By Yeong Ah Seng

MSI'S X340 is the PC equivalent of the Mac- Book Air. It is slim (224x330x6-19.8mm) and light (1.3kg).

Despite being a little thicker and larger than the Air, it is still the most compact 13-inch PC notebook around.

However, it is not a netbook, notwithstanding the absence of an optical drive.

The X340 is powered by an Intel SU3500 (1.4GHz) processor and comes with 2GB memory, 320GB hard disk, full-size keyboard, webcam, Bluetooth and HDMI output.

The first thing one notices is the sharpness of the display.

And the processing speed is quite decent, although one suspects that it would be even faster if it were not on Windows Vista Home Premium OS.

When the X340 was first launched, it was priced at $1,599. Then, it dropped to $1,388 at The PC Show and now it is staying at that level.

This improves prospects of the machine selling well as the price competition out there is ferocious.

Except for premium brands like Sony Vaio, the prices of most notebooks have dropped considerably. The MSI X340 would do much better if its price goes closer to $1,000.

How much: $1,388

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