Samsung intros 17.3-inch R720 multimedia laptop

There ain't too many options when it comes to finding that special 17.3-inch laptop in your life, but we're thrilled to see at least one more PC maker putting those oddly sized LCD panels to use. Quietly announced across the pond, the R720 is the natural successor to last summer's smash hit, the R710. Said machine sports a LED-backlit panel, ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 4650 graphics, stereo speakers (with "subwoofer"), a full-sized numeric keypad next to the QWERTY layout, four USB 2.0 sockets and Windows Vista Home Premium running the show. Sadly, it seems as if we'll have to wait patiently on more details (price, release, HDD size, etc.), but we get the idea this one's headed for UK stores first, anyway.

Update: Samsung's UK PR agency pinged us with the following details:

• SSP's including VAT will start from £599.
• HDD is 320GB
• Available from July in the UK

[Teh Lup @ Jun 10th 2009 10:11AM]

Darren Murph not hating on something that doesn't have an apple on it. W0wz3rz!

[ImPulsE @ Jun 10th 2009 10:18AM]

agreed lol, anyways, LCD panel looks nice, I wonder how much will it really cost... shouldn't be a bargain even, it's samsung after all.

[Fernando @ Jun 10th 2009 10:16AM]

Come on Engadget shouldn't it be. "Windows Vista Home Premium running the slow show"

[Fernando @ Jun 10th 2009 10:18AM]

I put the strikethrought tags on slow but it didn't take. FAIL dammit.

[ImPulsE @ Jun 10th 2009 10:21AM]

For now it is "Windows Vista Home Premium running the show," but soon enough it will change to "Windows 7 rocking the show"

[Shiz @ Jun 10th 2009 10:23AM]

Pretty nice.

I may wait until Windows 7 comes out to get a new laptop, or get something like this on the cheap (hopefully, but don't count on it) and upgrade the OS down the line.

[webran61 @ Jun 10th 2009 10:57AM]

What a horrible design for a premium multimedia laptop. Where's the plastic chrome?

[aardWolf @ Jun 10th 2009 11:17AM]

Oooh!!! A "multimedia" laptop! Does that mean it plays video AND audio instead of just the static images that regular laptops display?

[Richard @ Jun 10th 2009 11:47AM]

The trackpad on these 17 inchers with number pads is always right where my palm rests.

[crescentdavid @ Jun 10th 2009 12:07PM]

So you center your wrists in order to use the numeric keypad as equally as your text input? Interesting.

[Richard @ Jun 10th 2009 1:00PM]

@crescentdavid

I was referring to the keyboard, not the numeric keypad.

Its strange, because they don't center the trackpad by much to the chassis but between the keyboard offset, the trackpad location and my centering myself to the screen, my palm is always hitting the trackpad.

[lixiangferrari @ Jun 10th 2009 2:02PM]

Very nice! But I need to know the details~

[dan2600 @ Jun 10th 2009 4:30PM]

ive never been a fan of samsung laptops

[Lundmark @ Jun 10th 2009 5:54PM]

It has feet around the screen. Period.