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How would you change Samsung's 13-inch Series 9?
It's rare that a device gets the personal seal of approval from our reviews chief, but that's the the hallowed ground that Samsung's Series 9 gets to stand upon. It earned praise for its excellent build, battery life, display and performance, and our only gripe was a trackpad that needed a software tweak or two. The question is, outside of our testing laboratory, did it hold up to scrutiny? Did you buy one on our suggestion, and if so, how have you found it? Welcome to How Would You Change.
Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook with 1080p display available now for $1,400
Last month, Samsung outed an update to the 13-inch Series 9 that saw its 1,600 x 900 LCD display replaced with the glory of full 1080p. And starting today, that Windows 8 Ultrabook is going on sale with pretty much the same internal configuration it had in a previous, less Premium life -- save for the 2GHz Core i7 inside. For a cool $1,400, you're looking at 4GB of RAM, an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU, WiFi a/b/g/n and a 128GB SSD all neatly packed into an aluminum unibody design. So, you can do your eyes a favor (and your wallet some significant damage) by trading up now. Or stick with what you've got. Don't worry, if they don't ask, you don't have to tell Intel.
How would you change Samsung's Series 9?
It's not that many devices that we ever really go to bat for, but Samsung's Series 9 Ultrabook has a small place in our heart. When we reviewed the mid-2012 refresh, we could only find a few problems -- the flaky trackpad, the limited storage options and the fact it was a bit on the pricey side. We've known for a while that Samsung's product engineers scour your comments for useful suggestions, so if you bought one of these, why not share your experiences with 'em?
Samsung ships ATIV Smart PC Pro with AT&T LTE, 13-inch Series 9 Premium with 1080p screen
Samsung's ATIV Smart PC has been giving Americans a blend of LTE data and Windows 8 for some time, but we're sure that some would like a little more oomph. The company agrees -- it just released a version of the ATIV Smart PC Pro equipped with AT&T-capable LTE. If you've got a not-insubstantial $1,600 to commit to a tablet, you can stay online beyond WiFi while wielding a laptop-grade 1.7GHz Core i5, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and as much as eight hours of runtime. Ultrabook fans aren't left out from Samsung's upgrades. A newer Premium trim level for the 13-inch Series 9 swaps out the regular 1,600 x 900 LCD for a full 1080p screen. The higher resolution bumps the price to a slightly intimidating $1,900, although Samsung does outfit the PC with a 1.9GHz Core i7, 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Between this and the Smart PC Pro, it's safe to say that the company can accommodate the highest of the high end.
Spotted: Samsung shows off a white Series 9 Ultrabook with a different finish, we prefer the old version
Welcome to "Laptop Porn," an exciting series hosted by that lady who reviews notebooks sometimes. Here at CES 2013, Samsung is showing off a white version of its 13-inch Series 9 Ultrabook -- the same second-gen model that's been shipping since last year. What's interesting is that although this has the same magnesium-alloy frame as all the other Series 9 laptops, the finish feels different: it's smoother, and warmer to the touch. It feels so different, in fact, that we initially thought it was some sort of watered-down plastic version meant to be sold at a lower price. As it turns out, it's apparently just difficult to paint metal, and the manufacturing process required to make this laptop in white results in a smoother surface. We're not sure we prefer it this way, though this finish does have the advantage of masking fingerprints better. Samsung says it hasn't decided whether or not to bring this to market. In fact, a rep told us the product team is going to listen to feedback at the show to decide whether or not introducing this different material is a good idea. (We already know they take Engadget commenters very seriously!) In any case, in absence of any concrete plans, we'll leave you to peruse our hands-on photos and have unnecessarily heated arguments about color preferences.%Gallery-175324%
Samsung smuggles new Series 9 prototype into IFA: 2,560 x 1,440 on a matte display (hands-on)
Well, this snuck up on us. Close to the end of the first official open-floor day at IFA, Samsung managed to eke out yet another product we want to get our hands on, soonish. This 13-inch Series 9 WQHD Ultrabook beams Windows 8 on 2,560 x 1,440 display (oh yes), making a visible leap beyond the existing Series 9 13-incher, which sticks to a more typical 1,600 x 900. Better still, the surface of the screen has a gentle matte finish. The engineering sample arrived in the Samsung spokesperson's hands just seven days ago. The resolution matches ASUS' high-grade gamer monitor in pixels, if falling ever so slightly short of the Retina Display on Apple's newest MacBook model. There was no news on what the manufacturer will call the new display tech, further specifications, or even whether this was just a proof of concept -- the device was chilling in the corner of the electronics giant's innovation gallery. Hopefully, Samsung won't hold out on those details for much longer. Take a look for yourself in our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-164050% Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: ultraportables
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today we're getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of August we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- you can hit up the hub page right here! Given their roots -- luxury machines like the original MacBook Air ($1,800) and last year's Samsung Series 9 ($1,649) -- you'd be forgiven if you initially dismissed Ultrabooks as being too extravagant for a college-bound student. Thankfully, though, prices have sunk so low that you can now find a thin, fast, ultraportable laptop for as little as $700. The only problem, perhaps, is a paradox of choice: the selection is already crowded with dozens of contenders, and there are 100-some-odd more models in the pipeline, according to Intel. Fortunately for you, dear readers, we've had the chance to handle or even review many of them, and were able to whittle down the offerings to a handful of promising contenders. Whether you're prepared to spend $750 or $1,400, we have something that'll fit the bill.
