Facebook Pixel Code

Slim is Beautiful

Samsung?s razor-thin new portable is a stylish work & entertainment machine with long battery life and a powerful performance.

New technology can be slightly baffling at times, even to the most seasoned user. The other day, I was checking out my wife?s latest digital possession, the all-new MacBook Pro. Indeed, it is an incredibly slim and light machine, yet superbly powerful. The most advanced Mac I have seen so far, which sets a new standard in performance and portability!

Early this week, the South Korean tech major Samsung sent across their latest high end notebook computer, Notebook Series 9, for a product review. Samsung is trying to push its laptops hard. The South Korean tech behemoth has taken thin and light to the extreme with its Notebook Series 9. Mincing any words, let me state this at the outset that the Notebook Series 9 is a fine piece of precision in engineering and premium design from the R&D folks at Samsung. I would call it an intelligent machine and a design marvel.

First, it is super slim (Samsung claims it to be the world?s thinnest laptop), measuring only 0.6 inches deep, even thinner than the new MacBook Pro. It?s also lighter, weighing just 1.16 kg for the 13 inch model. How light and slim can laptops get is what baffles me no end. Samsung?s new innovation features a matte screen with anti-glare, has extended battery life and comes at an not-so-affordable price tag of R1, 02,990. Everything about it other than the fact its manufactured by Samsung and runs on a Windows operating system is competitive and comparable to a Mac.

More on the Notebook Series 9?s intelligence aspect: Its screen and backlit keyboard automatically adjust to the light conditions using an auto-sensor. So they always provide the optimum brightness for maximum comfort and ease of use, even in particularly dark or bright environments.

The Notebook Series 9 (NP900X3C-A01IN) came packed in an attractive box with all the specifications detailed on its sides. Out of the box, it becomes evident that super-slim components have been tailor-designed and engineered to fit into the notebook computer?s innovative single shell body. Company officials reckon that the Series 9 required 9,000 hours of design work and 24,000 hours of R&D?a total of 33,000 hours invested by Samsung designers and engineers?to ensure it conserved premium design aspects without compromising performance or functionality. Key components such as the LCD panel, keyboard, motherboard, cables, fan and battery have been precision-engineered to fit precisely into the Series 9?s extra flat single-shell body.

Setting-up the notebook was hassle-free. A user can bypass the Control Panel and simply take control of the machine and optimise performance with Samsung?s Easy Settings. It provides one-click execution using keyboard shortcuts and minimal steps to adjust simple functions. It also unifies Samsung?s utility software, so your notebook will start-up and run faster.

The Series 9 features Samsung?s MaxScreen technology, which minimises the bezel size while maximising the screen size by an extra inch. The 13-inch Series 9 measures only 12.9 mm and weighs just 1.16 kg. It is designed with mobility in mind, thanks to an attractive aluminium single shell body complete with arching curves and remarkable durability. With Samsung?s SuperBright screens, with 400nit brightness, users can enjoy high definition movies, games and other favourite media even when viewing in direct sunlight with no annoying reflections.

In my test-run, I synced the Samsung laptop with my home?s Wi-Fi environment and surfed numerous, graphics-heavy websites. I also watched high-definition videos, played the latest online games and did all sorts of multitasking. I confess that the laptop gave blazingly fast performance. Everything you love to do, like watching HD movies, editing contents or creating powerful presentation, is quicker, crisper and more life-like.

Every photo, video, website and document looks stunning with the SuperBright Plus screen with 400 nit brightness. It?s 2x brighter and also anti-reflective, so you can see everything clearly even outdoors in the sunshine. Plus its wide 170 degree viewing angle means that you see what?s on the screen from almost anywhere.

Amazingly, the Series 9 wakes in 1.4 seconds and boots-up in 8.4 seconds. With the new Intel Core i7 Processor, users can get optimised power management while playing the latest 3D games, editing and compressing large-size photos or HD video, or multi-tasking. It has Turbo Boost Technology which accelerates the PC?s performance by intuitively allocating CPU processing power when you need it the most.

A 256 GB solid state drive (SSD) provides plenty of storage, lower power consumption and improved performance with less noise and heat output. The chance of losing data is also decreased due to the SDD having no moving parts. And it boots up 60% faster than a hard disk drive (HDD). Thereby ensuring less power usage, faster data access and higher reliability.

The Series 9 delivers mobility and freedom with its power efficient performance and extensive battery life of up to 9 hours. Its advanced Lithium-Polymer battery and Samsung?s innovation PowerPlus charging technology make the battery lifespan last up to three times longer than the typical notebook battery so you can keep going, without worrying how much battery life is left.

My assessment: The Samsung Notebook Series 9 is an easy to carry laptop, thin and light with good battery backup and a powerful performance. Recommended for workers on the move!

SPECS

Dimensions: 313.8 x 218.5 x 12.9 mm (W x D x H)

Display: 33.78 cm SuperBright 400nit HD+ LED Display (1600 x 900), Anti-Reflective

Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Processor: Intel Core i7 Processor 3517U (1.90 GHz, 4 MB L3 Cache)

Graphic processor: Intel HD Graphics 4000

Memory: 4 GB DDR3 System Memory at 1600 MHz (4 GB x 1, DDP Type)

Camera: 1.3 megapixel HD Webcam

Weight: 1.16 kg

Estimated street price: Rs 1, 02,990

Get live Share Market updates, Stock Market Quotes, and the latest India News and business news on Financial Express. Download the Financial Express App for the latest finance news.

First published on: 06-09-2012 at 02:44 IST
Market Data
Market Data
Today’s Most Popular Stories ×