SamsungSeries5

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  • Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch review: a solid, if slightly overpriced, mid-range Ultrabook

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    02.16.2013

    More Info Samsung demos Series 5 Ultra Touch and Series 5 Ultra Convertible Ultrabooks, we go hands-on Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch Ultrabook arrives October 26th, starting at $799 Samsung refreshes its mid-range Series 5 Ultrabook with touch; arrives in February for $749+ If you read our latest laptop buyer's guide, you may have noticed we included a lot of high-end PCs. Which makes sense: we've been quite busy reviewing flagship devices since Windows 8 went on sale last fall. We're talking the best Microsoft's partners have to offer: twisting screens, dual screens, 8-second boot-up times. That's been fun, and we're pretty sure those are the more interesting products to read about, but even so, we decided it's high time we started reviewing some more mid-range systems -- you know, those models that don't cost $1,200. So, in the coming months, you're going to see us review more of these everyman systems, in addition to those lustworthy flagships. First up: the Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch. We'll admit, we're a little tardy here, as this went on sale late last year, but if you've never heard of it, it's basically last year's Series 5 Ultrabook with a touch panel appended. For the money ($800 and up), you get some modest specs (Core i3 / i5 processors with hybrid storage and a 1,366 x 768 screen), though if our research is correct, those are the same basic specs you'll find on most competing models. Given that, any display snobs can show themselves the door now, before we even get started. But what if you've been looking for a more affordable Windows 8 system? How does Samsung's entry stack up?%Gallery-178896%

  • Samsung refreshes its mid-range Series 5 Ultrabook with touch; arrives in February for $749+

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    01.08.2013

    Just about a year after Samsung first announced its mid-range Series 5 Ultrabooks, it's refreshing them with a higher-end aluminum chassis, backlit keyboards and touchscreens. The laptop, which will be available with a 14-inch screen only, will be offerred in black, red and navy (same as the GS III). It will come standard with a touchscreen in the US, though the version on display here at CES wasn't touch-enabled. Perhaps the biggest difference -- aside from the touch bit -- is that the design has a considerably more upscale feel than the last-gen models. Here, you have a brushed aluminum lid that takes after the high-end Series 9 line. In fact, every surface here is made of metal, save for the bottom, which is plastic. The keyboard layout is more similar to last year's model, though, except that now it has backlighting. As before, the chassis is thick enough to accommodate a tray-loading optical drive. Other amenities include three USB ports (one of them 3.0), an Ethernet jack, HDMI-out, a headphone port, DisplayPort (swapped in for VGA) and a lock slot. A Samsung rep told us it will be sold in two configurations in the US: a $749 model with a Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM and an $899 model with Core i5 and eight gigs of memory. Both will have 1,366 x 768 resolution (a minor disappointment) and a 500GB hard drive paired with 24GB of ExpressCache for faster boot-ups and application launch times. In the US, at least, you're looking at integrated graphics only, though in other countries it will be available with an AMD Radeon HD 8750 GPU. Look for these in February and for now, enjoy the hands-on shots below.

  • Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    08.29.2012

    Samsung already showed off its Series 5 Hybrid back at Computex, but what we didn't know was that Sammy had yet another tablet / laptop mash-up in the works. The company just formally announced the Series 5 and it turns out it's going to be joined by the next-gen Series 7 Slate as well. (Also known as the ATIV tabs in regions outside the US.) The two 11-inch tablets more or less look alike, except the Series 5 is powered by an Atom-based Clover Trail processor, while the Series 7 packs Core i5 guts. Both support pen input, and will come with the same S Pen apps found on the Galaxy Note 10.1. As for that optional keyboard dock, Samsung previously touted its magnetic hinge, but the dock has since been retooled with a sturdier latch-based mechanism. (Check out the video below to see it in action -- the tablet really does seem incapable of falling out.) As you can imagine, that difference in processor entails more than just different clock speeds. The two-watt Atom chip inside the Series 5 is rated for about nine hours of battery life, whereas the Core i5-powered Series 7 is expected to last between four and five hours on a charge. (The Series 5 is lighter, too, at 1.65 pounds, compared with 1.89 for the Series 7.) And, being a lower-powered device, the Series 5 has no vents. Last major difference: the Series 7 has a 1080p screen, while the Series 5's resolution tops out at 1,366 x 768. On the software side, Samsung is loading all of its Win 8 systems with its various Media Hubs -- yes, just like the ones you'll find on the company's Android devices. You'll also find AllShare, a DLNA media-sharing app; S-Launcher, a widget that replicates the missing Start Menu in Windows 8; and eSettings, a centralized options menu for folks who maybe haven't learned where all the settings are in Win 8. As for those S Pen applications, you've got S Note, among other carry-overs from the Android side. As with the Note 10.1, the pen itself can recognize 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity. Both tablets will arrive October 26th, the day Windows 8 starts shipping. The Series 7 will be available in one $1,119 configuration with 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and the keyboard. The Series 5, meanwhile, will cost $649, and will include 2GB of RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive. If you like, you can purchase the keyboard for $100, or you can buy the two as a bundle for $749. We'll be back with reviews in October but until then, check out our walk-through below. (Note: we didn't get a chance to play with AllShare, the S Pen apps or the Hubs, but hopefully we can give you a more detailed demo of the software soon.)%Gallery-163062%%Gallery-163331%

  • Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch Ultrabook arrives October 26th, starting at $799

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    08.29.2012

    Remember that touchscreen Series 5 Ultrabook that Samsung showed off at Computex last June? Well, it's definitely coming to the US and will be available October 26th, the same day Windows 8 formally launches. As we noted in our hands-on, this is basically the same Series 5 we reviewed earlier this year, except the touchscreen adds some heft (it now weighs 3.83 pounds, versus 3.24 for the non-touch version). As for specs, you're looking at just two configurations, both of which have 4GB of RAM, a 13-inch (1,366 x 768) display and a 500GB hard drive with 24GB of ExpressCache. The only difference is that the entry-level $799 model has a Core i3 processor, while the $899 version steps up to i5. If that all sounds rather humdrum, Samsung is attempting to spice up Windows 8 by bundling custom apps, some of which you might remember from its various Android products. Sammy's various "Hubs" (Music, Video, Media and Social) are all present and accounted for, as is the AllShare app, which uses DLNA to share content across different devices. Additionally, Samsung is including a handful of desktop applications designed to soften the learning curve for people new to Windows 8. For instance, S-Launcher is a desktop widget that replicates the now-extinct Start Menu, live search and all. eSettings, meanwhile, is a centralized options menu for folks who might not know where to find power management or display settings in Win 8. If you follow on below, you'll find a short video walk-through of some of these apps (Sammy didn't demo AllShare or the Hubs for us, sadly), and we've also got fresh hands-on shots to complement the ones we took back in June.%Gallery-163016%

  • Samsung unveils new Series 7 and Series 5 AIOs: Windows 8 and gesture recognition for $749 and up

    by 
    Sarah Silbert
    Sarah Silbert
    08.28.2012

    Samsung teased a Series 7 all-in-one running Windows 8 -- on a 10-point touch display -- at Computex in June, and today the machine gets official with pricing and specs. The Series 7 will be available in 23- and 27-inch flavors, both of which run Microsoft's latest OS on a 1080p touchscreen. The setup includes a redesigned keyboard, which is small enough to tuck under the display's metal stand, and the AIOs will support gesture recognition. The 23-inch Series 7 costs $1,099 and runs a Core i5 CPU with 6GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and Intel Graphics 4000. The 27-inch model offers a Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and discrete AMD Radeon HD 7850M graphics, all for $1,699. In addition to refreshing its Series 7 machines, Samsung is introducing the 21.5-inch Series 5 all-in-one, which it describes as a "kitchen-style PC." Its legs are on either end of the display, leaving room to stow the keyboard under the screen and freeing up your desk (or counter) space. The Series 5 will go for $749, and it includes a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. All three AIOs have two USB 3.0 ports, three USB 2.0 connections, HDMI and a media card reader, and all will go on sale October 26th. You know the drill -- head past the break for our hands-on photos.

  • Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors

    by 
    Donald Melanson
    Donald Melanson
    06.15.2012

    We recently got a look at Samsung's new Ivy Bridge-enhanced Series 5 laptops, but it turns out that's not the only refresh the line has gotten this month. Samsung's also now rather quietly introduced a pair of new AMD-based models on its website, including an $850 14-inch version with a quad-core A10-4655M APU, and a $700 13.3-inch model with a quad-core A6-4455M (both otherwise known as Trinity processors). You'll also get an AMD Radeon HD 7500G GPU on the 13.3-incher (while the 14 relies on integrated graphics), but their specs remain pretty much in line with their Intel-based counterparts beyond that, including a standard 4GB RAM on both models and 500GB or 750GB hard drives. You can find the full rundown on each at the links below.

