Review With smooth, curved edges and an eye-pleasing design, the 15.6in X520 slips into Samsung’s new X-series range. There are two other X-series models: the 11.6in X120 and 14in X420. The focus is on mobility here and, as such, all feature so-called CULV – Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage – processors and integrated graphics from Intel.
Samsung’s X520 – a robust offering?
When first announced at IFA earlier this year, Samsung made something of a bizarre marketing move by proudly proclaiming the batteries powering the X-series will not explode. Good news for those with an adverse reaction to spontaneous combustion then, and we’re happy to confirm the X520’s battery remained free of flames during testing. As well as not exploding, Samsung also claims the battery will last a nine-hour road trip from Paris to Barcelona. We’ll come to our own battery tests in a moment.
According to Samsung, the X520 is extremely robust and “doesn’t need any extra protection”. We wouldn’t go quite this far, and while the chassis is by no means flimsy, it does have some weak points – pick it up with a firm grip and you’ll hear a bit of creaking, especially around the optical drive. Read the rest of this entry »
Review If you caught our review of the Samsung R522, the R720 will look more than a little similar. As the name implies, though, it has a larger 17.3in display, with a glossy coating and native resolution of 1600 x 900. Naturally, this makes the chassis a fair bit bigger at 441mm wide, 273mm deep and, at its thickest point, 40mm tall. Nevertheless, it’s one of the lighter 17in laptops on the market, weighing in at 2.9kg.
Samsung R720: the R522′s bigger brother
The keyboard houses exactly the same style of keys as the R522 but, thanks to the larger chassis, Samsung has also found room for a numeric keypad. The trackpad, with its fancy blue-lit rim, has also been stretched to match the widescreen display. Unlike on the R522, though, Samsung has shrunk the arrow keys to half-height, which makes them a little fiddly.
One area of concern is the keys. When we first received our review sample they all had a very slight, but noticeable texture. However, it didn’t take long for the more frequently used keys (such as E, S and A) to lose their texture and develop shiny spots. This isn’t exactly uncommon when it comes to laptop keyboards, but the rate at which certain keys started showing bald patches was worrying. We’re also left wondering what state they would be in after a year, or even just a few months of heavy typing. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Samsung is knocking out new netbooks like there is no tomorrow. Yet, with the N120 and N310, we have seen the company try to define new netbook genres where there really aren’t any. The former is marketed as a multimedia optimised machine, while the latter targets anyone swayed by styling and fancies a laptop that resembles a bar of soap.
Samsung’s N110: another netbook, another price point
Now the N110 has arrived, we suspect it is intended to be seen as an upgrade of the NC10, rather than a new niche filler. But does new equal better? And, more importantly, does it equate to being worth the extra cash Samsung will no doubt be asking for?
The most obvious differences between the N110 and NC10 are in appearance. Let’s face it, with so many netbooks doing more or less the same thing for more or less the same price, looks are as good a reason as any or predicate your purchase on. In this respect, the N110 can be regarded as a worthwhile improvement.
To start with Samsung has ditched the silver highlight strip that circles the NC10 in favour of deep red narrow pinstripe, although the screen hinges are still chrome effect. Efforts have also been made to give the N110 a smoother and more rounded profile than the NC10 making it look rather more svelte and sculpted. It appears a more expensive machine too, which is just as well because as we will see below, it is a more expensive machine. Read the rest of this entry »
Review When conjuring up budget laptops for the mass market, manufacturers will usually do their level best to make them look more expensive than they actually are, and the R522 from Samsung is no different.
Samsung’s R522: 802.11n not welcome
There’s nothing particularly special about the innards – Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB of DDR2 memory and Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics – but open up the glossy, soon-to-be-fingerprint-festooned lid and you’re presented with what looks like an impressive brushed-aluminium wrist rest. Get a little closer, though, and it soon becomes apparent that it is, in fact, just plastic dressed up to look like metal.
In another attempt to jazz things up, Samsung has furnished the perimeter of the trackpad with a soft-blue light. Is it useful? Well, no, not really. You certainly don’t need a landing light for your finger when using the trackpad in the dark, but it does look kind of funky. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Samsung has never been a supplier of cheap and cheerful netbooks, and the consumer-oriented N310, which expands the range beyond the more seriously styled NC10, NC20 and N120, still comes in with a suggested price of a pound under £400. For that, you’d expect something very special.
The N310: you’d never guess is was a Samsung would you…
You’re left in little doubt about the maker of this machine, as Samsung is embossed in the lid in inch-high letters. Combine the logo with the large-radius curved corners, and flush-mounted screen and touchpad, and the N310 has a certain jauntiness to its design. Available with a black, sky blue or orangey red case, to reflect how you feel about working on the move, the N310 is, however, bulky for a netbook.
The closed case is 28mm thick, but the machine weighs in at a par-for-the-course 1.23kg. This is 70g lighter than, say, MSI’s Wind U115, but 130g heavier than the Eee PC 1008HA, which is about the same price on the open market. Its footprint dimensions are 262 x 185mm, making it very convenient to use, for example, on the flip-down trays on the back of Inter-City train seats. Read the rest of this entry »
