Samsung set to enter US laptop market in effort to boost sales

It looks like Samsung is shaking up more than its management today, with the company now apparently also set to finally expand its laptop business into the US market as well as an "as yet unnamed European country." This latest move, as you may recall, follows a string of problems the company has faced, and it looks like if things don't pan out as it plans with this effort, it could have even more repercussions for the company. Specifically, Samsung's senior manager of overseas sales and marketing, Sukyong Hong, says that the company needs to ship 11 million laptops in 2011 (or roughly triple its current sales) in order for its laptop division to remain "sustainable." If it doesn't, the company says it may have to pull out of the laptop business altogether, although Samsung's Sukjong Hong apparently doesn't think it'll come to that, saying that the aforementioned expansion "should" help it meet its targets.

[Richard Lai @ May 14th 2008 12:18PM]

Hmm... I suggest they sort out their reliability and service first - I've heard too many complaints in Hong Kong.

[blomster @ May 14th 2008 12:18PM]

Is this good news? Do they make any drool-worthy laptops?

[Kris @ May 14th 2008 12:27PM]

BURY HIM!

[Jordan K @ May 14th 2008 12:32PM]

they do have a few! ... check out their site under the UK tab or another country.

[rektide @ May 14th 2008 1:28PM]

I dont know about their laptops, but their consumer electronics are usually high quality and aggressively priced. Just having them in the marketplace ought to be a good thing.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ May 19th 2008 3:44PM]

Wow, I can't wait to see a Samsung laptop -- I just hope they make them just like their mobile phones. They'd be cheaply made, have low battery life, blurry webcams, nearly unusable wifi, crippled bluetooth and run something like Windows Vista. Oh yea, and instead of "ding", they play the sesame street song, or the best of the Jackson Five.

[Cole Mitguard @ May 14th 2008 12:27PM]

I dont know why Samsung is really trying to get in the notebook business on their own. I thought that the profit margins were razor thin, and they already produce the components used in many notebooks, which I think that if they redirected the resources that they are using to enter this market, and focused it on this aspect of their business, they could probably make more profit. But thats just my 2 cents.

[thebackwash @ May 14th 2008 12:40PM]

Yes! They DO make drool-worthy laptops. And they have been for years. At least they're thin and well-designed. Kinda funny, though, because now the bar has been raised so much as far as general design, and they're just entering the laptop market. Hell, even Dell is putting out some nice laptops. I personally am not so much a spec-whore, so I don't really know if they're all that great from that perspective.

[fuzzy @ May 14th 2008 12:37PM]

This is a good thing. Samsung laptops have generally been considered pretty good. I actually had one, rebadged as a Gateway, 4 or so years ago. I got a lot of flak for having a "Gateway," even though it wasn't one.

It was a solid laptop until it spontaneously combusted (not really, but just completed died) about 6 months ago. By then I had moved onto new things, but while I had it, it was rock solid.

[uclatommy @ May 14th 2008 12:54PM]

oh noes.. now we will begin to see "the worlds ______est laptops" and the "worlds first ______ laptops".

[slarity @ May 14th 2008 12:54PM]

Ya thats funny, never knew samsung made laptops. Not suprising but I didnt know...

[Valgas @ May 14th 2008 1:01PM]

Join the EEE PC killing market. SamsunG1

[R @ May 14th 2008 1:27PM]

Both Samsung and LG make a wide range of sub-notebook and widescreen laptops. They generally look good, have lots of features, and are priced reasonably. I never understood why they never sold them in the US. I'm sure lots of people would be interested in more choices in laptops. More laptops, more competition, better prices.

[Xiao Yu Jiang @ May 14th 2008 2:28PM]

Samsung is (was) not allowed to sell laptops in the US because it has (had) an agreement with Dell to not sell their laptops in the US. Dell sells several laptops that are actually rebadged Samsung laptops.

My friend owns a Samsung laptop (bought from China) and it's ROCK SOLID. I want one of those if they start selling it here.

[bob e @ May 14th 2008 1:35PM]

Samsung has the best looking Korean models in the business. I hope they utilize them for the introduction of these new laptops.

[David Gray @ May 14th 2008 1:51PM]

flaunt that hareem!

[LJKelley @ May 14th 2008 2:01PM]

Looks like my next laptop may be Samsung... The reliability of the TVs, Surround Systems are good, and extremely stylish.

I have looked at their laptops before but couldn't buy them since i'm in the US.

[Rune @ May 14th 2008 5:59PM]

Odd, I remember buying a Samsung laptop in the US 10 years ago. That thing was rock solid, ran FreeBSD with minimal tweaking. Eventually replaced it with a Dell, boy was *that* a mistake.

[E. Leigh @ May 14th 2008 8:10PM]

Actually, now they can start selling their sub-par LCD laptop panels in a sub-par notebook. Their cellphones are top-notch though.

[thehumanyawn @ May 15th 2008 12:45AM]

I think their laptops are pretty nice, I would welcome a little competition.

[Dognip @ May 15th 2008 7:42PM]

I have own a Samsung laptop for 4 years myself.
Gateway sold and badged.

I have to say it is slim, and has been a solid companion.
My only beef was I bought this model 2 months before the wireless g model came out!
I use a USB wireless g adapter taking one of the only 2 USB ports.
I replaced the 4200rpm 40 gig hard drive for a 7200rpm 60 gigger!

Hope the new model make it here soon as I am itching to upgrade...