Samsung Series 9 NP900X1A (11.6-inch)
The good: The 11.6-inch Samsung Series 9 has the same thin, stylish, sturdy design as the 13-inch version, along with a backlit keyboard.
The bad: The 11.6-inch Series 9 is more expensive and has shorter battery life than the similar 11.6-inch MacBook Air.
The bottom line: The smaller, 11.6-inch version of Samsung's excellent Series 9 laptop is thin and light, and has a few features the MacBook Air lacks, but it's more expensive and doesn't trump the competition where it counts.
Just as the original 13-inch Samsung Series 9 laptop was a direct shot across the bow of the 13-inch MacBook Air, this new 11.6-inch version is aimed squarely at the smaller version of the Air. The 11.6-inch Series 9 is so similar to the 13-inch version that it looks like our earlier Samsung review unit got hit with a shrink ray. The same curved sides and rounded hinge are there, as is the brushed metal surface, made of a space-age metal called Duralumin, which Samsung claims has "twice the strength of aluminum."
While the Series 9 is most likely to be compared to the MacBook Air, 11-inch laptops are becoming more popular, and there are now several worthy options to choose from, such as the high-end Alienware M11x and the inexpensive HP Pavilion dm1z. The $1,199 Series 9 is arguably the best-looking of all of these (it's a toss-up against the Air), but it falls behind on price--the Air starts at $999--and performance, as the Series 9 is saddled with an older 2010 low-voltage version of Intel's Core i3 CPU.
If you upgrade to a comparably priced 11-inch McBook Air, you'll get double the hard-drive space (128GB rather than 64GB) and slightly better graphics. The less expensive Air also beat the Series 9 in the area of battery life, a key selling point for an ultraportable. Samsung's strategy here should be to under-promise and over-deliver, not the other way around.
At the same time, the Samsung Series 9 has a lot going for it, including a backlit keyboard (something the MacBook Air lacks), a huge touch pad, and something close to the instant-on capabilities of OS X. It's state-of-the-art for Windows laptops, and likely the only real contender if you've got MacBook Air envy
and don't mind spending a little more (a lot more, actually) than your average 11-inch laptop shopper.
Laptop designs are typically more about function than form, even for high-end brands such as Dell's XPS or HP's Envy. The Series 9 from Samsung is a rare exception to that rule, and after its debut at CES 2011, we've lost count of how many people raved to us about the look and feel of this very thin system.
Samsung Chromebook Series 5 (Wi-Fi, white)
The good: The Samsung Chromebook Series 5 is a small, attractive Netbook with long battery life, true instant-on Web access, and enough computing to use the Internet.
The bad: The Series 5 is expensive for its features and abilities, and using it can be frustrating depending on your wireless signal strength.
The bottom line: Despite solid hardware, great battery life, and fast startup, we can't recommend the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 until and unless Google improves the Chrome OS.
For anybody who loves tech and gadgets, it's not hard to see the appeal of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.
Even turning the Series 5 on for the first time is cool. Open the lid and the screen lights up. The start-up process is nearly as brief: connect to Wi-Fi, accept the OS terms, sign in to your Google account or create a new one, pick an image to associate with your account or shoot one with the Webcam, and you're done.
There's a brief touch-pad tutorial, but that's it and you're ready to start using the Web. Since everything is Web-based there is a refreshing lack of bloatware. Clicking the Home button in the browser brings you right to your collection of Chrome Web apps, which are just bookmarks to sites. The experience is actually enjoyable, especially if you already have a Google account set up. Because everything is synced, your stuff
Samsung Chromebook Series 5 (3G, silver)
The good: The Samsung Chromebook Series 5 is a small, attractive Netbook with long battery life, true instant-on Web access, and enough computing to use the Internet.
The bad: The Series 5 is expensive for its features and abilities, and using it can be frustrating depending on your wireless signal strength.
The bottom line: Despite solid hardware, great battery life, and fast startup, we can't recommend the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 until and unless Google improves the Chrome OS.
Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.
Even turning the Series 5 on for the first time is cool. Open the lid and the screen lights up. The start-up process is nearly as brief: connect to Wi-Fi, accept the OS terms, sign in to your Google account or create a new one, pick an image to associate with your account or shoot one with the Webcam, and you're done.
There's a brief touch-pad tutorial, but that's it and you're ready to start using the Web. Since everything is Web-based there is a refreshing lack of bloatware. Clicking the Home button in the browser brings you right to your collection of Chrome Web apps, which are just bookmarks to sites. The experience is actually enjoyable, especially if you already have a Google account set up. Because everything is synced, your stuff just shows up.
And that goes for anyone who uses the Series 5. Should someone else want to use it, you just log out and that person can either work as a guest or sign in with his or her own Google account. Users can be removed as easily as they're added, too, so there's never any fear of someone else looking at your personal files or sites.
After a little use, though, the Chromebook's shine starts to wear off. For us it started when we needed to open a ZIP file and were greeted with an unsupported file format error. That left us searching for a Web site that would open compressed files. Something that on a Windows or Mac system takes a couple of seconds to do, on a Chromebook requires finding a site, uploading the file, waiting for the file to be processed, and then downloading the file. We then needed to edit a photo, which yet again required uploading to a site, waiting for the photo to be processed, editing the photo, and downloading it from the site.
The good: The 11.6-inch Samsung Series 9 has the same thin, stylish, sturdy design as the 13-inch version, along with a backlit keyboard.
The bad: The 11.6-inch Series 9 is more expensive and has shorter battery life than the similar 11.6-inch MacBook Air.
The bottom line: The smaller, 11.6-inch version of Samsung's excellent Series 9 laptop is thin and light, and has a few features the MacBook Air lacks, but it's more expensive and doesn't trump the competition where it counts.
Just as the original 13-inch Samsung Series 9 laptop was a direct shot across the bow of the 13-inch MacBook Air, this new 11.6-inch version is aimed squarely at the smaller version of the Air. The 11.6-inch Series 9 is so similar to the 13-inch version that it looks like our earlier Samsung review unit got hit with a shrink ray. The same curved sides and rounded hinge are there, as is the brushed metal surface, made of a space-age metal called Duralumin, which Samsung claims has "twice the strength of aluminum."
While the Series 9 is most likely to be compared to the MacBook Air, 11-inch laptops are becoming more popular, and there are now several worthy options to choose from, such as the high-end Alienware M11x and the inexpensive HP Pavilion dm1z. The $1,199 Series 9 is arguably the best-looking of all of these (it's a toss-up against the Air), but it falls behind on price--the Air starts at $999--and performance, as the Series 9 is saddled with an older 2010 low-voltage version of Intel's Core i3 CPU.
If you upgrade to a comparably priced 11-inch McBook Air, you'll get double the hard-drive space (128GB rather than 64GB) and slightly better graphics. The less expensive Air also beat the Series 9 in the area of battery life, a key selling point for an ultraportable. Samsung's strategy here should be to under-promise and over-deliver, not the other way around.
At the same time, the Samsung Series 9 has a lot going for it, including a backlit keyboard (something the MacBook Air lacks), a huge touch pad, and something close to the instant-on capabilities of OS X. It's state-of-the-art for Windows laptops, and likely the only real contender if you've got MacBook Air envy
and don't mind spending a little more (a lot more, actually) than your average 11-inch laptop shopper.
| Price as reviewed | $1,199 |
| Processor | 1.33GHz Intel Core i3 380UM |
| Memory | 2GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 64GB SSD |
| Chipset | Intel HM55 |
| Graphics | Intel HD 3000 |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 7.8x11.7 inches |
| Height | 0.62 inch - 0.65 inch |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 11.6 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 2.3 pounds /2.7 pounds |
| Category | Ultraportable |
Laptop designs are typically more about function than form, even for high-end brands such as Dell's XPS or HP's Envy. The Series 9 from Samsung is a rare exception to that rule, and after its debut at CES 2011, we've lost count of how many people raved to us about the look and feel of this very thin system.
