MSI X-Slim X340 compared to Lenovo ThinkPad X301 & Apple iPhone 3G

We’ve talked a fair bit about CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) systems here, the new thin & light systems utilizing a fresh Intel SU-series processor that is faster than a netbook, with better battery life, 11-13 inch designs, and in the price sweetspot between netbooks and full-size notebooks. Lenovo’s new IdeaPad U350 is a perfect example of this, as is MSI’s X-Slim series.

A new report from an analyst firm suggests that the first generation models, like those noted above, may suffer from questionable quality. The report states that manufacturers are using plastic chassis’ to cut down on cost, which is certainly common, but are making the plastics so thin to save on size & weight that some systems may suffer from bottom covers cracking. This part of the Xbit Labs article puts it perfectly:

Ultra-thin notebooks aimed at consumers is a completely new trend and many manufacturers still have not figured the exact demands of average users when it comes to ultra-portables. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: since consumer-oriented platforms have to be affordable, system makers are not implementing their state-of-the-art technologies, such as active hard disk drive protection, powerful yet light batteries and, most importantly, high-quality materials and robust engineering to keep the costs down.

While I had personally been drooling over the MSI X-Slim series, we found out that it is indeed a cheap, low quality machine with a sexy chassis and good feature-price ratio.

Apparently the companies actually manufacturing the CULV notebooks, termed Original Design Manufacturers (ODM’s), had recommended to some PC companies that they use metal in the chassis to avoid this issue, but that production went ahead with plastic anyway. No company names are mentioned.

A quick look at Lenovo’s PSREF documentation shows that the IdeaPad U350 is indeed made out of plastic, or specifically Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (PC/ABS) plastic. Fortunately there are not yet any reports of cracking systems in this case.

Source: [Xbit Labs]