Samsung Series 9 13-inch lands 1.9GHz Core i7, 256GB SSD edition for the power user set
When we looked at the 13-inch Samsung Series 9, we lamented that there was only one version on offer: if anyone wanted more than a Core i5 and a 128GB drive, their dreams were crushed. Samsung must feel that there's hope for us yet, as there's now a higher-end spec that slots in a 1.9GHz Core i7 and doubles the storage to 256GB. That's good news to us, even if the 4GB RAM ceiling will still have some avid Ultrabook fans turning elsewhere. Springing for the new flagship will set shoppers back by about $300 more than the previous top of the line, or $1,700 -- still pricey relative to the competition, but much more palatable you're searching for a premium Windows 7 ultraportable and aren't willing to budge on screen size.
Samsung Series 9 review (13-inch, mid-2012)
More Info Samsung unveils redesigned Series 9 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399 Samsung Series 9 review (15-inch, mid-2012) Samsung refreshes Series 9, 5 and 3 laptops, unveils two new Series 5 systems Good things come in pairs, right? Earlier this year Samsung revamped its high-end Series 9 line with two new Ultrabooks: an impressively thin 15-inch model, along with a more portable 13-inch machine. So far this year, we've gotten a chance to review the larger version which remains one of our favorite ultraportables ever, thanks to its minimal design, fast performance, lovely display and long battery life. "So what?" you're thinking. "Why bother revisiting the miniature version?" For one, friends, Samsung only recently refreshed the Series 9 with third-generation Intel Core processors, and we were eager to make note of any performance gains. More importantly, though, the 13-inch Series 9 faces stiffer competition than its big brother. There truly isn't another big-screen notebook quite as thin or as light as the 15-inch Series 9; if those are the attributes that matter most, that's the laptop you're best off getting. But the smaller Series 9 finds itself fighting for space on retail shelves amidst high-end ultraportables like the MacBook Air, ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A, the HP Envy Spectre XT and, well, you get the idea. So how does this $1,300 system fare against such worthy opponents? Read on to find out.
Samsung's 27-inch Series 9 LED monitor hits US retailers
Samsung wasn't saying much about US availability when it showed off its new Series 9 monitor back at CES in January, but it's now finally confirmed that it will be available at a number of different retailers starting June 29th (following a brief "prelaunch" period with Newegg). Coming in at the expected $1,199.99, this one is a 16:9 LED PLS monitor, and it packs a suitably high-end 2560 x 1440 resolution along with most of the other features you'd expect from a $1,200 monitor: HDMI, DVI and a pair of USB ports, an all glass and metal enclosure, and support for MHL-enabled smartphones and tablets. Those curious can find a full rundown of the rest of the specs at the source link below.
Samsung refreshes Series 9, 5 and 3 laptops, unveils two new Series 5 systems
We knew Series 9 laptops with Ivy Bridge weren't too far off when Samsung prematurely leaked the news on its own site. Well, if you've been patiently awaiting a refresh, your day has come: the company held a press event in New York City today where it showed off both the 13- and 15-inch models with Intel's third-generation Core processors in tow. Hardware-wise, there aren't many changes to what you saw on the earlier models, though Samsung added Bluetooth 4.0 support and shaved 0.1 inches off the silhouette. Along with the Series 9, Samsung's Series 5 laptops are getting new Ivy Bridge innards. The only changes besides the processor upgrade are Bluetooth 4.0 support and a USB 3.0 socket. And the low-end Series 3 isn't getting overlooked entirely either: the company is upgrading the line to dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs (previous models ran Pentium units). But that's not all: on top of all those refreshes, the company has two new Series 5 machines. The Series 5 500 starts at $800 and offers a 14-inch 1366 x 768 display, 500GB of storage space and a third-gen Core i5 CPU. The 15.6-inch Series 5 costs $100 more and features a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor along with a 750GB hard drive. Both models also include NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M graphics. Sammy says they will be up for order by mid-June. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: laptops
In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. If you've been in the market for a new laptop, you've done the wise thing in waiting until now to buy: both Intel and AMD are putting the finishing touches on their newest mobile chips, which means a torrent of fresh notebooks is on the way. (Power users can already pick up a gaming machine or desktop replacement running one of Intel's new quad-core CPUs.) For the widest selection, we suggest waiting until mid-June or so, but in the meantime, we present you three of the best laptops money can buy right now. Enjoy, and do stick it out, if you can, for the inevitable Ivy Bridge refreshes. But if you must pull the trigger immediately, jump down past to the break to read our summertime suggestions.
