Dell's thinnest and lightest Latitude X1 actually Samsung's Q30

We love Samsung laptops, and their Q30 is no exception. We heard before that Samsung's wasn't bringing their fab machines Stateside because of a noncompete with Dell—and now we know to what extent they're not competing. At least one Samsung laptop has been slated for the Dell rebadge treatment—the Q30 subnotebook will become the Dell X1—so it should be no surprise whatsoever that Dell's nicest machine to date is not their own. If you've forgotten how power-packed the diminutive Q30/X1 is, imagine a 2.4-pound 1-inch thick laptop with Sonoma Centrino, a 1.1GHz ULV Pentium M, a 12.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 768) widescreen display, up to 1.28GB of DDR2 SDRAM, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, SD slot, DVD±RW drive, and Gigabit Ethernet.

[Thanks, Steve]

[nojetlag @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Another example that Dell is just a box mover. No innovation, no high tech. Just buy, sell and making big marketing blabla.

[limpfalife @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

This laptop is sick!

[havaloc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Looks neat, but what is it with wide screen displays? Are they any better?

[limpfalife @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

It is already on the dell site take a look http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/latit_x1?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

[mt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Almost sounds like.... gasp! a Powerbook!

[dc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Wasn't their older notebooks rebranded Samsungs as well? I think the X200 or something was a rebranded Samsung.

Looks pretty sweet, waiting to get a laptop for my father, might grab this one when those coupons/deals start hitting it.

[Deadend @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

So, is there a way for me to get the Samsung one? As I do not want to be seen using a Dell.

As if Dell takes over much more of the Computer world, innovation will stop, as Dell has never innovated in terms of computers, and never wants to.

[Ryan Block @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Mt,

Actually, a 12-inch PowerBook weighs 2 pounds 2 ounces more, only has a standard 4:3 aspect-ratio screen (XGA vs. WXGA), 10/100 Ethernet (not Gigabit), DDR (not DDR2), and is about .2-inches thicker. There is no reason to draw a comparison between the two, since the Q30 easily outclasses the PowerBook.

Best,
Ryan

[Tomas @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

This seems like a reason to actually pick up a second laptop!

What kind of innovation do you people expect from a company selling computers??? I've had DELL laptops for the last 6 years and never had a problem. Dell allways offers the latest and greatest graphic cards, RAM etc.

What is so innovative about the Powerbook??? Apple can't even get around to release a G5 version!

[pedro @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

one nice thing about it being a Dell is that Dell will be FAR more agressive price-wise than Samsung ever would be.
Just cover the dell logo with electrical tape or with one of those Apple stickers. :-)

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Optical drives are external only? Feh...never mind. If it's not on-board, you only seem to need your optical drive when you don't have it. And given that this only saves .3 lbs over the Panasonic W2 that DOES have an on-board combo drive, it seems like a poor trade-off.

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

No page keys (PgDn,PgUp,End,Home) without learning Fn combo. Have fun without those! Just like the Fujitsu P7010

[victor @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Oh, I get it now. That Asian guy with the measuring tape in all of those Dell Intern commercials was a guest engineer from Samsung taking measurements of the poorly designed and aesthetically unfriendly Dell products...

[Adam Smith @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Dell doesn't innovate?

From what I understand, the new XPS notebook is the best gaming portable on the market right now.

[ken @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

As I can tell, we have a lot of HP and Gateway lovers in this room. Of course Dell does not innovate in this arena! HP sucks and especially Gateway, Dell was only an innovator in getting you the best price. Some really bright comments we have here today.

[Franz Josef @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Buy a Mac Powerbook 12". Why on God's earth would you buy a Dell running Windows?

[Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

To number 14:

Why would you ever buy an XPS? They weigh about 40 pounds and are ugly as sin. If you want to play video games THAT bad, you can stay at home and play them on your Xbox. Big, clunky, gaming portables are just silly, and far from innovative.

[Vic Matson @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

WOW! guess I don't care about anything. I just want an XP machine that's not a brick.I think I will hold off a while for the small buisness accounts to offer a coupon code now.

[J. Michael @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

To heck with an agreement with Dell. If Dell can't make laptops good enough to beat out Samsung then tough. The new Samsung X series is amazing. It has everything and is THIN and LIGHT for real. BUT of course you can't get one in the greatest country on earth (thanks for hosing us Dell)
the least they can do is remake the X series and sell it here too.
As for the powerbook. The G5 is about to come out, running Tiger. If Apple puts an ATI X600 or X700 in it, then it WILL be the laptop to beat......in america.......sans Samsung.

