Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: NP900X3A-A03US
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The $1,649 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A certainly won't be for every wallet, but this light, well-featured, and striking 13-incher is the closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air. However, its higher-than-the-Air price will be hard to stomach.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch) price range: $1,329.99
- Reviewed by: Scott Stein
- Edited by: Dan Ackerman
- Reviewed on: 03/29/2011
The good: A thin, stylish design, long battery life, excellent screen, and a new second-generation Intel Core i5 CPU make the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A one of the best ultrathin Windows laptops we've ever seen.
The bad: The Series 9's way-too-high sticker price makes the MacBook Air look downright affordable by comparison; the flexy case design doesn't feel as good as the MacBook Air's, either.
The bottom line: The $1,649 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A certainly won't be for every wallet, but this light, well-featured, and striking 13-incher is the closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air. However, its higher-than-the-Air price will be hard to stomach.
If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then consider the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A to be a direct response to Apple's MacBook Air. It's been a long time since we've seen two laptops so seemingly intertwined--in purpose, design, performance, and even price. For all that you could love about a MacBook Air, nearly the same could be said for the sleek, black Series 9, a 13-inch laptop packed with exceptional design and undeniable geek appeal.
At $1,649, the real question will be whether you're able to afford it. Weighing 2.9 pounds and packing a 1.4 GHz second-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD drive, it's got some of the best performance-per-pound that we've ever seen. It starts fast and feels great to work on. However, this laptop makes MacBook Air look like a bargain by comparison, and that's saying something: the 13-inch Air starts at just $1,299 for that same 128GB SSD drive (although with half the RAM). Amazingly, the $1,649 configuration is the low end for the Series 9--there's also a $1,699 version that adds Windows 7 Professional, which is the configuration we were sent for review. That price is 15-inch MacBook Pro territory--lofty, indeed.
We've seen high-end design-heavy Windows laptops before, though not for a while--the Dell Adamo and Adamo XPS come to mind. The Series 9 is a better overall laptop than those--but if this laptop were $1,000, we'd really be far more bullish.
As it is, $1,649 is way above standard laptop pricing landscape (at least it comes standard with a three-year warranty). This is a luxury system, especially with $400-range 11.6-inch AMD Fusion laptops presenting pretty reasonable alternatives.
If you're a Windows laptop user but have been secretly envying devices like the MacBook Air, clenching your hands uncontrollably at night for a Windows analogue--and price is no object-- then your gleaming onyx savior has arrived. Otherwise, you might want to wait for the 11-inch Series 9 coming in about a month, which will cost a little less--or, find a more affordable alternative, provided you can live without supersleek duraluminum. But, if you can stomach the sticker price, this is one of the best, thin, usable ultraportable PCs we've ever come across.
| Price as reviewed / starting price | $1,699 / $1,649 |
| Processor | 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-2537M |
| Memory | 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 RAM |
| Hard drive | 128GB SSD |
| Chipset | Intel HM65 |
| Graphics | Intel HD 3000 |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 12.9 x 8.9 inches |
| Height | 0.62-0.64 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 2.9 / 3.3 pounds |
| Category | 13-inch |
The Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A has an instantly eye-catching look: sleek brushed-black metal (duralumin, a material used in aircraft construction), with gracefully curved edges around the back, give the thin laptop the appearance of a blade, or a cross-section of a wing with aerofoil. It's also extremely light: unlike the surprisingly dense iPad, the Series 9 actually feels lighter in the hand than you'd expect. At 2.9 pounds, it's nearly identical to the 13-inch MacBook Air.
This laptop is a bit thicker, though: by our measurements, about 0.64 inch at its thickest. While the MacBook Air measured 0.68 inch at its thickest, the front edge of the Air comes to a thinner point. The Series 9 feels and looks thicker, but these differences are small quibbles. Both laptops are functionality super-thin and pack flat into bags, adding little bulk.
