Samsung X360 handled, fights MacBook Air to the death

We're not just staring down a boring press release of Samsung's new X360, we actually got to fiddle around with it for a few minutes and came away fairly impressed. It has a build somewhere in-between the plastic-ish Voodoo Envy 133 and the rock-solid ThinkPad X300, though probably closer to the latter, and the sheen of Silver Nano Technology on the technology saves us from bacteria but adds a slightly cheap flavor to the keyboard. The isolated keys aren't as deep as those found on Sony's latest models, nor not quite as crisp as an Apple keyboard, but should make for a comfortable typing experience. The port layout seems reasonable, the LED-backlit screen bright and not-too-terribly-glossy, and the brushed metal finish on the back is surely a nice touch. We didn't play much with the Korean OS, but Samsung claims the next-gen 128GB SSD offers a 25-50 percent boot time bump. Up against the MacBook Air the X360 is significantly thicker, but actually a tiny bit (3 ounces) lighter. We'll leave it to you to decide the victor while we swap USB devices willy nilly in an attempt to finish this post.

Gallery: Samsung X360 handled, fights MacBook Air to the death

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[telepheedian @ Aug 28th 2008 12:50PM]

Makes me wonder if the X360 is susceptible to the RRoD.

[Nick @ Aug 28th 2008 1:09PM]

you fail

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Aug 28th 2008 5:41PM]

I actually lol'd.

[Christian Walters @ Aug 28th 2008 12:58PM]

Heh, I thought along the same lines when I read the title as-"Samsung Xbox 360 Handheld"....BOY was I ready to read about that!

[phanbouy @ Aug 28th 2008 1:40PM]

"patient presented with second degree burns from holding gaming console in hands"

[Anon @ Aug 28th 2008 5:54PM]

"patient presented with second degree burns from holding gaming console in hands"

Wasn't that the psp?

[Muhammed @ Aug 28th 2008 12:59PM]

Let them fight, we're the winners.
Both look very nice I wish I could just buy them both.

[Anonymoose @ Aug 28th 2008 1:09PM]

weird, i said the same exact thing in amsterdam. who knew that brothels and gadget blogs elicited the same responses?

[phanbouy @ Aug 28th 2008 1:20PM]

they do when all the best weed is only $7 a gram

[Pander @ Aug 28th 2008 12:59PM]

"[...]and the sheen of Silver Nano Technology on the technology saves us from bacteria[...]"

I guess he ment on the keyboard.

[bob e @ Aug 28th 2008 12:59PM]

First post in IE8 Beta 2 - had to switch to compatibility mode...
Something is screwy with the comment box guys.

Nonetheless that Sammy would look pretty nice on my coffee table near the Sammy 46" HDTV

[Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 28th 2008 1:24PM]

I'm also using IE8 Beta 2 and the comment box appears normal to me and I'm not running in compatibility mode.

[1234321 @ Aug 28th 2008 3:21PM]

using Firefox 3.0.1
everything works perfectly

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 28th 2008 4:42PM]

You know what DOESN'T work in FF3? Windows Live Hotmail.

I'm still using Firefox 2.

[kevinm @ Aug 28th 2008 5:38PM]

Windows Live Hotmail works perfect for me under FF3.

[DarkLight @ Aug 28th 2008 7:17PM]

Why the F are you using Hotmail?

(Or IE, for that matter)

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 28th 2008 7:35PM]

Because I have had Hotmail for a very long time and that's the email address people remember. Also it works pretty well. I like the interface.

[Jason @ Aug 28th 2008 7:57PM]

It's a Windows Live Hotmail issue...called SUCK.

[Muhammed @ Aug 30th 2008 5:32PM]

@ Abuzar: I run FF3 and I can't even remember the last time I had an issue with anything, everything works great, including Windows Live mail.

[Chaitanya Ramaram @ Aug 28th 2008 12:59PM]

I hope it will be a good competitor to overpriced MacBook Air...

[Zak @ Aug 28th 2008 1:11PM]

Get a clue, son. This thing is going to have a 128GB SSD? Your wallet gon' get raped.

[indeed @ Aug 28th 2008 5:16PM]

Zak, there are other options... including a cheap 5400rpm 120GB HDD.

[Russ @ Aug 28th 2008 1:03PM]

hmmmm.. that xbox 360 looks like the vaio tz series ultra portable notebooks.. oh wait.. :P

[sepirioth @ Aug 28th 2008 1:06PM]

X360? I thought I already had one of those in my living room... namely the Xbox360. that's a VERY close name in my humble opinion :)

[mcatrage @ Aug 28th 2008 2:01PM]

Yeah I mean what if I'm so confused I start carrying my xbox 360 around because I think it's my netbook. I mean think of my back.

[Micanos @ Aug 28th 2008 1:09PM]

Wow... That's amazing. I want one. Go Sammy!

[Anonymoose @ Aug 28th 2008 1:10PM]

how much heat does this thing produce?

[absinthe party @ Aug 28th 2008 1:15PM]

1.21 jigga.. BTUs?