Visualized: What the new Samsung Series 9 could have looked like
In case you haven't noticed, we've gotten multiple opportunities to talk shop with Samsung executives over the past couple days. After we finished grilling the R&D team on higher-res displays, we sat down with the designers behind the latest Series 9 Ultrabooks, and they surprised us by whipping out a late-stage prototype -- aka, a glimpse at what these laptops might have been, were it not for a little extra hemming and hawing and at least one executive veto. You know what they say: a picture tells a thousand words, and we've got quite a few embedded below for your viewing pleasure. If you're obsessed with minutiae like the keyboard backlighting color, however, follow past the break for more on all those rejected design ideas, and feel free to let us know in the comments which ones you would've preferred.%Gallery-155616%
Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life?
Bandwagons, trains and Tranes. Can't say that these three have a heck of a lot in common in most regards, but one thing's for sure: trying to stop this trio would be a Herculean task. And so it goes with laptops -- once upon a time, it was good enough to have something that resembled a portable tower, but these days, the ability to even see the chassis at all feels like a negative. I exaggerate, of course, but the proverbial race in the laptop world is hardly about price; it's about thinness. Intel's unstoppable quest to plaster the Ultrabook term as far and wide as possible has led to a change in the way consumers are viewing portable machines, and Apple's devilishly thin MacBook Air certainly played a role, too. What we're left with is a very curious priority list, and I'm wondering if too many OEMs have stopped to wonder if the "obvious" is indeed the "right." I'll be the first to confess that I love the look of thin. Samsung's Series 9 and Acer's Aspire S5 might just be two of the sexiest machines to ever be built, and Dell's original Adamo was primarily of interest due to one thing: its jaw-droppingly thin frame. But there's some saying about putting form before function that seems to apply here, particularly when keying in on battery life. I've no doubt that the marketing and research teams for PC makers far and wide understand the realities of the market place, and perhaps the average consumer really doesn't need more than four to six hours of life on a single charge. Five years ago, squeezing that much life from machines under an inch thick would've required some sort of wizardry that exists only in a rarely visited corner of West Hollywood. But today, I'm a dreamer. And I'm dreaming of a laptop with "all day battery life" -- something that could be screamed from the rooftops, and honestly, something that could probably be accomplished tomorrow if our laptop options weren't on such a diet.
Samsung exec admits the 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better viewing angles
When we reviewed the 15-inch Samsung Series 9, we found very little to complain about, save for the narrow viewing angles and the fair-weather trackpad. Turns out, Samsung at least agrees with the first part. In a show of candor, Raymond Wah, VP of PC product strategy, told a group of reporters, "We can make improvements in terms of the viewing angle." That's not surprising, given that Samsung's homegrown 15-inch display doesn't currently make use of the same IPS-like PLS technology as the panel used in the 13-inch Series 9. It would seem, then, that it's occurred to Samsung to develop one, though company reps declined to say when we might see a 15-inch Series 9 with such a panel in tow. For now, anyway, the outfit is giving itself some credit for the laptop's relatively dense 1600 x 900 pixel count (and rightfully so!). Interestingly, Wah's comments come at a time when MacBook Pro rumors are starting to flow fast and furious, and a Retina display is looking like a fair possibility. As to whether Samsung will ever produce a 4K laptop display of its own, Wah declined to comment, but he did note that right now there isn't enough content optimized for that higher resolution, and that such screens would be costlier to produce. Until all that changes, we have to admit we're pretty pleased with the Series 9's resolution too -- after all, anything's better than plain old HD.
