As MSI isn’t one of the largest computer makers out there, it’s understandable that their new product launches happen over a period of time, and across a number of regions, rather than all at once. A reasonable excuse, we’d say, for the MSI S20 Slider Ultrabook convertible that popped up on our radar many months ago. The unit, which has been slowly made available in the EU region, is finally on sale in the U.S.
Last we reported on the MSI S20 was in April when we spotted a re-branded unit available from a Japanese company.
MSI had previously said that the unit would launch at the end of January.
Those of us in the U.S. can finally get our hands on the MSI S20 through Amazon for the current price of $999. Other than that, there’s not much to report that we haven’t already:
The MSI S20 is a Ultrabook convertible (sliding form-factor) with a 11.6-inch touchscreen which is, impressively, full HD (1920×1080). The unit features an Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5 processor (which means it’s also got HD 4000 graphics). Inside there’s also 8GB of 1600MHz RAM and a 128GB SSD.
The port set has 2x USB 3.0, mini-HDMI, full ethernet (LAN/RJ45), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Personally we’d trade the ethernet port for another USB port! The lack of SD card slot is an unfortunate omission, but there is some slack to be given as the unit is just under 20mm thick and weighs 1.2 KG.
We haven’t had a chance to try out the S20 for ourselves just yet. While we’re definitely excited by the slim convertible Ultrabook, the 3-cell battery could be the Achilles heel — not to mention the lack of mouse!
Since it has taken this long to come to the US, it probably would have been wise to make it available with the haswell update shown last month. I like that this slider has allows for display angle to be adjusted. I am curious though if this hinge mechanism is stiff enough for touch.
If only this has a rubber (not optical) trackpoint. Touch does not replace the mouse. Touch and the mouse pointer supplement each other.
I’ve always preferred a trackpoint over touchpads, cause I only use them on rare occasions when I don’t have a mouse somehow.
I can’t say that I trust MSI with their mechanical design, I have an MSI U210 notebook, where the battery was loose from the day I bought it, cause the slide rail was designed wrong and had way too much play. So if you run on battery and move the laptop even slightly, the battery will disconnect and you’re staring at a blank screen.
The Official MSI customer service center I took it to actually dared to form a loop of sticky tape with the sticky side to the outside and put it on the battery before sliding it back into the unit. The sticky tape gripped somewhat early on and ended up sticking out the back by half an inch. This was their fix!!!
If I wasn’t happy with that, I was told I’d have to send it to MSI, but they had no idea what MSI could do, since the plastic rail was engineered wrongly.
Now, MSI electronics are a different matter, they have outlasted any other notebook I put through the rainforest test. I had an ant colony living in that notebook twice! It kept running like a charm. I ended up placing it on stilts inside small bowls filled with soap water to prevent the ants from going in and out. I had to loop the wires through the soap water as well, or they’d simply use those as a highway.
In the mornings, all would be quiet, when I first turned it on, but once I started typing on the keyboard, they’d all come running out from under the keys and swarm…
They also like to make colonies insite routers… the electrical emissions just draw them in, must be like disco music to them!
So anyway, I trust MSI’s electronics, but not their mechanical design.
But the specs on these look good, other than still using Ivy Bridge. I wonder if they’re priced right.