  • The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    06.08.2012

    It was last year that Intel chose Computex, a computer tradeshow in Taiwan, to introduce its Ultrabook concept to the world. Twelve months later, 110-plus models are in the pipeline, which meant the Taipei Convention Center was overrun by skinny, lightweight laptops. Make that skinny, touch-enabled laptops. Between those new Ivy Bridge chips and Microsoft putting the finishing touches on Windows 8, this week's show was nothing if not a five-day-long wedding between two tech giants: almost every device on display here was a vehicle for showing off Microsoft's glossy new OS. At every turn, a celebration of touchscreen notebooks. With more than 30 hands-on posts this week, we can see where one Core i5 laptop might look like the next, or how you might have failed to keep up with Jonney Shih's rapid-fire product announcements. Now that we're wrapping up here in Taiwan, though, we're ready to take a step back and think about what it is we just saw. Whether you felt overwhelmed by our wall-to-wall coverage or just need to catch up, we suggest you meet us past the break for a quick recap of all the new Ultrabooks. Oh, and if you're in the market for a new laptop, you can check your trigger-happy finger at the door. With few exceptions, we're not expecting these to go on sale until the fall, when Windows 8 is expected to start shipping.

  • Samsung demos Series 5 Ultra Touch and Series 5 Ultra Convertible Ultrabooks, we go hands-on

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    06.04.2012

    Well, look at what we have here! We just swung by Samsung's booth at Computex, and the outfit is showing off not one, but two touch-enabled variations of its Series 5 Ultrabooks. These include the Ultra Touch, a classic clamshell laptop, along with the Ultra Convertible, whose 13-inch display folds all the way back (not unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga). Both devices are on their way stateside; it's just not clear when or how much they'll cost. Until then, we've got hands-on preview photos below, along with detailed impressions and a pair of walk-through videos. So join us, won't you?%Gallery-156971%%Gallery-156973%

  • Samsung teases Series 5 Hybrid PC, a Windows 8 tablet with magnetic keyboard dock and pen support

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    06.04.2012

    You wanted Windows 8 tablet / laptop mash-ups, you got 'em! On the heels of some rather inventive product launches from Acer and ASUS here at Computex, Samsung is teasing a Win8 device of its own, the Series 5 Hybrid PC. For now, Samsung's not sharing many technical details -- we don't even know the screen size! -- but the concept, at least, is self-explanatory: this is a Transformer-like tablet that slots into an accompanying keyboard dock. In an interesting twist, though, this device doesn't make use of your run-of-the-mill latch mechanism; instead, the slate attaches magnetically. The Hybrid is rated for 10 hours of battery life and has a pair of 2- and 8-megapixel cameras. It also supports pen input, and will come bundled with the same S-Pen and S-Memo software used on the Galaxy Note 10.1 (but modified for Windows, of course). This might be a good time to clarify that unlike the 10.1 (or any other Galaxy Tab, for that matter), this is not an ARM-based slate, but rather, an X86 PC. This means, of course, that it runs full Windows 8, and not just the RT version. As it happens, Engadget had the chance to check out a prototype in advance of the launch, and it was running a two-watt Intel Clover Trail CPU. At the time, a Samsung rep told us the company was considering an ultra low voltage notebook-grade processor. Other possible specs: a 1080p display option, with some lower, unspecified resolution offered as well. Lastly, the early model we saw had a USIM slot, a microSD reader and a Superspeed USB port. Keep in mind, though, that all these details are subject to change. Back when we got a sneak peek at the Hybrid, we handled a non-powered unit, and members of the press were not permitted to take photos or video that day. We can't speak to the software experience, then, but we did find the build quality to be solid. If the idea of a magnetic hinge gives you the willies, this one seemed quite sturdy -- we don't see the slate slipping out of its cradle without any effort on the part of the user. At 747 grams (1.65 pounds) and 9mm (0.35 inches) thick, it feels denser than similar-looking products like the ASUS Transformer Prime, but then again, this is a fully functioning PC. Though Samsung won't confirm the screen size, a quick once-over told us it measures between 10 and 11 inches diagonally, matching other Win8 tablets announced this week. For now, this blend of facts and educated guesses will have to suffice, but we'll naturally hit you back with more particulars as we hear them. Update: Samsung reps staffing the company's Computex booth confirmed that the screen measures 11 inches. Zach Honig contributed to this report.

  • Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 review

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    05.29.2012

    More Info Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review Samsung is refreshing the Series 5 Chromebook, releasing the Chromebox in Q2 Chrome OS review (version 19) When the first Chromebooks hit the market last year, they were greeted with skepticism, curiosity and some noisy debate. Which makes sense: after all, who had ever heard of an operating system based entirely on a browser? Laptops that were only usable when you had an internet connection? It was a wild, ambitious idea, to be sure, but since then, we haven't heard much on that front save for the occasional price cut. Now, though, Samsung is selling the new Chromebook Series 5 550 (and Chromebox Series 3) it teased at CES, while Google is rolling out a new version of its operating system with offline doc editing, a basic photo editor and a desktop-like space that makes it easier to launch and switch between apps. Like last year's model, the Series 5 still has a matte, 300-nit, 12.1-inch display, 16GB of built-in flash storage and an optional Verizon Wireless 3G radio, but it's dressed in more conservative digs with a retooled touchpad and an Celeron -- not Atom -- processor. Accordingly, the starting price for the WiFi-only model is slightly higher ($449, up from $429), and the battery life is now rated for six hours, down from 10. Finally, the new model adds an Ethernet jack and DisplayPort -- both of which Google hopes will appeal to the schools and businesses considering using Chrome devices. Most interestingly of all, Google is planning on selling its new Chromebook in retail, signaling an intent to expand beyond geeky early adopters and one-to-one laptop programs in classrooms. If the idea is to win over more consumers, will a faster CPU and improved user experience be enough to make up for the drastically shortened battery life? Should folks in need of a portable machine with a keyboard spend their $450 on a Chromebook instead of a netbook or Transformer tablet? That's a tough one -- meet us past the break where we'll hash it all out. %Gallery-156312%

  • Samsung outs new Series 5 550P notebook in the UK, Ivy Bridge and numeric keypad onboard

    by 
    James Trew
    James Trew
    05.08.2012

    We saw a lot of things back at CES, and from the PC makers, it was mainly new Ultrabooks. Samsung, however, did present a pair of "regular" notebooks, and it looks like they're just about to stretch their legs in the UK. The Series 5 550P is available in 15- and 17-inch varieties, sporting 1366 x 768 and 1600 x 900 displays respectively. Calling the shots will be quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7 chips supported by 8GB of RAM. Graphics are dished up by a 2GB GeForce GT 650M, and there's a Blu-ray optical drive plus capacity for up to 2TB of storage. Like the Series 7, sound is handled by integrated JBL speakers complete with "Max Bass Boost" subwoofer -- crikey! Lower specification models will also be available (swapping the Blu-ray for DVD, and using shared graphics) when they hit UK stores this month.

  • Chrome OS update pushes Aura desktop UI to devs

    by 
    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    04.10.2012

    When the Aura UI first reared its rather ugly head back in November it was unclear what the future of the project was. Now, though, the hardware accelerated window manager and desktop has grown up (at least a little bit) and is being pushed out to owners of Acer and Samsung Chromebooks running on the dev channel. It's becoming clear that Google is prepping to take on the desktop OS market on more familiar ground. The updated UI includes a taskbar, a Launchpad-like launcher and individual overlapping windows, while hardware acceleration allows for those new components to feature slick animations. Chrome OS 19 also gains support for a few new file types, including .gz and .tar, as well as a slightly updated media player. The only truly unfortunate thing is it seems Cr-48 owners are left out in the cold. One more screenshot after the break.

  • 14-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook review (NP530U4B-A01U)