Samsung Chromebook Series 5 (Wi-Fi, white)
The good: The Samsung Chromebook Series 5 is a small, attractive Netbook with long battery life, true instant-on Web access, and enough computing to use the Internet.
The bad: The Series 5 is expensive for its features and abilities, and using it can be frustrating depending on your wireless signal strength.
The bottom line: Despite solid hardware, great battery life, and fast startup, we can't recommend the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 until and unless Google improves the Chrome OS.
For anybody who loves tech and gadgets, it's not hard to see the appeal of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.
Even turning the Series 5 on for the first time is cool. Open the lid and the screen lights up. The start-up process is nearly as brief: connect to Wi-Fi, accept the OS terms, sign in to your Google account or create a new one, pick an image to associate with your account or shoot one with the Webcam, and you're done.
There's a brief touch-pad tutorial, but that's it and you're ready to start using the Web. Since everything is Web-based there is a refreshing lack of bloatware. Clicking the Home button in the browser brings you right to your collection of Chrome Web apps, which are just bookmarks to sites. The experience is actually enjoyable, especially if you already have a Google account set up. Because everything is synced, your stuff
just shows up.
| Price as reviewed / Starting price | $499 / $429 |
| Processor | 1.66GHz Intel Atom dual-core N570 |
| Memory | 2GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 16GB solid-state drive |
| Chipset | Intel NM10 Express |
| Graphics | NM10 Graphics Chipset (integrated) |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium |
| Dimensions (WD) | 11.6 x 8.6 inches |
| Height | 0.8 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 12.1 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 6.2/6.9 pounds |
| Category | Mainstream |
The bad: The Series 5 is expensive for its features and abilities, and using it can be frustrating depending on your wireless signal strength.
The bottom line: Despite solid hardware, great battery life, and fast startup, we can't recommend the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 until and unless Google improves the Chrome OS.
Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.
Even turning the Series 5 on for the first time is cool. Open the lid and the screen lights up. The start-up process is nearly as brief: connect to Wi-Fi, accept the OS terms, sign in to your Google account or create a new one, pick an image to associate with your account or shoot one with the Webcam, and you're done.
There's a brief touch-pad tutorial, but that's it and you're ready to start using the Web. Since everything is Web-based there is a refreshing lack of bloatware. Clicking the Home button in the browser brings you right to your collection of Chrome Web apps, which are just bookmarks to sites. The experience is actually enjoyable, especially if you already have a Google account set up. Because everything is synced, your stuff just shows up.
And that goes for anyone who uses the Series 5. Should someone else want to use it, you just log out and that person can either work as a guest or sign in with his or her own Google account. Users can be removed as easily as they're added, too, so there's never any fear of someone else looking at your personal files or sites.
After a little use, though, the Chromebook's shine starts to wear off. For us it started when we needed to open a ZIP file and were greeted with an unsupported file format error. That left us searching for a Web site that would open compressed files. Something that on a Windows or Mac system takes a couple of seconds to do, on a Chromebook requires finding a site, uploading the file, waiting for the file to be processed, and then downloading the file. We then needed to edit a photo, which yet again required uploading to a site, waiting for the photo to be processed, editing the photo, and downloading it from the site.
Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch)
The good: A thin, stylish design, long battery life, excellent screen, and a new second-generation Intel Core i5 CPU make the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A one of the best ultrathin Windows laptops we've ever seen.
The bad: The Series 9's way-too-high sticker price makes the MacBook Air look downright affordable by comparison; the flexy case design doesn't feel as good as the MacBook Air's, either.
The bottom line: The $1,649 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A certainly won't be for every wallet, but this light, well-featured, and striking 13-incher is the closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air. However, its higher-than-the-Air price will be hard to stomach.
