MSI GT725 - continued
Open it up and you're presented with the roomy 17in screen. Although the standard 1,680x1,050 resolution is anything but bad, it's worth repeating that we'd love to see a 1,920x1,200 option. Hiding above the display is the customary two megapixel webcam.
Once again, the colour scheme detracts from an otherwise impressive machine, and we're a little disappointed to see MSI hasn't gone with the cool-looking carbon fibre design showcased at CES earlier this year.
The full-size keyboard attempts to do a lot, and achieves very little. MSI has opted to include a complete numpad, which albeit very useful, comes at the cost of various other buttons. Each of the up, down, left and right arrow keys are frustratingly small - an oversight that's likely to deter gamers who prefer not to use the WASD keys for navigation.
Similarly, the period key is annoyingly small and ensures long periods of word processing are fruitless experiences. The same could be said of the Enter key, too. Adding to the list of usability grievances is the power button - placed far too close to the left of the keyboard, we found it occasionally became accidentally pressed. Not what you'd want in the midst of a frantic gaming session.
Rounding it all off is an equally-frustrating touch-sensitive panel housed above the keyboard. Providing one-touch access to features such as playback controls, MSI's Eco/Turbo modes and Bluetooth or Wireless, it proves to be a tiresome experience. There's a notable lag between touching buttons and on-screen notifications, leaving us second guessing whether or not a button has been pressed.
MSI's GT725 bundle consists of one notable extra - an MSI StarMouse GS-502. Restyled to match the GT725's design, the wired black-and-red mouse features two programmable buttons, has an adjustable weight cartridge, provides a four-way scrolling wheel and is dpi switchable up to 3200. Working as expected, it's a welcome and useful extra for gamers.
Elsewhere, there's a series of manuals, software and driver CDs, two blank DVDs for creating recovery discs, a power brick, and an MSI-branded rucksack, too.
Software musings
We're clearly far from enticed by the GT725's design and implementation, but before we reveal whether or not the internal hardware compensates, we've a few gripes with MSI's software implementation, too.
MSI has opted to configure the system with a 32-bit edition of Microsoft's Windows Vista Home Premium operating system. Consequently, the GT725 is only able to utilise roughly 75 per cent of the 4GB of DDR2 memory installed.
It could be argued that MSI decided against a 64-bit operating system in order to provide gamers with compatibility across a wider number of games. However, contradicting that belief is MSI's other software inclusions. By default, the system is loaded with a 60-day trial of Norton Internet Security. We're all for security software, but gamer's in particular may find Norton's suite to be resource hungry and overly-intrusive with its pre-loaded sidebar gadgets.
Allowing for Blu-ray playback is a bundled version of InterVideo's WinDVD 8, and although capable, we'd like to have seen the latest release included, Corel's WinDVD 9.