Inside, the Series 9 laptop has more brushed metal, but also some glossy plastic trim around parts of the screen area and keyboard. The top lid feels too flexible when opening and closing, and part of the chassis even exhibited small squeaks when we pressed down on it. That's not to say the construction isn't very solid, but it just doesn't feel as rock solid as Apple's MacBook Air. It's miles above similar thin Windows laptops, however, even if we expected more for $1,600-plus.
The tiny AC adapter is more akin to the size of many smartphone chargers, with a removable plug that can be replaced with travel tips. The plug goes into the rear of the Series 9's left side, jutting out. It's not the elegant solution that Apple's flush magnetic power cord is, and the charger's awkward wall-wart size makes it a challenging fit for some outlets.
Going with an SSD drive has afforded the Series 9 with faster boot-up times: by our stopwatch, the NP900X3A took 24 seconds from a cold boot-up. That's faster than many Windows laptops, but slower than the relatively lightning-quick MacBook Air. The Series 9 has another neat trick up its sleeve: closing the lid puts the laptop straight into a no-power hibernation state. The Series 9 woke up from hibernation after lifting the lid in just 6 seconds. For most people, this is how they'll use the laptop, charging up as needed.
The 13.3-inch screen has a matte finish, which stands against nearly every other consumer laptop. Some will love this--many people gripe that the MacBooks are far too glossy. On the Series 9, the matte finish definitely helps images and text pop in brightly lit areas. The screen has a maximum resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, but its brightness and viewable angles surpass many other laptops we've seen. Movies and pictures look excellent, with stellar viewing angles that don't degrade no matter how far the screen is tilted. (We hate to keep comparing to the MacBook Air, but its resolution in case you're curious is a higher 1,440x900. Still, we think the Series 9 screen looks even better.)
On to that keyboard and touch pad: simply put, they rock. The keyboard's so similar in feel and size to the MacBook Air that it looks pressed from the same mold. The keys have less height than raised keyboards on larger laptops, but extended typing felt snappy and responsive. The keyboard is backlit, too, unlike the MacBook Air's. The large multitouch clickpad uses Synaptics Series 1.5 technology. While it's not a "click anywhere" pad (it uses a lever-style clicking mechanism, like Apple's MacBooks), its image-sensing technology and accuracy rivals most other laptops. The matte glass surface feels great and is amply sized for multifinger gestures. It's not as big as the epic one on the MacBook Air, but it's awfully close.
The stereo speakers hide behind tiny grilles at the front side edges, barely visible unless you tilt and check. The volume and sound quality is more than good enough for movies, TV shows and Webchat, even music, though they're obviously not going to surpass a good pair of headphones. The included 1.3 megapixel Webcam has a maximum resolution of 1,280x1,024 pixels, with pictures and light sensitivity that are better than average; the bundled ArcSoft YouCam software has a number of weird backdrops and effects for you to play with, too.
| Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch) | Average for category [13-inch] | |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Mini-HDMI | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone combo jack | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, micro SD card slot | 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | None |
| Networking | Ethernet (with a plug-in dongle), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband |
| Optical drive | None | DVD burner |
Ports and connections are always a challenge on ultraslim laptops, and the Series 9 is no exception. The newest MacBook Air only has two USB ports and no Ethernet port (it costs $29 extra as a USB dongle), but has an SD card slot. Comparatively, the Series 9 has it beat on paper: HDMI, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and Ethernet connectivity. But, these ports are accessed via two flip-down doors on either side, and some require converter cables. A proprietary port connects to an included dongle that has an Ethernet port; a mini-HDMI-out jack is included, but requires the proper cable to use; and a microSD card slot is included instead of standard SD. If you want to transfer pictures from your camera, you're back to being stuck with a USB SD card adapter. One of the two USB ports allows sleep-and-charge (powering a plugged-in USB device while the Series 9 is hibernating or shut down).
A small annoyance--or convenience, depending on how you like your ports--is that all of these ports are hidden away behind tiny flip-down doors on either side of the Series 9's chassis, tucked away under a sloping edge. They're shades of what used to be on the first-generation MacBook Air. We were concerned the doors were flip shut once we laid the laptop down on a table, but as long as the surface was even and flat, we found no problems. Plugging in lots of cables at once could get messy, though.
