Meet the MSI PS42
As the first ultraportable laptop from a company that made its name in the gaming-PC business, the PS42 is a good opening salvo. It offers mid-level gaming performance in a very slim package, but it suffers from a stodgy design and a tiny touchpad, among other deficiencies.
Comfortable Keyboard
The chiclet keyboard is one of the PS42's bright spots. The backlit keys are large and well-spaced, although they have the short travel distance that you'd expect from such a thin laptop.
Excellent Screen Quality
The excellent 14-inch full HD (1,920 by 1,080) display has great viewing angles and a matte finish to guard against distracting reflections from ambient light.
Etched Aluminium
That material is etched aluminum, which lends an air of sophistication to the otherwise stodgy-looking design.
Thin and Light
It is very thin and light, however, at 2.64 pounds and measuring 0.62 by 12.6 by 8.74 inches (HWD).
Lie Flat
The screen doesn't rotate 360 degrees to transform the PS42 into a tablet, but 180 degrees of rotation still makes it very flexible for a conventional laptop.
Left Side Ports
On the left are the power jack, an HDMI output, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack.
Right Side Ports
On the right side, you get a full-size SD card slot, another USB-C port, and two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports.
Awkward Webcam Placement
Because the borders around the display are so thin, there's no room to stick a webcam in the conventional spot, centered above the screen. Instead, it's mounted in the hinge below the display.
Ho-Hum Audio Quality
The PS42 boasts upward-facing speakers that take a significant amount of space above the keyboard, but their lackluster quality is about what you'd expect from a thin laptop.