[tc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

16, Are you kidding me? Why does anyone want to pay an insane amount of money for an outdated powerbook? Not everyone cares about how cool and hip they look while sitting in front of their laptop in the local coffee shop. I care about performance, and I care about a computer that is compatible with all of the programs I need to run. There is no other brand out there that can match Dell's price for the performance of their machines.

[richard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

when will coupons be out???!!?!?!!? like a nice $800 one.

[Bobak Kamaei @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

what a powerbook rip off.

the 12 inch powerbook is much faster than this and comes with mac os x some decent software not like the second rate stuff you get on a dell system.

and the powerbooks have a sudden motion sensor than can be modded to use in games, scrolling and such.

read more here http://kernelthread.com/software/ams2hid/

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Just some comments:

The xps is big and ungainly but the 9300, you guys looked at that? I think you could definitely call that innovative, for a couple of hundred dollars less, and only a pound more, you get a better quality lcd, much better graphics, much better processor, faster hard drive, more usb ports, and better overall design (personal opinion).

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

oh and better battery life

[Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Ryan makes excellent points on the X1 vs the PowerBook. The 12" PowerBook is 20% thicker and nearly twice as heavy as the X1. The smallest and lightest PowerBook shall henceforth be known as "old fatty." (I kid, I kid...)

Following up on 12's point: Actually, the X1 looks like it uses a different keyboard layout than the Q30. There seem to be dedicated page up / page down keys immediately adjacent to the arrow keys. Nice hardware usability.

Actually, another dig on the PowerBook is that it not only requires an Fn combo for pgup/pgdn, but the required keys are on opposite sides of the keyboard -- so you have to use two hands just to scroll a page at a time. (Overly defensive Apple folk: Yes, I know Apple finally added scrolling trackpads to the PowerBook line at the last rev [just like my 5 year old Dell has]).

Following 19: The sleek X1 _would_ look insanely cool at the coffee shop -- more so than the trendy "me too" sea of identical PowerBooks. Sexy, high performance. Good deal.

The X1 is hardly perfect (doubtful any laptop is), but it's amazing machine for its price point, especially once the inevitable Dell deals roll in.

[sturmnacht @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I don't think the Dell's Latitude X1 is the smallest. IMHO, to compare with Apple Powerbook, it is not only the size, it's what's inside. I don't think X1 has an internal disk drive. That's a big downer. Looks like Dell still cannot match with Apple.

Fujitsu's lifebook does not have a dedicated graphics card. The Powerbook does have it.

Really, the smallest laptop is still the Sharp Actius MP30. It has graphics card, internal disk drive, and smaller than the Powerbook.

sturmnacht

[Chris Lees @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I think we can all agree that Dell, Gateway, and HP never inovate and are never on the cutting edge. XPS is a joke and will NEVER be worth the hefty price tag dell puts on it. If you want the Latest and the Greatest, you go to somewhere like Falcon Northwest, Voodoo, or Alienware.

[IcemanMN @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Will you guys quit dissing Dell in a Samsung thread? That is NOT a Dell laptop. Dell's laptops are made in Taiwan.

[Holy Moses @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Poster # 26

Not all Dells laptops are made in Taiwan. Try Xiamen or they may still be making in Penang too.

Dell are not innovators in technology but they are right at the top of the list when it comes to inventory management, procurement & sales.

I wouldn't view Dell as a technology company but they have made a huge impact in the market & will probably do so for some time to come.

[Holy Moses @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Forgot to add that if you go back a few years, Michael Dell was carrying a Samsung notebook ( I think it was given to him by samsungs Chairman ) & loved it, hence the tie up.

[nizzy1115 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

i have a x300 and i love it. this looks like it combined the widescreen of the 700m with the slimness of the x300. I would take it if i could but i love my x300 too much...my only gripe is how can they make come out with a replacemtent to the x300 that is 300mhz slower? thats not right, but im sure they will have a faster processor available for it in a month or so. My take is i love the x300, and people comment on how cool and small it is all the time, and this one is even smaller!!! I want an x1 now!

[MarvinK @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

No PC Card slot? That's almost a deal breaker.. as we use tons of cell data cards. Needed to scrap the silly compactflash/sd slots for a PC Card (PCMCIA) slot. This was a very poor decision on Dell/Samsung's part.

[Thias @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

About the X1 being a few hundred MHz slower than the (older) X300, I'd guess it's simply because the X1 doesn't use the same generation of Centrino processors, and because it manages to be completely fanless! I think the X300 still has a fan.

[Elizabeth @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

OK, I'm confused... I live in Germany, and we have the Samsung Q30 -and- the Dell Latitude X1 on the market here. I've fallen in love with the Samsung already, a very sweet little machine - but it costs twice as much as the new X1. I'm scratching my head and trying to figure out where the cost difference comes from.

