14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese manufacturer MSI recently announced the launch of the new EX310 notebook, packing a 13.3-inch LCD display that can provide a maximum resolution of 1280 by 800. The notebook comes to perfectly integrate in the company's lineup, between the 10-inch Atom-powered Wind notebook and the 14.1-inch P400.
Unlike the MSI Wind netbook, the company's new EX310 notebook has been designed to provide higher computing power, but it comes with roughly similar portability features. Powered by a dual-core AMD Turion X2 processing unit, the EX310 combines an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 graphics card with a 13.3-inch LCD widescreen for a decent HD video playback. The graphics card has 256MB of RAM and can extend the notebook's HD capabilities through a built-in HDMI output. The notebook will also support an optional Blu-ray optical drive and TV tuner card.
Despite the small display, the notebook could occasionally be used as an entertainment center, as it is equipped with a Dolby Surround Sound support. The notebook's wireless connectivity options include support for 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, which can be used to connect to various wireless devices.
As far as storage goes, the EX310 is nothing like the Wind, since you will get storage capacity options ranging from 160GB to 320GB, just enough to accommodate a decent number of HD videos. Other features include an integrated 2.0 MP webcam and noise-canceling microphone for those long chatty nights. For security reasons, a fingerprint reader is also available with the standard configuration.
The notebook will be offered in red and blue color options and will run a Windows Vista operating system. Details regarding its pricing and availability are yet to emerge, but recent reports indicate that MSI has already launched the EX310 on the Taiwanese market, which can only mean that it should make its way on the North American market soon.