[paul @ Aug 28th 2008 1:18PM]

looks nice but IMO the macbook air looks nicer. there's something about apple and being apple to make all their stuff look beautiful and unique

[Sam @ Aug 28th 2008 2:02PM]

Unique, when they first come out.

Not so much when everyone has an iPod, an iPhone and an iMac, seeing as THEY'RE ALL THE SAME

[Juxtah @ Aug 28th 2008 1:37PM]

What's unique about Apple? All their products are aluminium or shiny plastic with Apple logo stamped on it. IMO it just looks horribly bland and generic, a return to the early 1990's of case design that everything must look exactly the same

[phanbouy @ Aug 28th 2008 1:38PM]

leave paul alone, he drives a convertible.

[john @ Aug 28th 2008 2:28PM]

haha, you failed! lowest ranked for being apple fanboi^^

[sr @ Aug 28th 2008 2:35PM]

The Apple is nothing special, it's just that the Samsung is cheesy and glossy like it was made for people off the street who buy glossy laptops at Best Buy. I hope it is cheap like it looks.

[Tim @ Aug 28th 2008 1:19PM]

"nor not quite as crisp as an Apple keyboard"

uhm... so it's just as crisp as an Apple keyboard???

[phanbouy @ Aug 28th 2008 1:21PM]

i like crisp red delicious or granny smith apples, personally

[scott @ Aug 28th 2008 2:16PM]

oh man i could go for an apple right now. i'm starving..

[Tumbleweed @ Aug 28th 2008 1:19PM]

Very pretty, but flat keys are for people who aren't touch typists. Sony & Apple have the same problem.

[Christian Martin @ Aug 28th 2008 1:23PM]

They don't exactly look like they're fighting; they look like in ~9 months we can expect another Eee PC model...

[Maneki Neko @ Aug 28th 2008 1:24PM]

Please, this is not a competitor for the MacBook Air. This is a competitor for the X300 or the Voodoo Envy 133.

People who are in the market for a MacBook Air are not going to stop, see some new Windows machine, and decide not to buy Apple, especially when the X300 and 133 already didn't do it for them already. This is a competitor for the X300 and the 133 -- full-featured ultra-light 13 inch screen Windows notebooks.

Making the comparison to the MBA just feeds fuel to the hype machine. Not that Engadget is ever slow to fuel the Apple hype machine.

[Zak @ Aug 28th 2008 1:35PM]

They're all ultralight 13.3" notebooks, but because the Air is from Apple somehow it's not a competitor for the X360? What planet are you on, and what are they smoking there?

[JR @ Aug 28th 2008 1:59PM]

Yeah, I'm with Zak on this one. People who are considering the Air might also consider this, and vice versa.

[Stranger @ Aug 28th 2008 2:05PM]

Maneki made a wise comment. If you plan to buy a computer to run Windows you will not buy a MBA for obvious reasons. And if you plan to run OS X on an ultraportable you will only choose beteen MBA and ..well MBA. The only part of the market where these machines fight for the same customers are for the few for whom the choice of OS is less important that that of the hardware to run said OS.

[nikster @ Aug 28th 2008 5:26PM]

Astute observation, Sir.

The MBA doesn't play in the same market as the other 13" sub-notes at all. Only a very small number of geeks is going to compare it to the X300 or this new entrant, and those geeks are probably happier with the PC in any case.

I met an archetypical MBA customer recently - He's 60 years old; he has a Windows laptop that's not quite sleek enough for his taste; the MBA happens to do everything he needs for his daily work (word processing, email, web); he has enough money to by a MBA. And lastly he lusts after the Air because it looks so good. He is fine with Windows but thinks he'll be fine with OS X too. For him the MBA's many compromises don't matter.

Just an example, but that's the MBA market. That Samsung doesn't nearly look good enough to come under consideration.

And, yes, the only reason Engadget and other media outlets will mention the MBA in connection with this laptop is $$$$$$$$$$$$$. Linkbait. I wish they'd stop already.

[Jason @ Aug 28th 2008 8:16PM]

Who the hell high ranked Stranger? Any computer can run any OS nowadays, and soon you'll see (but won't notice) seamless virtualized MacOS apps on Windows and Linux and vice versa. Competition is alive and well.

[David Rankine @ Aug 28th 2008 1:25PM]

It doesnt look thinner than the Mac Air in that picture !!

[Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 28th 2008 1:28PM]

"Up against the MacBook Air the X360 is significantly thicker, but actually a tiny bit (3 ounces) lighter."

[Sam @ Aug 28th 2008 2:02PM]

rtfo

[Lancelot @ Aug 28th 2008 1:29PM]

Part of what sets the Macbook Air apart, as well the Macbook & Pro, is the great operation system. I'm not saying it's a value buy, because it isn't, but no way can Windows XP or Vista beat OS X Tiger / Leopard. This observation comes from a 15 yr. Windows Tech..

[phanbouy @ Aug 28th 2008 1:37PM]

so once you reach the 15 year mark in IT you get to call it "operation system"?