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Samsung Notebook 9 Pen review: Solid stylus, so many compromises
My backpack is a disaster. I've always been sort of a pack rat, and working at Engadget doesn't help. Every day I lug a laptop, a tablet, a few phones (for review purposes), an SLR, a huge power bank, chargers and cables for all of those things, and a book to the office. With MWC coming up, this seemed like a great time to reevaluate what I drag with me everywhere. And at the top of my list for reevaluation is my 15-inch MacBook Pro -- one of the heaviest things in my bag. Enter Samsung's (awkwardly named) Notebook 9 Pen. For $1,399 you get one of the lightest Windows 10 ultraportables out there, and as the name suggests, it's one of just a few Samsung laptops that use the company's famous S Pen. After a week of testing, it's clear that the Notebook 9 Pen has its uses, but most people won't miss out by skipping it.
Samsung's Notebook 9 Pen is a super-light Galaxy Note/laptop mashup
Samsung announced a handful of laptops before CES even started, but only one of the was really new: the Notebook 9 Pen. It isn't Samsung's first attempt at blending a laptop and a Galaxy Note, but after a little hands-on time, we can say it's shaping up to be one of the most polished.
Samsung’s new wall-mountable soundbar has a built-in subwoofer
CES 2018 is right around the corner and we're starting to get a peek at what we'll be seeing there. Today, Samsung announced that it will be showing off its new wall-mountable soundbar, the NW700 Sound+. Samsung says that the soundbar, which is just over two inches wide, is 41 percent narrower that its previous model, but that doesn't mean Samsung has skimped on the sound. The NW700 Sound+ has a built-in subwoofer and distortion-cancelling tweeters. It also has three sound modes including Standard and Surround Modes and a Smart Mode that automatically adjusts volume and surround sound effects.
Samsung's 2018 Notebook 9 lineup includes MacBook, Surface challengers
Last year Samsung's Notebook 9 laptop kept it simple with a standard thin-and-light design that got the important things right, but didn't sport flashy features like a high-res display or hybrid design. Earlier this year the Pro edition added a folding hinge for 2-in-1 tablet use and a stylus, and next year the company will fully revamp its lineup with four new devices. The new Notebook 9 Pen is ready to take on Surface devices with its built-in battery-free S Pen stylus, to go with a "thoughtfully designed" 2-in-1 hybrid laptop/tablet. The 13-inch devices comes with an 8th generation Intel Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, but weighs just 2.2 pounds thanks to its "Metal12" magnesium-aluminum alloy.
Samsung's new 15-inch laptop weighs little more than a MacBook
Samsung's Notebook 9 really pushed the envelope on size while still offering solid performance in a no-nonsense package. Today, the company is updating those extremely light laptops: a new pair of Notebook 9 computers has just been announced, and they are even lighter than those that came before. The 13-inch weighs only 1.8 pounds, while the 15-inch version comes in at a ridiculously light 2.17 pounds. That 15-inch weight in particularly is noteworthy, because the earlier version came in at a still-light 2.9 pounds. To put things in perspective, Apple's 12-inch MacBook weights 2 pounds even -- the 15-inch Notebook 9 is barely heavier than that.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro vs. the competition: More than touch
The larger MacBook Pros have always been about getting serious work done, and now you might be able to do even more thanks to the new Touch Bar. But there are plenty of other 15-inch machines to choose from -- they may not have an OLED touch strip, but keeping features like USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader can make a big difference in your routine. We've put some current mid-size laptops toe-to-toe with the new 15-inch MacBook Pro to see which one is best equipped to tackle your day.
Samsung's thin and light Notebook 9 harks back to simpler times
Samsung's new flagship laptop, the $1500 $1,200 Notebook 9, does not have a touchscreen. Its display does not detach or fold back into tablet mode. It's not even that exciting-looking. And yet I am fully enjoying my time with it. Though it doesn't offer some of the niceties we've come to expect on modern laptops, it excels in just about every way that matters, with healthy battery life, a comfortable keyboard, a bright display and a thin design. Even the touchpad is OK, and that's saying something.
Samsung outs two super-light 'Notebook 9 series' laptops
Samsung might blow the most minds with its TVs here at CES, but don't worry — it brought a pair of new laptops to show off here, too. The tech titan showed off its new 13.3-inch and 15-inch Notebook 9 series laptops today and we got the chance to play with them a bit before the official unveiling on-stage. It's obviously way too early to pass judgment on these things, but they might be worth a look if you're on the market for an ultra-portable PC (too bad Samsung won't tell us how much they cost).