And seriously - why all the harsh comments on Dell? I'm a road warrior who wants a light notebook with good specs that won't break. Should I hate Dell because they're not innovators? Comments???

[richard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Just ordered an X1, I have a x300 and love it. I do not care who makes the machine as long as it works and they provide great service when it needs it (Dell does both). The lack of PCMCIA the almost was a deal breaker however there are a few CF to PCMCIA adapters out there that will hopefully work such as http://shop.store.yahoo.com/semsons-inc/comflastopcc.html

[jimbeaux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I've been waiting two years for the next gen Dell that would be significantly lighter than my old L400 (now 4 years old, but still 3.5 lbs) and have more pixels. I like Dells because they are cheap, have good service and sell in high enough volumes that one can pick up replacement units or parts on eBay.

When I read about it, I knew the X1 was EXACTLY what I'd been waiting for, limping on with my ever longer in the tooth L400. Well NOT QUITE. The lack of PCMCIA kills it for me. My L400 is my mobile laptop and without its GSM celluar modem (PCMCIA card), it's mostly useless to me. I wish Samsung had spent the extra ounce for it.

Anyone know if there's a CF to PCMCIA adapter that is completely transparent to drivers that expect a PCMCIA card?

Verrry disappointed.

-jimbeaux

[Felix @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I bought a Gateway-branded Samsung X05 over a year ago, and I have to say I have been incredibly happy with this purchase. Not only was the price right, but it was the lightest 14" notebook available at the time. I was less than impressed by the Sony's, and wary of their elite pricing (esp. for accessories) and battery issues. This Samsung was a godsend: the optional double-size battery ($100) gives me up to four hours of computing pleasure all by itself. The elegant, simple silver casing is a dream, the only comparison being Powerbooks (and I have to say I like the design of this Samsung better!) And unlike my previous laptop (a Dell), which started falling apart piece-by-piece almost from the beginning (hinges, bits of casing, internal failures, etc.), this unit has remained in near-pristine condition and structurally sound, despite constant use and travel. Furthermore, if you compare the Latitude X1 and Q30 pics you will notice that Dell has put their own aesthetic "improvements" (not!) on it, instead of respecting the original, superior design. Thankfully the only alteration made by Gateway to my Samsung X05 seems to be the logo - and since it looks like that was put on at the original factory, it's likely that Gateway never actually touched the unit. If I sound like a shill for Samsung, that's too bad - I'm simply a grateful and satisfied customer in Berkeley California. So the upshot of all this is... for the love of God, why doesn't Samsung start selling their notebooks in this country? Hopefully I won't need to buy another notebook anytime soon, but when that time comes, I would like to be able to get another Samsung without having to order one from Asia or Europe. Please?

[Just bought an X1 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I believe the PCMCIA was ditched based on the bluetooth capability. No extra wires to lug about and your cell can still be used as a modem/fax/etc.

[Brad @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I just got my X1 and I have been comparing it to my buddy's X300 and there seems to be quite a difference in the brightness of the screen. The X300 seems far superior in brightness. I have made what I believe are all the adjustments I can like maximizing the power setting and increasing the brightness levels. Has anyone read or noticed a problem with the screen quality or brightness? I have a Compaq Evo N200 and I can't find replacement batteries or I would just keep using that. Small and very reliable over 3 years of hard use.

[Jose @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I'm living in South Korea right now and it's sad that Samsung's agreement with Dell is stopping them from coming to the US. Samsung laptops over here are the niciest laptops I have ever seen. Most of them are thinner than Thinkpads but the power they have in them is freakin unstopable. Not to mention they are way most stylish. If Dell was gonna ript he X30 like that you would think that they would release it in the red color as well, here it's kinda marketed as a "girls" laptop.

[strange dog @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

DVD's are so outdated, so is pcmcia, X1 got rid of both and also the internal fan, while it gets hot during recharge, it's fine while on battery. so small is this laptop, you hardly notice it is there. I've gone through thinkpad 240X, X22, owned a NEC's lightest versa litepad - and this baby is brutally futuristic!! okay apple powerbooks are nice too, but its bsd is slow (too many api layers compare to freebsd/linux) and many of open source packages I personally use compiled with less trouble on windows' cygwin then under osx+fink - so, apple's got a nice packaging, and very refined GUI over bsd kernel, but not a replacement for linux or windows - at least not for everyone.

[fredo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

This is the best palmtop.
One remark : there no cooling fan in this model, same as the Samsung Q30.
Does anybody know if there are other models or notebook with no fan ?