If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then consider the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A to be a direct response to Apple's MacBook Air. It's been a long time since we've seen two laptops so seemingly intertwined--in purpose, design, performance, and even price. For all that you could love about a MacBook Air, nearly the same could be said for the sleek, black Series 9, a 13-inch laptop packed with exceptional design and undeniable geek appeal.
At $1,649, the real question will be whether you're able to afford it. Weighing 2.9 pounds and packing a 1.4 GHz second-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD drive, it's got some of the best performance-per-pound that we've ever seen. It starts fast and feels great to work on. However, this laptop makes MacBook Air look like a bargain by comparison, and that's saying something: the 13-inch Air starts at just $1,299 for that same 128GB SSD drive (although with half the RAM). Amazingly, the $1,649 configuration is the low end for the Series 9--there's also a $1,699 version that adds Windows 7 Professional, which is the configuration we were sent for review. That price is 15-inch MacBook Proterritory--lofty, indeed.
We've seen high-end design-heavy Windows laptops before, though not for a while--the Dell Adamo and Adamo XPS come to mind. The Series 9 is a better overall laptop than those--but if this laptop were $1,000, we'd really be far more bullish.
As it is, $1,649 is way above standard laptop pricing landscape (at least it comes standard with a three-year warranty). This is a luxury system, especially with $400-range 11.6-inch AMD Fusion laptops presenting pretty reasonable alternatives.
If you're a Windows laptop user but have been secretly envying devices like the MacBook Air, clenching your hands uncontrollably at night for a Windows analogue--and price is no object-- then your gleaming onyx savior has arrived. Otherwise, you might want to wait for the 11-inch Series 9 coming in about a month, which will cost a little less--or, find a more affordable alternative, provided you can live without supersleek duraluminum. But, if you can stomach the sticker price, this is one of the best, thin, usable ultraportable PCs we've ever come across.
Samsung SF510-A01
The good: Sleek, attractive design; built-in Intel Wireless Display and WiMax; great specs for the price.
The bad: Bulky body; no Bluetooth; lower screen resolution.
The bottom line: Offering a complete package of performance, design, and even Intel Wireless Display at a very attractive price, the Samsung SF510-A01 is one of the best laptop values we've seen all year.
Holiday laptop shopping can be a challenge, as is finding an affordable laptop that covers all the bases for a reasonable price. Samsung's sleek, curvy SF510, at $629, could be a lifesaver for anyone looking for a sweet-spot notebook computer that performs well and actually looks good doing it. With rock-solid specs, Intel Wireless Display, and even an integrated WiMax antenna, it's far more than we'd expect for only a few hundred dollars more than a Netbook, and judging from our time with it, the construction quality hasn't suffered any compromises, either.
A Core i3 CPU, ample RAM and hard-drive space (4GB and 500GB, respectively), a large, bright 15.6-inch display, and even Intel Wireless Display for watching wireless video on an HDTV are all included. The SF510 isn't a tiny laptop, but it's a perfectly priced home computer that instantly rises to the top of our holiday recommendations for buyers on a budget. There really isn't much that's better for the money.
A wide, well-spaced raised keyboard also includes a full number pad. Its design and feel mimic what we've seen on many Asus laptops, including the weird direction-arrow array at the bottom right which cuts into the Shift and Enter keys. Above the keyboard, dedicated volume and mute buttons are a welcome touch; it's surprising how many laptops forgo such an obvious and useful set of dedicated keys.
Below the generous keyboard is a larger-than-average multitouch clickpad, resembling in many ways the one on current HP laptops such as the Envy. Dedicated button-click zones, delineated on the bottom, work like old-fashioned physical buttons. The entire pad is touch-sensitive, and also works with a preset variety of one-, two-, and even three-finger gestures.
The large, bright 15.6-inch inset glossy display has a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, which is low for laptops close to 16 inches, but understandable considering the price. The picture quality was solid, albeit with limited viewing angles. Viewed head-on, we found text crisp and videos very watchable. On a budget laptop, we certainly can't complain. When playing back DVDs or viewing low-resolution videos in full-screen, however, the pixelation and fuzziness were more noticeable simply because of the larger display size. Black levels tended to look washed out at the edges.