Visualized: Second-gen Samsung Series 9 gets torn down to its ultra-slim components
Chances are you're no stranger to the Samsung Series 9 -- the first generation stood out for its slimness, and the most current version is an impressive 28 percent thinner. If you're wondering how those notebooks can be so dang skinny, your curiosity will be satisfied by Samsung's teardown of a 13-inch model. A thinner LCD and a customized main board contribute to the machine's slight profile, as do a 40 percent slimmer touchpad and a built-in lithium-polymer battery. As is so often the case, the pictures speak much louder than words, so hop over to Samsung's blog for a gander.
Samsung teases Series 9 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, leaves availability in the ether
Samsung's latest Series 9 Ultrabook is certainly a beautiful piece of engineering, but really, what's the fun in purchasing a new laptop with yesterday's internals? Fortunately, users won't need to make that compromise, as the company has now outed a refreshed version of the computer that's complete with Ivy Bridge internals. The move follows Samsung's recent reveal of the Series 7 Gamer laptop, but as you'd expect, components in the Series 9 are geared more toward efficiency than performance. At its heart, you'll find a dual-core 1.7GHz Core i5 3317U CPU (which has yet to be announced), Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the HM75 Express chipset. While its internal storage remains the same, with a 128GB SSD, its memory has received a pleasant bump up to 8GB. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for those who want to own the very latest, we invite you to stay tuned. [Thanks, Brooks]
Samsung Series 9 review (15-inch, mid-2012)
More Info Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) laptop review Samsung unveils redesigned Series 9 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399 Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9 Before there were Ultrabooks, there was the Samsung Series 9. When it arrived on the scene last year, measuring .64 inches thick, weighing 2.8 pounds and packing a blazing SSD, it seemed to offer Windows users the closest thing to a no-compromise experience -- provided, of course, they were willing to pony up the requisite $1,649. As it turns out, the Series 9 was great -- memorable, even -- but not without flaws. It lacked an SD slot, the trackpad was jumpy and the display resolution topped out at a humdrum 1366 x 768. A year later, Samsung is back with a second-generation laptop that promises to correct all of these shortcomings, and ushers in an even thinner, even lighter design. Make that two laptops: Sammy's selling a 15-inch Ultrabook, too. And truly, there's nothing quite like it: nothing quite this thin, with this large a screen. (Consider for a moment that it measures just .08 inches thicker than the new 13-inch Series 9, which is already thinner than most other Ultrabooks on the market.) As always, though, luxury doesn't come cheap. The 15-inch Series 9 will cost $1,500 when it ships at the end of this month (the 13-inch version is available for an also-pricey $1,400, though we haven't gotten to take that model for a spin yet.) Ultimately, then, are the Series 9's elegant aluminum design and 1600 x 900 matte display enough to justify the premium you'll pay over other Ultrabooks? And does the 15-inch version offer long enough battery life to match its larger size? Let's find out.
Samsung's crystal-studded Series 9 laptop to make its QVC debut tomorrow
Been waiting patiently to get your hands on Samsung's limited edition Series 9 laptop since its first showing at IFA in the fall? Then you really should have been looking into some other more sensible options in the interim. But if those non-crystal-studded alternatives didn't strike your fancy, you'll be glad to know that the laptop will finally be available in the US, exclusively on QVC, beginning tomorrow at 10PM. Unfortunately, the sure-to-be-premium price will only buy you a last-gen Series 9, with a Core i5-2467M processor and Windows 7 Home Premium for an OS.
Samsung Series 7 HDTV monitor hands-on
Of the two monitors Samsung announced last week, the Series 7 was decidedly the middle-of-the road number. But that's not saying much, seeing as how its big brother, the Series 9, is Sammy's first consumer display with a plane line switching panel, and has a 2560 x 1440 pixel count. The Series 7, available in 24- and 27-inch sizes (both 1080p), uses the same matte, 400-nit, SuperBright Plus panel you'll find on the newly announced Series 9 laptop, and as ever it looks bright and clear, even in the face of some oblique viewing angles. For the money ($600 and up), it also has built-in WiDi and MHL, along with an integrated TV tuner. So far as we can tell, after having seen it in person, the biggest thing you'll lose once you step down from the Series 9 (aside from the PLS bit) is design flair. Whereas the Series 9 has a slim aluminum build with glowing touch controls, the Series 7's glossy surfaces pick up fingerprints quite quickly. (Then again, this more or less rocks the same design as last year's Series 9 flagship, so how bad could it be?) Have a peek at our shots below, and stay tuned for a separate look at the Series 9 -- for whatever reason, the one on display at tonight's press event was powered off for the night, so we'll be back sometime soon when we can show you that high-quality PLS display in the buff.Sean Buckley contributed to this post.