The included 4GB of RAM can be expanded up to 8GB; however, you're stuck with 128GB of SSD storage space. Apple's Air offers double the space--256GB--on its $1,599 13-inch configuration. The default 128GB will be enough for some, but it falls short for those who want to put their whole media lives on a single laptop.
The 13-inch Series 9 has a second-generation Intel Core i5 CPU, but it's not the same processor that we've seen on recent fast mainstream laptops. This Core i5-2537M CPU runs at 1.4 GHz, and is a low-voltage processor more akin to the Core 2 Duo on the MacBook Air. Our benchmark tests confirm that: in terms of multitasking, it lags behind recent "Sandy Bridge" laptops. However, it's pretty close to that 13-inch MacBook Air we recently reviewed.
Single-task speeds fared better, and to many people the laptop will feel perfectly fine for most uses. You're paying for portability with system speed. We found that our Series 9 ran a little warm after using it for video streaming and games, not surprisingly: a set of small rear vents are tucked behind the screen's hinge, but two grilles under the chassis felt like they were pushing some warm air (along with some quiet fan noise) to the underside as well.
The Series 9 uses Intel second-generation integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, just like Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro. These integrated graphics are capable of being used for games and graphics-intensive programs, and yielded functional but not spectacular results, suffering a bit from the Series 9's slower CPU: Unreal Tournament III, a graphically nondemanding game, ran at 32.9 frames per second with medium settings at native 1,366x768-pixel resolution. Street Fighter IV benchmarked at around 16 frames per second, which, according to Street Fighter IV's tool is "unplayable." Bottom line: these graphics are better than were ever possible on thin-and-lights using last year's Intel integrated graphics, but they're not quite as good as the Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics on the MacBook Air.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 Juice box |
|||
| Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch) | Average watts per hour | ||
| Off (60 percent) | 0.37 | ||
| Sleep (10 percent) | 0.59 | ||
| Idle (25 percent) | 6.4 | ||
| Load (5 percent) | 20.33 | ||
| Raw kWh | 25.38 | ||
| Annual energy cost | $2.88 | ||
Despite being so thin, the Series 9 definitely delivers on battery life: we achieved 5 hours and 22 minutes using our video playback battery drain test, which is excellent for this light a laptop. In fact, it bests the oft-mentioned-in-this-review MacBook Air by nearly half an hour. When it comes to how often you'll use a highly portable laptop like this, battery life matters immensely. This is enough to get you through a plane flight, albeit not a trans-Atlantic one.
Samsung includes a three-year warranty with the Series 9 NP900X3A, which at least adds some value to the high sticker price of the laptop: most other laptops only have one year of coverage. Samsung's Web site is easy to navigate, and the toll-free number is easy to find (1-800-726-7864).
Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch)
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-2537M; 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz;
64MB(Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 128GB Samsung SSD
Dell Vostro V130
Windows 7 Professional; 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 U470; 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz;
64MB (Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 500GB Western Digital 7200rpm
Apple Macbook Air 13.3-inch
OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard; 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 2048MB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz;
256MB Nvidia GeForce GT 320M; 128GB Apple SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad U260
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 1.33GHz Intel Core i5 U470; 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz;
64MB (Dedicated)/1696MB (Total) Intel GMA HD; 320GB Hitachi 5400rpm
Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T-68U118
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 1.46GHz Intel Core i7-680UM; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz;
128MB (Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 500GB Western Digital 5400rpm
Find out more about how we test laptops.
User reviews
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Better Price/Performance value than MacBook Air
by WashableAnkle on April 4, 2011
Pros: Please look at summary
Cons: Please look at summary
Summary: Let me hold your hand and walk you through why many people have not adequately explained the $350 price delta. The MBA retails for $1299.00. Now, add $100.00 ...
Summary: Let me hold your hand and walk you through why many people have not adequately explained the $350 price delta. The MBA retails for $1299.00. Now, add $100.00 to bring it from 2 GB to 4GB of RAM. Now, add an Apple extended warranty for an additional 2 years to bring it up to a total of 3 years (to match the Samsung) for $250.00. This brings the MBA to a total of $1649.00. You can purchase a Samsung Series 9 laptop for $1599.00 from Amazon.com.