Stereo speakers on the SF310 aren't particularly rich, but they get the job done and sound suitably crisp for movies and spoken audio, with a maximum volume that's higher than average. Music and environmental effects come off flatter. An included Webcam has decent capture quality, a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels, and comes bundled with CyberLink YouCam software. We looked decent in recorded video, and light levels seemed even.
Samsung NF310 A01
The good: A thin, stylish design, long battery life, excellent screen, and a new second-generation Intel Core i5 CPU make the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A one of the best ultrathin Windows laptops we've ever seen.
The bad: The Series 9's way-too-high sticker price makes the MacBook Air look downright affordable by comparison; the flexy case design doesn't feel as good as the MacBook Air's, either.
The bottom line: The $1,649 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A certainly won't be for every wallet, but this light, well-featured, and striking 13-incher is the closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air. However, its higher-than-the-Air price will be hard to stomach.
If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then consider the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A to be a direct response to Apple's MacBook Air. It's been a long time since we've seen two laptops so seemingly intertwined--in purpose, design, performance, and even price. For all that you could love about a MacBook Air, nearly the same could be said for the sleek, black Series 9, a 13-inch laptop packed with exceptional design and undeniable geek appeal.
At $1,649, the real question will be whether you're able to afford it. Weighing 2.9 pounds and packing a 1.4 GHz second-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD drive, it's got some of the best performance-per-pound that we've ever seen. It starts fast and feels great to work on. However, this laptop makes MacBook Air look like a bargain by comparison, and that's saying something: the 13-inch Air starts at just $1,299 for that same 128GB SSD drive (although with half the RAM). Amazingly, the $1,649 configuration is the low end for the Series 9--there's also a $1,699 version that adds Windows 7 Professional, which is the configuration we were sent for review. That price is 15-inch MacBook Proterritory--lofty, indeed.
We've seen high-end design-heavy Windows laptops before, though not for a while--the Dell Adamo and Adamo XPS come to mind. The Series 9 is a better overall laptop than those--but if this laptop were $1,000, we'd really be far more bullish.
As it is, $1,649 is way above standard laptop pricing landscape (at least it comes standard with a three-year warranty). This is a luxury system, especially with $400-range 11.6-inch AMD Fusion laptops presenting pretty reasonable alternatives.
If you're a Windows laptop user but have been secretly envying devices like the MacBook Air, clenching your hands uncontrollably at night for a Windows analogue--and price is no object-- then your gleaming onyx savior has arrived. Otherwise, you might want to wait for the 11-inch Series 9 coming in about a month, which will cost a little less--or, find a more affordable alternative, provided you can live without supersleek duraluminum. But, if you can stomach the sticker price, this is one of the best, thin, usable ultraportable PCs we've ever come across.
Samsung SF510-A01
The bad: Bulky body; no Bluetooth; lower screen resolution.
The bottom line: Offering a complete package of performance, design, and even Intel Wireless Display at a very attractive price, the Samsung SF510-A01 is one of the best laptop values we've seen all year.
Holiday laptop shopping can be a challenge, as is finding an affordable laptop that covers all the bases for a reasonable price. Samsung's sleek, curvy SF510, at $629, could be a lifesaver for anyone looking for a sweet-spot notebook computer that performs well and actually looks good doing it. With rock-solid specs, Intel Wireless Display, and even an integrated WiMax antenna, it's far more than we'd expect for only a few hundred dollars more than a Netbook, and judging from our time with it, the construction quality hasn't suffered any compromises, either.
A Core i3 CPU, ample RAM and hard-drive space (4GB and 500GB, respectively), a large, bright 15.6-inch display, and even Intel Wireless Display for watching wireless video on an HDTV are all included. The SF510 isn't a tiny laptop, but it's a perfectly priced home computer that instantly rises to the top of our holiday recommendations for buyers on a budget. There really isn't much that's better for the money.
