MSI offers X400 and X600 insights

We have been ogling the dead sexy MSI X-Slim line of notebooks since they X340 debuted at CES in January. The machines offer up a thin and sexy profile that resembles a certain forbidden fruit offering at a much cheaper price.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that MSI had unveiled a pair of new X-Slim machines called the X400 and X600. All MSI said about the new machines at the time was that the X400 offered a 14-inch screen and the X600 had a 15-inch screen (we expected a 16-inch screen when first reported). MSI is offering up a few more nuggets on the sexy pair today.


_{Above: The MSI X400 proves that a notebook can never be too thin or too sexy}

We now know that the X400 will get a new high tech 4-cell Li-poly battery that allows the machine to tip the scales at a mere 1.5kg with the battery installed. If you want that extra inch of screen space the X600 offers you can thank the same swanky battery tech for the 2.1kg weight the 15-inch version provides. Li-poly batteries are not common on notebooks; the vast majority use the Li-Ion variety. Li-poly batteries are being eyed by many car-makers for use in hybrid and electric vehicles thanks to their smaller size for the same amount of run time compared to Li-ion batteries.

MSI also reveals that both the machines will offer 16:9 aspect ratio "theatre-class" LED backlit screens, full IO port options, and Blu-ray support. As expected the machines will rely on external optical drives to keep that thin profile. One more nugget about the X600: the little beastie will offer a discrete GPU. The X400 will also have an optional 8-cell battery while the X600 can get an optional 9-cell battery. CPUs are unknown, but the machines will use some variety of the Intel CULV platform. MSI still offers no insight on pricing or availability of the machines.