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    03.20.2012

    Samsung unveils 13- and 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabooks, starting at $899 (hands-on) Samsung unveils redesigned Series 5 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399 Toshiba shows off 14-inch Ultrabook, we go hands-onPop quiz: which of the following is being marketed as an Ultrabook? Behind door number one, we have a 2.5-pound wisp of a laptop with a 13-inch screen, Core i5 CPU and 128GB SSD. Next up there's contestant number two, a 3.94-pound notebook with a 14-inch display, 500GB hard drive, and DVD burner. If you guessed the latter, well, congrats on reading that headline correctly, though we'd understand if you said that first option sounds like the Ultrabook.Indeed, Samsung's Series 5 Ultrabooks are a tad plumper than most, and look especially oversized next to the Series 9, that other ultraportable we've been describing. But it's not just Samsung using loose parameters to decide what counts as an Ultrabook. If Intel's own forecast is correct, half of the 75-plus models that go on sale this year will have 14- or 15-inch screens, and we've already seen a sampling of contenders from HP, Acer and Toshiba. The idea, say PC makers, is to lure in a more old-fashioned kind of customer, shoppers who aren't quite ready to ditch their DVD drive, and who aren't keen on stepping down to a too-small screen. At the same time, these laptops are thinner and lighter than similarly sized laptops, last longer on a charge and hold the promise of faster performance -- three reasons manufacturers can get away with charging more than they would for a plain 'ol laptop.In a nutshell, that's the value proposition behind the 14-inch Series 5, which costs $949 and comes bearing a Core i5 processor, 500GB hybrid hard drive and, of course, a DVD burner. But do the benefits of a bigger Ultrabook outweigh the annoyances? And how does it compare to regular 14-inch laptops that aren't classified as ultraportables (and that don't command the Ultrabook tax)? Let's find out.

  • Samsung is refreshing the Series 5 Chromebook, releasing the Chromebox in Q2

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    01.10.2012

    We'll likely never know how many Chromebooks Samsung has sold, but we're guessing it's not a terribly impressive figure. No matter. Sammy is refreshing its first-gen Series 5 with a new model, along with that Chromebox Google first teased last spring. Starting with the Chromebook, it trades its slick cover for something muted, with more discreet logo placement, though that matte, 12.1-inch, 300-nit display has made a reappearance. On the inside, meanwhile, it steps up from Atom to Celeron, though it still has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of flash storage. Look for it sometime in the second quarter with some familiar pricing: $399 for the WiFi-only version, and $449 for the 3G model with pay-as-you-go data from Verizon. As for the Chromebox, Samsung is still staying mum on specs, though the company did tell us it comes with a wireless keyboard-and-mouse combo. It also has a handful of ports, including five USB 2.0 sockets, DVI, DisplayPort and a headphone jack. All that'll run you around $400 when it lands sometime in the second quarter. To be honest, it's difficult to imagine consumers choosing this over a Mac mini or HTPC, though Samsung makes a shrewd point when it says this might find a home in K-12 computer labs, where the cost per student would be low and the systems would consume little space. Then again, the same could be said of laptops like this, no? Update: The Chromebox, too, has a dual-core Celeron CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage -- just like the Chromebook. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

  • Samsung reveals 15- and 17-inch Series 5 laptops to arrive during 'back-to-school season'

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    01.10.2012

    Is it ever too early to trot out back-to-school laptops? Not if you're Samsung. Here at CES, hidden among the company's razor-thin Series 9 laptops and bright yellow gaming rig we found two mid-range laptops built for students, and other folks who just want something affordable and capable. What we have here are a pair of redesigned Series 5 notebooks, with 15.6- and 17.3-inch displays, respectively. And particularly given that they'll start at about $799 and max out around $1,199, they're looking pretty tempting. At this early stage, Samsung won't say much about likely specs, but so far, it seems that the specs could be quite generous. Take the display, for example. Both have the same matte, 300-nit display used in the new company's Ultrabooks, and the resolution is fixed at 1600 x 900 for the 15-incher, and 1080p for the larger model. At the high end, they'll both be available with a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, JBL speakers, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M card with Optimus, an optional Blu-ray drive and up to 1TB in storage (2TB for the 17-inch version). Not too shabby for a mid-range laptop, especially if Samsung keeps its word and caps the price at $1,200. Plus, if we do say so, the keys are sturdy and pillowy, and the whole package isn't bad-looking either, though we'll let you, dear readers, be the judge. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

  • Samsung unveils 13- and 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabooks, starting at $899 (hands-on)