A wide, well-spaced raised keyboard also includes a full number pad. Its design and feel mimic what we've seen on many Asus laptops, including the weird direction-arrow array at the bottom right which cuts into the Shift and Enter keys. Above the keyboard, dedicated volume and mute buttons are a welcome touch; it's surprising how many laptops forgo such an obvious and useful set of dedicated keys.
Below the generous keyboard is a larger-than-average multitouch clickpad, resembling in many ways the one on current HP laptops such as the Envy. Dedicated button-click zones, delineated on the bottom, work like old-fashioned physical buttons. The entire pad is touch-sensitive, and also works with a preset variety of one-, two-, and even three-finger gestures.
The large, bright 15.6-inch inset glossy display has a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, which is low for laptops close to 16 inches, but understandable considering the price. The picture quality was solid, albeit with limited viewing angles. Viewed head-on, we found text crisp and videos very watchable. On a budget laptop, we certainly can't complain. When playing back DVDs or viewing low-resolution videos in full-screen, however, the pixelation and fuzziness were more noticeable simply because of the larger display size. Black levels tended to look washed out at the edges.
Stereo speakers on the SF310 aren't particularly rich, but they get the job done and sound suitably crisp for movies and spoken audio, with a maximum volume that's higher than average. Music and environmental effects come off flatter. An included Webcam has decent capture quality, a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels, and comes bundled with CyberLink YouCam software. We looked decent in recorded video, and light levels seemed even.
Samsung NF310 A01
The good: Sleek, curved design; large keyboard; HD screen; Bluetooth.
The bad: Thicker chassis; dual-core Atom performance is lackluster; no HDMI.
The bottom line: The curved, eye-catching Samsung NF310 is a bold 10-inch Netbook with some premium features for its price, but in the end it's not different enough to break out of the pack.
Samsung is a laptop maker that's been on a tear lately. Though the company is largely known for its TVs and smartphones, its U.S. assortment of computers has stood out lately for offering a great mix of design, features, and affordability. That's been true for Samsung's larger laptops, and it's also true (but to a lesser extent) for its Netbooks. The $399 NF310 is a dual-core Atom 10-inch Netbook that's certainly well-built, but doesn't rise far above the competition.
That's not entirely Samsung's fault: Atom Netbooks, in general, have pretty much come to a standstill in terms of features, performance, and price. While $399 is higher than the $299 price of some low-end 10-inchers, this model has a dual-core Atom N550 CPU, an HD 10-inch display, and a larger keyboard than most Netbooks. On the other hand, it's also bulkier than most, and its curvy looks, while appealing, are gloss more than function. It's certainly one of the better Netbooks we've seen, but for only $50 more, you could be looking at an affordable, more powerful 11.6-inch ultraportable instead, such as the Toshiba Satellite T215D.
Volume and brightness control are operated via function-key combinations--there aren't any dedicated buttons other than a power button on the upper right-side corner.
A silvery, matte touch pad beneath has good traction and an interesting circular-shimmer pattern, but dual-finger multitouch functions are a bit difficult to pull off due to the limited touch-pad real estate. Two large buttons beneath are easy to find, but the whole touch pad is a hair too small for the space available.
The large keyboard, while appreciated, comes at a cost: the laptop's 10-inch screen looks smaller than normal, framed in a very large bezel. A larger screen could easily have been accommodated in the NF310's chassis. As it is, though, the 10.1-inch display has a higher-definition 1,366x768-pixel resolution and an antiglare matte screen.
Pictures and text look extremely sharp, but viewing angles are limited--the picture degrades quickly even at slight angles. The higher-res display is a boon for full browser window displays, since it matches the pixel resolution on a 13-inch laptop. However, text can get pretty small on this screen unless settings are adjusted to bump up text size. For anyone with poor vision, we foresee lots of squinting. Again, it's hard to understand why this Netbook couldn't have simply used an 11-inch display.