Oh wait, I forgot a few things:
1. the Samsung has a back lit keyboard
2. the Samsung has a processor that is two generations ahead of the MBA's Core 2 Duo (the Core i5 allows for four simultaneous threads, not just two, and over-clocks based on processing demand up to 2.3 GHz--meanwhile, the Core 2 Duo in the configured MBA mentioned above is stuck at 1.86 GHz)
3. the Samsung has better wireless connectivity options: Bluetooth 3.0 and WiMax 4G connectivity (neither of which are on the MBA)
4. Duralumin is 2x stronger than aluminum (more expensive too)
5. the Samsung has a MATTE screen, not glossy (which has been a common complaint on Apple's screens) and has a much brighter screen which will save battery life (since it does not have to be set as high to match the MBA--unfortunately the review testing the battery life here is flawed in this respect)
If all this does not add more value than the MBA over and above the similarly configured system I mentioned above then you have confirmed that your opinion is biased and not subjective.
A side note: I love Apple products and I would consider myself an Apple fanboy. I have owned an iPhone 1, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 (including several iPods). Everyone in my family has one too. In this case, Samsung is clearly the winner for bringing the best ultra-portable to market. Who knows, in 6-10 months Apple will probably swing back with a hard punch when it refreshes its MBA line and it completely dominates the Samsung. But for now, the Samsung Series 9 is king.13 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Samsung actually comes out ahead on price/performance.
by SystemsJunky on March 30, 2011
Pros: If you actually "compare" the two side by side with similar options, the samsung comes out cheaper since it comes standard with an i5 processor (not available on the Air) 4GB of memory.
Cons: The integrated Intel HD graphics might leave you slightly dissapointed compared to the Geforce 320M on the Air.
Summary: Both are great laptops, just depends on your OS preference. Air is nice since you can run both Windows and OS X. Samsung is nice because you dont have to ...
Summary: Both are great laptops, just depends on your OS preference. Air is nice since you can run both Windows and OS X. Samsung is nice because you dont have to put up with Apple's "trapped in a box" mentality. Although, its a very nicely packaged expensive box :)
8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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It KILLS the MacBook Air
by trouble001 on March 30, 2011
Pros: Thinner and more bang for your buck
Cons: none, as this is simply better than the mac air
Summary: You do the math:
13" Samsung 9 Series MacBook Air 13
Price $1599 Price $1299
Includes 4 GB RAM standard - Includes only 2GB RAM. Add 2 GB RAM: $100 ...Summary: You do the math:
13" Samsung 9 Series MacBook Air 13
Price $1599 Price $1299
Includes 4 GB RAM standard - Includes only 2GB RAM. Add 2 GB RAM: $100
Includes 3 year warranty standard - Add 3 year AppleCare coverage: $249
Total Cost: $1599 Total Cost: $1648
Bottom line: It costs less to own the world's thinnest 13" laptop (0.64 inches, 2.88 pounds). Plus, Intel's newest processor, USB 3.0 & WiMax are included. Bottom line: It costs more for the world's second thinnest laptop (0.68 inches, 2.9 pounds). 5 year old processor family, USB 2.0 & no WiMax. Seems simple to me Mac Fan Booooys.9 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I used to own a MacBookAir ... I'm not missin it
by DaveZmeyr on April 24, 2011
Pros: Very light,very thin. Gives me back a lot of room in my briefcase. Battery life is excellent so far. Screen is bright and much better than my Dell which felt washed out. I can actually hear the speakers, very fast and quick to start up from hibernate
Cons: Would really like a larger hard drive, but I can live with this. Like the feel of the keyboard, but I sure miss dedicated home / end / pageup and pagedown keys.
