Short Hands On Impressions of the MSI Wind X-Slim Netbook
I almost passed by the MSI Wind X-Slim netbooks, but the form-factor was just too darn alluring. With a starting price of $700, you’re getting a VW-like netbook on the inside, but it’s wrapped up in a nice Ferrari-ish exterior. My first thought was to balk at the price because the same basic guts can be had in other netbooks for far less money. Just a few minutes of hands on with the X-Slim has me reconsidering.
It’s not so much that the device is thin, although that is a nice feature. It’s more about what you’re gaining due to the bigger footprint: a far more usable display paired with a full-sized keyboard. That keyboard has a great feel to it as well; you really can’t compare it to the keyboard on a smaller netbook and there’s no compromise with it. There isn’t much compromise in the number of ports either: you still get three USB, an Ethernet and an SD/MMC card reader. I walked away most impressed, but still keeping in mind that under the hood is a relatively low-powered netbook. Or is a notebook? Looking the way it does at this price, I’m not sure it matters. 
blow it up ….. and yea, prize the lord .. there it is:
a full keyboard and “big” screen.
for that money you could have bought a “real” laptop and ripped off the dvd drive to end up at the same ….
True, $700 would get you a “real” laptop. But would it weigh 2.8 pounds and get 5 hours of battery life? I’m thinking not.
see, i’m a bit cynyc about these designer devices – let’s call them style-books – if one compares them to netbooks or laptops. i consider them a class of their own, overpriced and underperfomant (in any respect, but design). therefore – if people have the money and representation counts most, they may go for it.
For me, weight is a huge consideration. I’ve just dusted off my old P1610 and am using it pretty much as a netbook. My HP TX2508 is staying home: it has a better keyboard and larger screen, but I hate the weight. To me this type of device is more than a gimmick, it’s about ergonomics. I will consider this line very carefully when it becomes available in Canada.