Stereo speakers on the NF310 are booming for its size. They are not particularly rich in audio definition, but are far louder than average and perfect for playing anything from Internet radio to video. An included Webcam has decent capture quality and a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels, and comes bundled with CyberLink YouCam software.
Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook Gets an $899 Price at J&R
The new Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook that was recently released in Korea has now shown up at J&R.com for Pre-Order where it is displaying a $899 price tag. This is in line with other recent ultrabook prices such as the Toshiba Portege Z835 that retails for $849.99 at Best Buy. That said, the Toshiba Z835-P330 comes with an Intel Core i3 1.4GHz processor while the Samsung Series 5 steps it up a notch and offers an Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz processor.
The full specs for the Samsung Series 5 NP530U3B-A01USavailable at J&R is as follows:
Screen: 13.3" HD LED Backlit Display (1366×768) with Anti-Glare coating
Processor: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 up to 2.3GHz
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 500GB SATA Hard Drive with 16GB Express Cache
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, Intel WiDi, Bluetooth V3.0
Ports: 4-in-1 Multi Card Slot (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Headphone/Microphone Combo, HDMI, Ethernet RJ-45 LAN
Weight: 3.24lbs
Dimensions: 12.4 (W) x 8.6 (D) x 0.58 – 0.69 (H) inches
Also showing up on J&R is the larger sized 14” screen Samsung Series 5 NP530U4B-A01US Ultrabook that carries the following specs:
Screen: 14" HD LED Backlit Display (1366×768) with Anti-Glare coating
Processor: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 up to 2.3GHz
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 500GB SATA Hard Drive with 16GB Express Cache
Optical Drive: DVD Burner
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, Intel WiDi, Bluetooth V3.0
Ports: 4-in-1 Multi Card Slot (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Headphone/Microphone Combo, HDMI, Ethernet RJ-45 LAN
Weight: 4lbs
Dimensions: 0.83 inches thick
The Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook has an SSD for fast wakeup from Hibernation and Sleep, but the OS is on the hard drive so don’t expect a superfast bootup time from being powered off. Some nice features of the Series 5 NP530U3B-A01US model include an anti-glare screen to reduce eye strain, ample selection of full sized ports and no need for dongles and it still stays very light at 3.24lbs. That said, the 3.24lb weight is actually over what Intel deems as a typical “Ultrabook”, Intel defines an Ultrabook as something that is under 3.1lbs. At least it meets the requirement for thinness, an Ultrabook should be less than 0.8” thick and this Samsung Series 5 13.3” Ultrabook is only 0.69” thick.
The Samsung Series 5 14” Ultrabook is way over the 3.1lb limit as it has a 4lb weight. Samsung put an optical drive inside too which means the thickness goes up to 0.83” and is also over the 0.8” limit that Intel defines as being Ultrabook. Oh well, manufacturers are free to call a product what they want despite definitions, so there you go. We’ll definitely see these Ultrabooks at CES 2012 along with a slew of others.
The bad: Thicker chassis; dual-core Atom performance is lackluster; no HDMI.
The bottom line: The curved, eye-catching Samsung NF310 is a bold 10-inch Netbook with some premium features for its price, but in the end it's not different enough to break out of the pack.
Samsung is a laptop maker that's been on a tear lately. Though the company is largely known for its TVs and smartphones, its U.S. assortment of computers has stood out lately for offering a great mix of design, features, and affordability. That's been true for Samsung's larger laptops, and it's also true (but to a lesser extent) for its Netbooks. The $399 NF310 is a dual-core Atom 10-inch Netbook that's certainly well-built, but doesn't rise far above the competition.
That's not entirely Samsung's fault: Atom Netbooks, in general, have pretty much come to a standstill in terms of features, performance, and price. While $399 is higher than the $299 price of some low-end 10-inchers, this model has a dual-core Atom N550 CPU, an HD 10-inch display, and a larger keyboard than most Netbooks. On the other hand, it's also bulkier than most, and its curvy looks, while appealing, are gloss more than function. It's certainly one of the better Netbooks we've seen, but for only $50 more, you could be looking at an affordable, more powerful 11.6-inch ultraportable instead, such as the Toshiba Satellite T215D.