Summary: A little pricey but you're getting a heck of a lot
Summary: A little pricey but you're getting a heck of a lot
6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Cheaper than a similarly configured MBA &higher quality
by athletejmc on June 1, 2011
Pros: One of the highest contrast and vividly color producing screens in a laptop currently, anti-reflective matte finish on screen, 3yr warranty advertised/encouraged on packaging, sound clarity and amplification, aesthetically pleasing, sturdy design, keyboar
Cons: Ethernet dongle, slightly warm around the G and H keys when performing heavy tasks, charger (would prefer magnetic like the MBA), needs a magnetic charging port, track-pad needs to be more fluid.
Summary: Quick pricing and features run-down:
I'm a previous owner of the 13" MBA with 2GB of ram. With a similarly configured MBA as the Samsung Series 9 you would ...Summary: Quick pricing and features run-down:
I'm a previous owner of the 13" MBA with 2GB of ram. With a similarly configured MBA as the Samsung Series 9 you would pay $1800+. How do I get these numbers? $1299 base price, $150 Matte finish (15" MBP pricing that's not even an option on air), $250 to extend 1yr warranty to 3yr Apple care, $100 to upgrade to 4GB ram, $100+ for 2nd gen i5 processor. See the pricing dilemma now? Also, with the Samsung you get a higher contrast screen with more vivid color reproduction, and one of the brightest screens produced (a retina scorching 400nit-can be used outside without a problem) (MBA has higher resolution, but not significantly). Also, you are getting the latest hardware. Even with the 2nd gen upgraded processor coming in June/July for the MBA, you still get more for your money with the Samsung Series 9. Oh, I also forgot to add that the Samsung has an auto adjusting backlit keyboard and screen that adjusts to the ambient lighting ! ! ! ! The charger that comes with this laptop can also comfortably fit in your pocket? Battery life is similar between the two devices. Both keyboards on either device is a pleasure to use (comfortable with prolonged use). The speakers are louder on the Series 9. I had trouble watching Netflix with my MBA, although you're at a loss of bass with the series 9, the speakers are louder and sound more crisp.
What's not to like about the Series 9:
What I don't like about the Samsung that the MBA has is a magnetic charging port, but that's not a deal breaker for me by any means. I am impressed that magnets are used in the side drop-down ports as longevity was a concern for me. The side ports feel sturdy and reassured my confidence before I purchased the product from Best Buy. I'm sure the drop down ports will be an issue for potential buyers as it was for myself. One other negative is that the keyboard does get noticeably warm around the G and H keys under heavy loads, but not anything that will end the world. I think the dongle for the Ethernet adapter is ridiculous. This was Samsung's attempt to please everyone and for those an Ethernet port would be a deal breaker for. I'd prefer they left it out like the MBA; it will be useless for me as Wi-Fi is common these days for student, companies and local hangouts. The Samsung has a plastic bezel and area around the keyboard. Although it has plastic, it appears to be of good quality surprisingly; you'll have to see for yourself as it's difficult to describe high-quality plastic lol. Although the track-pad on the Series 9 is beautiful and comfortable, Apple's track-pad is still much more fluid to use. The sound freq range is higher on the MBA; although the Samsung's speakers are louder and more crisp, they have no bass. The bass is not a deal breaker and the speakers by no means are poor in sound. However, I have to give credit where it's deserved. This isn't a disappointment for me. A deal breaker would have been poor sounding speakers in the Series 9 which they were not.
Consumer Brand Loyalty:
Between my old 13" MBA and the Samsung series 9, I'm much more pleased with my Samsung. I also have more confidence in the Samsung brand when discussing any hardware issues with the company. Apple is in the habit lately of just telling their customers they are disillusioned with a problem, don't know what they are talking about or aren't using Apple products properly. To add to the mix, it is being rumored that Apple is planning to use Samsung's higher quality screens in the Ipad 3 which is a serious contender for Apple. This just emphasized the already high quality screen of Apple products to that of Samsung's. Overall, I'm very pleased with the Samsung Series 9. From the high quality packaging and to the device itself, I'm a proud owner now of a Samsung Series 9.
Summary:
I enjoy both Apple and Windows platform powered devices. I'm neither a fanboy or Windows all the way kind of guy. However, I have to hand it to Samsung although they are late to the drawing board. Apple set the standard and Samsung perfected it.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good but immature.
