Hasta La Gadget!

You knew the comparisons were inevitable, but have you braced yourself for how incredibly similar these two laptops are? MSI’s new X-Slim 320 13.3-inch ultraportable is a teensy bit wider and a teensy bit thicker than the MacBook Air, but most of the dimensions, layouts and curves are uncannily alike. As for build quality, MSI obviously suffers a bit for its netbook heritage. The plastics aren’t stellar, and the keyboard, while delightfully full size, is a tad squishy, but there’s still no denying that this is a pretty wild deal for this very particular form factor — plus that built-in 3G, VGA and Ethernet are just rubbing it in Apple’s face.

Filed under: Laptops

MSI X-Slim 320 vs MacBook Air… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Mobile Standard devices — you know, those pre-touchscreen relics — are getting to be tougher sales by the day. Touch is perceived as a “premium” experience (we’re not entirely sold on that) and with boatloads of price pressure in that category, these little guys are liable to get squeezed clean out of the market. The new Shadow, even more so than the original Shadow before it, definitely belies its Windows Mobile underpinnings with a funky shell that’s fit for average consumers who just want a decent looking slider — never mind a smartphone. The red-to-black gradient rear was totally bangin’, but as is all too often the case these days, the glossy top was a brutal canvas for grease, fingerprints, and other unsavory stains that you probably don’t want to press against your face. It’s a tradeoff, we suppose.

Filed under: Cellphones, CES, Handhelds

Hands-on with T-Mobile’s revised Shadow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5:57PM We’re inside and front and center. In just a few sweet moments Steve Ballmer will take the stage and launch us into a phantasmagoric world of keynote goodness. Keep your internet terminals tuned to this channel!

Continue reading Live from Steve Ballmer’s CES keynote

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Live from Steve Ballmer’s CES keynote originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3:50PM We’re on the floor at Sony’s big show in Vegas. There’s a twisting line out the door, but we’re about to head inside and grab seats. Stay tuned for live coverage as it happens!

Continue reading Live from Sony’s CES press event

Filed under: Laptops

Live from Sony’s CES press event originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We just snuck a quick look at the new Linksys home media gear, the Wireless Home Audio system and Media Hub NAS, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect. For all of Cisco’s talk of platform and back-end and consumer love, the end product is actually pretty humdrum. We can’t speak to the actual setup and content integration — which will naturally be Cisco’s strong suit — but the actual hardware doesn’t seem to scream consumer love. The interface on the Touchscreen Remote is pretty slow and a far cry from the polish of the Sonos system — the unit’s natural competitor — especially compared to the iPod touch control App, and everything looks and feels bulky and gray. We do have to hand it to Cisco for working in the iPod dock, a CD player, iTunes server and Rhapsody all into one cohesive centrally-controlled system, but we’ll see how much traction this gathers in the market… Cisco’s talking like a uniter, but right now this just looks like more fragmentation.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

Linksys Wireless Home Audio and Media Hub NAS hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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