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January 12, 2009

MSI shows Pentium-based MacBook Air killer

Powerful ultrathin netbook on show at CES

Dan Nystedt

MSI has launched an Apple MacBook Air-killer called the X-Slim which includes a high powered Pentium chip.

The company showed off its first X-Slim device, the X320 netbook, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. It's a 1.3kg ultra-thin laptop with a 13.4in screen that runs on a 1.33GHz Intel Z530 Atom microprocessor.

The Atom-based X320s will cost less than $1,000 in the US, while X-Slim laptops with Pentium chips inside will cost over $1,000, said Vincent Sung [CQ], assistant vice president of notebook research and development at MSI.

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Intel's Atom microprocessor family is aimed at small, mobile devices because it consumes less power so batteries last longer. But the chips are also far less powerful than microprocessors aimed at mainstream laptop PCs, such as Intel Pentium microprocessors.

The difference in the two families of microprocessors is more pronounced when using data-intensive programs. For example, most netbooks with Atom chips use Microsoft Windows XP or a Linux OS, while Microsoft Windows Vista is used on mainstream laptop PCs.

The Atom chips are designed on devices that are mainly used to surf the web and for Office-like programs. More intensive programs such as video-editing software and high speed games don't work well on systems designed around the chips.

MSI's Pentium-based X-Slim laptops will come with Microsoft's Windows Vista Premium OS.

The MSI X320 is just 6mm at its thickest point. The netbook comes with a choice of batteries, from a 4-cell battery to an a 8-cell battery rated for up to 10-hours of run time. It also includes three USB ports.

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Comments received

Adam said on Tuesday, 13 January 2009

Can you guys refer to things as what they are, not what you'd like them to be. This is a MacBook Air COMPETITOR. Whether it is a killer remains to be seen, though I doubt it.

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