Pros: Good spec, work as advertised, feel very snappy
Light weight
Good battery life
Good lookCons: - Lock socket that you can't find a lock that fits.
- Weak (yet polite) customer service, they don't know this product, have no stock to none of the accessories.
- Expensive machine, even more expensive accessories.
- Horrible touch pad experienceSummary: It looks good, it is light weight, it's fast. I have a lot to like about this box, but on the other hand I can't stop feeling it ...
Summary: It looks good, it is light weight, it's fast. I have a lot to like about this box, but on the other hand I can't stop feeling it is not a ready product.
- The touch pad experience is horrible, I have to disable half of the feature to make it usable, and I still haven't got selecting text working right I have to carry a mouse with me all time.
- The micro sd card reader, when you have a card in it, you will not be able to close the door, completely render it useless as a expansion slot.
- The non standard security lock is a joke, you can't buy a lock that would fit it.
- Here in Hong Kong, none of the accessories is available, I have to wait 2 months and pay 110 US for a extra power supply, waited 1 full month before the service center figure out how to add the extra 4G Memory, and as of today, one still can't buy the VGA out cable.
As a business machine, this machine is well though out, bios hd password, notebook lock, good batteries, backlit keyboard. But all the lack of attention to the particularity of the product, plus the horrible execution of accessories supply make this product a mediocre product.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Dead pixels galore
by nerdie77 on July 22, 2011
Pros: Bright, thin, sleek
Cons: Fingerprint magnet
Summary: Just got my Samsung Series 9 in May 2011
Love it to death..
Then..
2 weeks ago i saw a dead pixel...
I thought, ok never mind..
Slowly... it grew......Summary: Just got my Samsung Series 9 in May 2011
Love it to death..
Then..
2 weeks ago i saw a dead pixel...
I thought, ok never mind..
Slowly... it grew...
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/53g0b.jpg[/IMG]
I own so many laptops before, first time i kena dead pixel.
And i'm thinking of changing my Samsung Galaxy S to SGS2, now i'm having 2nd thoughts.
SIGH!2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Beautiful to look at, awful wifi performance
by hikeez on September 13, 2011
Pros: slim, nice keyboard, long battery life
Cons: Constantly drops wifi signal
Summary: I really wanted to like this pc. But when you can't get a wifi signal if you're more than 20 feet away from the router, it's not ...
Summary: I really wanted to like this pc. But when you can't get a wifi signal if you're more than 20 feet away from the router, it's not ready for prime time. Mine wasn't an exception to the rule; do a google search for Samsung series 9 wifi problems and see what I mean. Fix the problem Samsung, and I'll bring it home again.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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If You Like Mac Air but Need Windows....
by ezwider55 on August 14, 2011
Pros: Light and thin, fast, powerful, turns on fast and conserves battery power well, SSD drive so less likely to have hard drive problems, looks really cool
Cons: port accessibility requires drop open doors, Ethernet port requires a dongle (this is really bad if you can't or won't do wireless). other ports like HDMI are non-standard size requiring more special cables, battery life is not as good as Mac Air, not eno
Summary: It is a great idea without the design excellence and quality build of the Mac Air but that said it shouldn't be too hard to go back and fix ...
Summary: It is a great idea without the design excellence and quality build of the Mac Air but that said it shouldn't be too hard to go back and fix these things. I haven't had the dead pixels in screen like some have reported but that worries me a lot because I can see how it would be easy to damage the screen without taking care handling this thing.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Has a presence of its own.
by lg3o5 on April 7, 2011
Pros: Excellent buy, the bottom feels like plastic but the top is to die for. I'm loving every minute of it. If you can afford one, then buy one. The mac air equivalent for windows users. Simple as that.
Cons: Price, also Samsung should of included an exterior drive for the price.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: NP900X3A-A03US
- Description: The Series 9 is designed with mobility in mind, thanks to dramatic duralumin enclosure complete with arching curves and remarkable durability. Duralumin is twice the strength of aluminum, despite being light in weight. Elegant from every angle, the Series 9 also includes backlit keyboard, brilliant LCD display screen and a large multi-touch clickpad. It’s a minimalist look that is both simple and sophisticated.