Volume and brightness control are operated via function-key combinations--there aren't any dedicated buttons other than a power button on the upper right-side corner.
A silvery, matte touch pad beneath has good traction and an interesting circular-shimmer pattern, but dual-finger multitouch functions are a bit difficult to pull off due to the limited touch-pad real estate. Two large buttons beneath are easy to find, but the whole touch pad is a hair too small for the space available.
The large keyboard, while appreciated, comes at a cost: the laptop's 10-inch screen looks smaller than normal, framed in a very large bezel. A larger screen could easily have been accommodated in the NF310's chassis. As it is, though, the 10.1-inch display has a higher-definition 1,366x768-pixel resolution and an antiglare matte screen.
Pictures and text look extremely sharp, but viewing angles are limited--the picture degrades quickly even at slight angles. The higher-res display is a boon for full browser window displays, since it matches the pixel resolution on a 13-inch laptop. However, text can get pretty small on this screen unless settings are adjusted to bump up text size. For anyone with poor vision, we foresee lots of squinting. Again, it's hard to understand why this Netbook couldn't have simply used an 11-inch display.
Stereo speakers on the NF310 are booming for its size. They are not particularly rich in audio definition, but are far louder than average and perfect for playing anything from Internet radio to video. An included Webcam has decent capture quality and a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels, and comes bundled with CyberLink YouCam software.
Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook Gets an $899 Price at J&R
The full specs for the Samsung Series 5 NP530U3B-A01USavailable at J&R is as follows:
Screen: 13.3" HD LED Backlit Display (1366×768) with Anti-Glare coating
Processor: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 up to 2.3GHz
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 500GB SATA Hard Drive with 16GB Express Cache
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, Intel WiDi, Bluetooth V3.0
Ports: 4-in-1 Multi Card Slot (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Headphone/Microphone Combo, HDMI, Ethernet RJ-45 LAN
Weight: 3.24lbs
Dimensions: 12.4 (W) x 8.6 (D) x 0.58 – 0.69 (H) inches
Also showing up on J&R is the larger sized 14” screen Samsung Series 5 NP530U4B-A01US Ultrabook that carries the following specs:
Screen: 14" HD LED Backlit Display (1366×768) with Anti-Glare coating
Processor: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 up to 2.3GHz
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: 500GB SATA Hard Drive with 16GB Express Cache
Optical Drive: DVD Burner
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, Intel WiDi, Bluetooth V3.0
Ports: 4-in-1 Multi Card Slot (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Headphone/Microphone Combo, HDMI, Ethernet RJ-45 LAN
Weight: 4lbs
Dimensions: 0.83 inches thick
The Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook has an SSD for fast wakeup from Hibernation and Sleep, but the OS is on the hard drive so don’t expect a superfast bootup time from being powered off. Some nice features of the Series 5 NP530U3B-A01US model include an anti-glare screen to reduce eye strain, ample selection of full sized ports and no need for dongles and it still stays very light at 3.24lbs. That said, the 3.24lb weight is actually over what Intel deems as a typical “Ultrabook”, Intel defines an Ultrabook as something that is under 3.1lbs. At least it meets the requirement for thinness, an Ultrabook should be less than 0.8” thick and this Samsung Series 5 13.3” Ultrabook is only 0.69” thick.
The Samsung Series 5 14” Ultrabook is way over the 3.1lb limit as it has a 4lb weight. Samsung put an optical drive inside too which means the thickness goes up to 0.83” and is also over the 0.8” limit that Intel defines as being Ultrabook. Oh well, manufacturers are free to call a product what they want despite definitions, so there you go. We’ll definitely see these Ultrabooks at CES 2012 along with a slew of others.
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