MSI X340 ultraportable laptop updated: 3.4 lbs., 9 hour battery, $799

Thinking about getting one of those inexpensive, Windows 7-ready ultrathin laptops that Steve Ballmer likes so much?

MSI has responded to criticism for its flagship ultra-low voltage, ultraportable laptop by adding a heftier battery, cheaper sticker price and more rigid keyboard.

MSI is now offering the X340 “X-Slim” notebook — which sports an Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 CULV processor, 2GB RAM and 320GB HDD — with an 8-cell battery that’s rated at an astounding 8 hours and 48 minutes.

At its original announcement, the X340 harbored a 4-cell battery rated at just under 4 hours. But rival Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T hit the market with an 8-hour battery, prompting MSI to reconsider the X340’s configuration. (Consumers who already purchased an X340 with a 4-cell battery can procure an 8-cell for $99.)

To boot, MSI reduced the price of the X340 to $799 from $899 — now $100 less than the Timeline 3810T.

There is a slight downside to the added battery life: the X340 now weighs 3.4 pounds, up a half-pound from its original 2.9 pounds.

LAPTOP magazine reports one other change: “The keyboard no longer acts like a trampoline,” perhaps a response to growing concern about the durability of ultrathin, ultra-low voltage laptops that have hit the market in recent months.