original price (not enough processor) but at current prices, I think this is a very good deal. The mushy keyboard is the low point, the nice 1366x768 13.4" display the high point. As many have mentioned, its ultra-thin, sleek, sexy design is also a plus.

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could due to the keyboard flex and mushy feel, but if you can live with that (and I can) you'll be happy.

12-30-09 I'm getting used to the keyboard, loving the nice 13.4 inch display and still very happy with this ultra-thin super netbook.

2010-01-03 Since Amazon is mixing reviews for both the X320 and X340 be aware that they both have exactly the same case and size but the X340 has a faster processor and better integrated graphics. The X340 plays full screen video better, has an HDMI port and 2 USB ports vs. 3 USB on the X320. The case, keyboard, display, etc. are identical. My review above is for the X320. The X340's better processor and gfx are a plus, but the X320 is fine for web surfing, email, etc. The X340 is better if full screen video is important to you.

2010-07-03 I now have an X340 as well (found on sale, couldn't resist). It definitely performs a bit better, plays videos better, and so on, but otherwise pretty much the same (as mentioned above). Because of the slightly faster processor, I now use it as my primary laptop for web surfing and email as well as watching YouTube or other videos online (short ones mostly, screen is not the best for DVD's or long videos due to limited black levels and narrow viewing angles). You can't beat this line for everyday use (web and email) - so small, light, sleek. And has held up well. I put mine in stand-by (not hibernate) mode and battery holds up well, press the power button and nearly "instant on" access to whatever you were doing last. My X320 is now my backup and travel unit. ;)

Pros:
Nice screen size
Decent battery life
Super-slim
Sleek design
Msi logo lights up :)
Bluetooth
Vista runs OK

Cons:
Atom Processor :(
Keyboard is meh

I've had this computer for a few days now and I'm very pleased with it. I have a powerhouse desktop so I don't need much in the way of a laptop, just something to get me through a few classes and take notes. The battery life is excellent as far as I'm concerned. I had it on low brightness in power saver with wifi on and it got be about four and a half hours. I immediately took off Vista and put on 7. Vista seemed to run fine for the few hours I had it on, but 7 runs on it far better. Don't try and enable aero if you have 7, it just was way too choppy. Streaming youtube was better than other netbooks I've used. No choppiness at all. The computer is of course limited by the ability of the atom processor. However for $379, this is the best netbook you can get in my opinion. I originally had an HP Mini 110, and while it was cute and small, you get tired of a 10 inch screen after awhile. The 13" of the X320 is just big enough to view webpages without unnecessary scrolling.

A lot of people complain about the keyboard. As far as I'm concerned it's no big deal. Yeah it's a little "mushy" but I've had no problems typing on it at all. Yeah it flexes a bit when you type on it but you can't FEEL the flex if you're not looking at it. I read a lot of reviews that made me think that I'd be getting a laptop with a terrible keyboard. Believe me, it's more than bearable. If I hadn't read so many reviews on the keyboard before I bought it, I don't think I would have thought twice about it.

If I just won the lottery I would have bought a Macbook Air. Since I did not buy a ticket-and therefore did not win-I bought this computer. It is on sale at J&R Music World for $379.

Light weight, great size screen=very clear-very comfortable to use-as quick as I need it to be to do Word and Surfing-the perfect netbook. Beware-the battery is only a 4 cell which can mean less time between re-charges. I only had it a week so I don't know how long the batter lasts.

Only downside-it uses Windows-What can you do?

I am very happy with it but would suggest you buy it at J&R where it is much less money.

The Msi X340 is a very very light weight machine. It's true that the keyboard and palm rest is a bit flimsy but overall the machine is incredible. The processor is fast enough to handle your basic everyday needs. If you need this to do Word, browse websites, and listen to music then it's perfect for you. Vista starts up quickly and everything is very snappy during normal use. The power adapter is also very small. The included mouse (X340) is great.