Windows users looking for a MacBook Air alternative should definitely keep an eye on the Samsung Series 9 thin-and-light laptop. Going by the spec sheet, the Series 9 offers reasonable power in a svelte form factor with sharp looks. The Series 9 is a seriously sexy piece of consumer electronics and I’ve been drooling over its pictures for the last hour or so. Here are the specs:
- CPU: Second Generation Intel® CoreTM i5 Processor 2537M (1.40 GHz, 3MB; turbo up to 2.3 GHz)
- Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 bit) / Windows® 7 Professional (64 bit)
- Memory: 4GB DDR3
- Storage (max): 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
- Screen: 13.3-inch HD LED-backlit SuperBright Plus display (400 nit)
- Resolution: 1366×768
- Graphics: Intel HD GT2 Integrated Graphics
- Speakers: 3 watt (1.5W x 2) stereo speakers and 1.5 watt sub-woofer
- Battery: Lithium Polymer; up to 6.5 hours
- Wireless: 802.11b/g/n; WiMaxi
- Weight: 2.89 lbs.
The Series 9’s body is made from Duralumin, which is twice as durable as aluminum according to Samsung. From my research, it’s not nearly as strong as the adamantium found in Wolverine’s claws. The specs are mostly strong. While many tech enthusiasts shudder at the words “Intel integrated graphics”, the GT2 is supposedly the first Intel integrated GPU that doesn’t blow.
I want one of these machines now!!! Sadly, it won’t be out until February (and I can’t afford it).
What do you think of the Series 9? Is it a worthy MacBook Air competitor? Does the machine cause you to drool or is that just me?
That looks really nice, are SSD becoming the standard?
For thing-and-light notebooks that aren't in the budget category, certainly.
Isn't it just a coating over plastic? That's what it seems with the Samsung laptops I have seen in Bestbuy. Aluminum coated lid and plate around the keyboard and plastic elsewhere.
Air competitor? Yeah as far as form factor is concerned. Not if you want OSX.
Specs are nice and that is quite a bit of punch on that GPU for that form factor.
These integrated GPUs supposedly outperform midlevel discrete cards on all of the benchmarks.
The i5 is also much, much better than what the Air packs.
For now.
I physically shuddered when I read Intel graphics lol
The new chip is worth a look.
Not really. It is a CPU/GPU on one dye product, and I don't pay Intel's exuberant amount of inflation on their CPUs. The money you spend on it would be better spent on an AMD/ATI alternative.
@Sandrock
Have you looked at the benchmarks? The i5 2600 has equivalent benchmarks to an Asus laptop running xfire. The chips function in a different way. The same will go for Bulldozer if it ever gets released.