apple's core appeal
April 24th 2011 05:15
Samsung wants it, that one there, up above your head, looks cool to me, if Samsung can avoid the Court disputes
Samsung pushes towards the MacBook Air with its new ultraportable
APPEARANCE
If it is to compete, the Series 9 has to deliver aesthetically, and it does. At 17mm thick, it makes quite an impression with its dark body made of duralumin _ an aluminium alloy used in the aircraft industry. Smaller design features also impress, including neatly covered ports and slick hinges. And it wins in the weight stakes, coming in at 1.32kg.
SPECIFICATION
At the heart of the unit is a 1.4GHz Core i5-2537M processor supported by 4GB RAM, which is an impressive spec for any size notebook. The SSD (solid state drive) technology offers big advantages in terms of durability and response time, and the unit's 128GB SSD boosts performance further without offering huge reserves for media storage. Samsung claims that the machine can return from sleep in three seconds, and it delivers on that promise impressively.
Even with the low-voltage processor, the 13.3-inch screen offers a 1,366x768 resolution and vivid colours and contrast, easily on a par with the MacBook Air.
With its mini proportions, the Samsung is still able to find space for a decent array of ports.
FUNCTIONALITY
Although the Series 9 handles well, it is still an ultraportable, and isn't built for gaming or heavy multimedia manipulation. That said, such tasks are better done at home on a desktop anyhow.
Text input is via the full-size chiclet keyboard, which is springy and responsive, as is the multi-touch trackpad. Overall interactivity was smooth, even on a unit of these dimensions.
In terms of battery life, the rival MacBook Air boasts seven hours of use, even with the controversial Adobe Flash in the system, while the Series 9 offered only about five hours with moderate use _ but both these figures meet consumer needs.
Impressively, the unit stayed cool when used inside or out, plugged in or cordless.
VERDICT
The Samsung Series 9 has no doubt already turned the heads of buyers, critics and Apple execs alike. And it seems that Apple's concerns about its competitors are warranted. Lawsuit decisions aside, the consumer benefits from more competition, and at this top end of the market, it's good to have options.
Buyers will be drawn to the sleek design, modest proportions and performance for an ultraportable. But the price and lack of storage might turn others away. Apple will soon hit back by putting the same CPU in its new Air releases, which might put it back in front. But Samsung has a genuine ultraportable contender for now.
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The Samsung Series 9 will soon be available in Thailand for around 50,000 baht. The Apple MacBook Pro is available for 46,180 baht (with similar spec) from store.apple.com/th. Email richardm@bangkokpost.co.th with any gadget queries.
All of this comes from the Bangkok Post, brought to you by techno!
Happy lapping!
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