The MSI X-Slim X600 is so thin, you could call it the pancake PC: at just 9mm at its thinnest point, the 15.6-inch laptop is one of the skinniest in its class, ever. But do lean dimensions equal poor performance? Read our MSI X-Slim X600 review to find out.
The MSI X-Slim X600 isn’t the first model in the Taiwanese computer cobbler’s X-Slim range we’ve tried out – that was the X340 back in the Spring, a handy machine only let down by a keyboard with more sponge than a WI cake sale. But at 15.6-inches, the MSI X-Slim X600 is the biggest so far, offering more space for better specs and screen acreage to get your productivity on on the move.
There are two MSI X-Slim X600 models available: the one we tested was the upper end X600-055UK, with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, faster CULV SU9600 processor and bundled external DVD drive, but there’s an option with a 320GB HDD and ULV SU2700 chip for £200 less. Physically though, both MSI X-Slim X600 models are the same size, with a surprisingly sturdy lid and at just 2.1kg, incredibly light.
Though there’s a HDMI port and enough oomph to make use of it on a flatscreen TV, performance wise, our MSI X-Slim X600 model was nothing to write home about: even older games will stumble and heavy video editing is a no no. But that’s not the point: it’s incredibly portable, but still full size, so it won’t have you typing claw-hand style as with a midget netbook. The battery life is solid, giving us a plentiful four hours, with the Wi–Fi on, down at our local Starbucks. In short, MSI has this untapped area of the mobile market clinched.
Read our MacBook Pro 13-inch review here
Grumbles? Sure: the keyboard’s still wobbly, and we’d rather have had a properly sized Return and right shift key than a full numeric keypad on the right of the MSI X-Slim X600 too. And you wonder why MSI didn’t wait another month to drop the MSI X-Slim X600 with Windows 7 loaded on. As it is, we’re lumped with Windows Vista, whose power hungry requirements and unquenchable thirst for updates have ruined more than one ultra portable with aspirations to being a real laptop. Trust us, you’ll want to swap it out for Windows 7 come 22 October, but why do we have to pay extra for not being punished by the OS we’re given?
Still, for the money you save compared to a MacBook Air, the MSI X-Slim X600 is fantastic value. It’s not a primary machine, but the best truly mobile computer we’ve tried in a long time.