    by 
    Dana Wollman
    Dana Wollman
    01.09.2012

    Depending on your point of view, Samsung was either late to the Ultrabook party, or perhaps just a bit early. Although the 2.8-pound Series 9 was a sight to behold when it first came out last year, it arrived shortly before Intel kicked off its Ultrabook campaign, and failed to match all of Chipzilla's early-stage requirements. This year, Sammy's back with a redesigned Series 9... along with two laptops it's actually calling Ultrabooks. The notebooks, both of which fall under the company's Series 5 line of products, and which recently surfaced online, include your requisite 13-incher, along with a larger 14-inch model with an optical drive.Both machines will have Core i5 processors, 4GB of RAM, eight-hour batteries and Intel integrated graphics, along with the same matte, 300-nit (1366 x 768) display that we loved so much in the Series 5 Chromebook. And though the 13-incher will have a 128GB SSD option, each comes standard with a standard 500GB 5,400RPM drive with 16GB of express cache for faster boot times and application-launching. You may recall this feature from the Series 7 Chronos laptop, except this time around, Sammy doubled the amount of flash memory paired with the HDD.Another thing the two systems have in common: they're each denser than the early Ultrabooks we saw, with the 14-inch model coming in at 3.95 pounds, and the 13-incher tipping the scales at 3.5 pounds (a full fifth of a pound heavier than the HP Folio!). At least that girth comes with an unsparing port selection: Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 sockets and an SD slot. And that's just the 13-inch version: its big brother adds an optical drive, VGA output and a larger memory card reader. The pair will be available January 30th, starting at $899 for the 13-inch model and $949 for the 14-inch version. (The 13-inch configuration with the 128GB SSD will ring in at $1,099.) We expect to get our hands on final review units soon enough, but since we've already scored a few minutes of hands-on time, we've got photos and first impressions for you to peruse right this second.

  • Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook listed at US retailer for $900, 'coming soon'

    by 
    Sharif Sakr
    Sharif Sakr
    01.04.2012

    Looks like that 13.3-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook we saw honeymooning with a 'friend' in Korea is almost ready to head over to the States. JR.com has listed it as "coming soon" for $899.99 along with a spec sheet that details the same 500GB/16GB hybrid drive we saw previously, along with a Core i5-2467M serving up CPU horsepower and graphics, 4GB of DDR3, 1366 x 768 LED backlit display, a single USB 3.0 port and WiDi. The weight and dimensions seem slightly chunkier than last reported though, with thickness reaching a maximum of 0.69-inches and a weight of 3.24 pounds -- still, it's a lot more shapely than the 1TB 14-incher it left behind. [Thanks, Deron]

  • Samsung outs two new Series 5 laptops in Korea, claims they're Ultrabooks

    by 
    Sharif Sakr
    Sharif Sakr
    12.12.2011

    Is there room on the Ultrabook wagon for two new models from Samsung? There's a 13-incher and a 14-incher, which both reportedly come under its Series 5 branding (previously used for Chromebooks), but at first glance only the smaller model might deserve its seat: it has the requisite Sandy Bridge processor and a perfectly compliant 0.59-inch thickness, but it adds 500GB of HDD storage on top of a 16GB SSD, which brings its weight right up to the 1.4kg (3.1 pound) limit. Meanwhile, the 14-inch variant scrapes through the 0.83-inch thickness criterion, but its 1TB HDD and discrete AMD graphics lead to a 1.8kg weight that seems well overboard. The pricing looks acceptable, with both models starting at the equivalent of around $1150, but we can't wait to see what happens when Intel inspects their tickets.

  • IRL: The stuff Engadget editors are using... in real life

    by 
    Engadget
    Engadget
    08.26.2011

    Hi, guys! Welcome to IRL, a brand new feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life. One of the reasons we started this column is that we don't necessarily stop evaluating products once we slap on a numbered rating and publish some 3,000 words worth of impressions. This is a dilemma all gadget reviewers wrestle with, really. It's one thing to test a product for a week and report back on benchmark results and battery life, but it's another thing entirely to live with it. Sometimes, there are things we didn't get to test. And if you play with something long enough, the Honeymoon always comes to an end. No exceptions. We still see reviews as a snapshot in time -- our job, after all, is to size up the products folks might be thinking of buying today, and it's not fair to stay mum while we wait for companies to tweak products they had no business shipping half-baked in the first place. But we don't think the conversation should end with the review. You guys already get to sound off on the things you own in the "How would you change?" column. Consider this our turn.

  • Samsung Series 5 lands in Europe June 24th, starting at 399 euros

    by 
    Christopher Trout
    Christopher Trout
    06.22.2011

    The US has already tasted its first piece of the Chromebook pie, and now Samsung's serving up a slice to our friends across the pond. That's right, the Samsung Series 5 will grace European soil starting this Friday, and will set our European brethren back €399 (or £349) for the Wi-Fi model and €449 (or £399) for the 3G version. The Chrome OS laptop will be available in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy to start, and is said to be on the way to other countries in the next few months. So stop licking your lips already. Full PR after the break.