General
- System Type Ultrabook
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
- Service & Support 3 years warranty
- Notebook type Ultrathin
Processor / Chipset
- Processor 2nd Gen Core i5,
Intel i5-2537M / 1.4 GHz - Max Turbo Speed 2.3 GHz
- Multi-Core Technology Dual-Core
- Cache L3 cache - 3 MB
- 64-bit Computing Yes
- Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0,
Intel AES New Instructions (AES-NI),
Intel vPro Technology Memory
- RAM 4 GB
- Max RAM Supported 8 GB
- Technology DDR3 SDRAM
Storage
- Hard Drive 128 GB SSD
- Optical Drive None
- Hard drive type Solid state
Display
- Type 13.3 in
- LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight
- Max Resolution 1366 x 768 ( HD )
- Widescreen Yes
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
- Features SuperBright Plus,
Anti-glare Audio & Video
- Graphics Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000
- Memory Allocation Technology Dynamic Video Memory Technology
- Camera Yes
- Resolution 1.3 Megapixel
- Sound Microphone
- Compliant Standards High Definition Audio,
SRS 3D Sound Input
- Type Backlit keyboard,
Touchpad Communications
- Wireless Bluetooth 3.0 HS,
802.11n - Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet
Battery
- Technology 6-cell Lithium polymer
- Capacity 6300 mAh
- Run Time 7 hour(s)
AC Adapter
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
- Output 40 Watt
Connections & Expansion
- Interfaces Microphone input,
Headphone output,
Micro-HDMI,
LAN,
USB 2.0,
USB 3.0 - Memory Card Reader Card reader ( microSD )
Software
- Software Included Samsung Recovery Solution,
Adobe Acrobat Reader,
Samsung Easy Display Manager,
Samsung Update Plus - Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC.
Miscellaneous
- Color Black
- Case Material Duralumin
- Features Intel Anti-Theft Technology (iAT),
Intel Rapid Start Technology - Localization English / United States
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 12.9 in
- Depth 8.9 in
- Height 0.6 in
- Weight 2.9 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 3 years
Sustainability
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Yes
- EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold
- Greenpeace policy rating (Nov 2011) 4.1
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Samsung
Specs: 2nd Gen Core i5,
Intel i5-2537M / 1.4 GHz ( 2.3 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB / 8 GB (max),
128 GB,
13.3 in TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit Edition,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology,
2.9 lbs,
L3 cache,
3 MB,
Black -
Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch)
Manufacturer: Samsung
Specs: 2nd Gen Core i5,
Intel i5-2537M / 1.4 GHz ( 2.3 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB / 8 GB (max),
128 GB,
13.3 in TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology,
2.9 lbs,
L3 cache,
3 MB,
Black
Accessories
- Centon DataStick Pro + - USB flash drive - 32 GB (34779442)52.48
- Dane-Elec Capless - USB flash drive - 16 GB (34633934)31.19
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 4 GB (34637987)9.69
- Samsung AA-SM3PWPB mouse (35131019)27.57 - 40.57
- Samsung Pleomax Optical Rainbow SPM-3800 mouse (32920637)
- Corsair Vengeance M60 Performance FPS Laser Gaming Mouse mouse (35094973)52.26 - 80.94
- Cisco Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 router (35098697)164.99 - 199.99
- Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router (34200558)114.79 - 135.00
- Belkin N150 Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859948)28.99 - 34.99
- Belkin N300 Wireless N Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (35263578)40.86 - 48.99
- Belkin N600 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router - wireless router - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35190484)66.57 - 104.73
- Belkin N900 Dual-Band Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11n - desktop (35262637)194.99 - 292.17
- Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti HighPower Giga WZR-HP-G450H - wireless router - none - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859675)82.11 - 95.99
- Cisco 881 Fast Ethernet Security Router supporting EVDO/1xRTT - router - cellular modem - 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (35026157)
- Cisco Integrated Services Router Generation 2 819G-V - router - cellular modem - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35040403)
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Samsung
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
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