You try to look your best when attending to your business. You know, like wearing the best suit, best shoes, and making sure your hair looks stunning. But you may be missing something that should also look good: a computer, specifically a laptop. I am not sure if there are folks who are as particular about how their computer looks as they are about themselves, and if you do, the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition Laptop is for you.
This is not just a laptop. It is a walking art gallery that also happens to run Windows 11 Pro. MSI teamed up with Okadaya, a traditional Japanese lacquerware specialist, to turn the lid into a modern take on Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa using maki-e lacquer and real gold leaf. Every lid is hand-finished, so no two units look exactly the same. You are not buying a laptop. You are adopting a very expensive, very productive piece of art.
It is also rare. Only 700 units are made for the U.S., each laser-engraved with its own serial number. No restock. No “back by popular demand.” When it is gone, it is gone.
Under all that art, it still works like a proper machine. You get a 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED display with 2880 by 1800 resolution, powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with Intel Arc graphics. It packs 32 GB of LPDDR5x memory, a 1 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, and Wi-Fi 7. It weighs just 2.18 lb, which is about 0.99 kg, so it travels easier than your ego after a bad haircut.
MSI even went all in with matching accessories. You get a co-branded wireless mouse, mouse pad, and protective sleeve, all dressed in the same Ukiyo-e style. Your laptop now has a wardrobe.
This thing is clearly for people who want their tech to look as good as their outfit, and maybe better. It is part laptop, part art piece, part flex. You bring this into a meeting, and nobody asks about your slides. They ask about your laptop.
Only 700 units exist in the U.S., each laser-engraved with its own serial number, and once they are gone, that is it. No reruns. No “special restock.” Just regret.
If you want one, the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition (model A2VMG-088US) sells for US$1,999, available now exclusively at Best Buy, complete with the matching mouse, mouse pad, sleeve, and all the fancy collector energy that comes with it.
But it has been months since it was launched last year, and last check, Best Buy is selling it at a bargain US$1,299.99.
Images: MSI.