After spending a few days with the laptop with Windows 8.1, here's my complete review of this excellent premium ultrabook.
PROS:
+ The screen is very sharp and bright. Adaptive brightness (light sensor) is enabled by default, but can be easily turned off in Samsung Settings (FN+F1). At full brightness, it is quite bright (and power-hogging). I have mine set at about 60% and that's plenty good in well-lit places. Wide viewing angle as well. However, beware of reflections on glossy screen.
+ QHD+ resolution is the main reason why I (and other resolution-) made this purchase. And it does not disappoint. Text are crisp and easy on the eyes. Perfect for catching up on tech news and typing up that long-overdued document.
+ Super sexy design. It's nothing new. Same as the Series 9, but don't fix what isn't broken, or brilliant in this case. I did a side by side comparison with a 13" Macbook Air. The AB9+ is seemingly thinner, and obviously smaller (thanks to a smaller bezel). Much love for Samsung in this department. Build quality is also very good. This ultrabook just screams "premium".
+ Very light. I can easily pick it up with one hand.
+ The hinge is a nice touch. It locks in at your preferred viewing angle, then opens up flat. Useful, but not really for me. Nice to have that option though.
+ Keypad is decent-sized and has a nice spring to it. Again, terrific job by Samsung. However, I did notice that keys don't register sometimes, but that's most likely my fleeting typing style. Will have to adjust, no big deal.
+ Dual fans are almost silent.
+ Touchscreen is as responsive as any tablet.
+ The specs may not satisfy all power users, but 4GB and 128GB SSD are more than enough for a photographer (like myself). Had no trouble installing Photoshop CC. Loaded up quickly as well and although it doesn't give the same performance as a desktop with a dedicated graphic card, I was still able to do all the things I usually do smoothly. The high resolution display is gorgeous here.
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CONS:
+ Scaling issues. Biggest issue I have with this ultrabook. But it's not Samsung's fault, nor is it entirely Microsoft's. After installing Windows 8.1 and switching from the default 1080p to the QHD+ resolution, the problem became clear that it's up to developers to make their programs high-res ready. Mobile devs had to do it when Apple introduced the first high-res iPhone. Mac devs had to do it when the high-res Macbook came out. It's just a matter of time. Until then, we will have to deal with tiny text in unoptimized software (I'm looking at you, Adobe). However, optimized software running on this QHD+ display is just wonderful.
+ Battery life is good, not great. Samsung listed a 7-8hour battery life, and I do get that much out of each full charge (at 60-70% brightness and casual usage). However, when you compare it to the Air's 11-hour battery life, it's just ok. This is mainly due to the QHD+ display and OSX being a more power-efficient operation system. Can't blame Samsung.
+ Integrated graphics chipset. Good for the most part. I can decode 1080p x264 and run Photoshop, but don't expect to be able to play the latest games with a smooth framerate.
+ Screen is not matte. I understand that this is because of the touchscreen, but I would've liked a matte screen.
+ Fingerprint-magnet, this is. Good thing I always carry a microfiber cloth. Without it, the laptop would look like a battlefield after an hour.
+ After a few days, I noticed a very slight spot (to the right of trackpad) that flexes a tiny tiny bit. Not sure if it has always been like that or just happened. But it can't be unnoticed now! Bummer. (update: not the laptop flexing but just uneven rubber legs. odd)
+ A little expensive when compared to the competition, but... Samsung.
So, am I keeping this marvelous piece of hardware plagued by slightly shoddy software? Of course. Most of the people I've talked to see the 4GB and 128GB SSD as dealbreakers. I'm sure they know what's best for themselves. But I also know what I need, and this is perfectly fine. Samsung have created a wonderful ultrabook that's just as good as anything available right now in the market (including Apple products). The light weight and slim form make it a perfect traveling companion, or just a great notebook to carry around all day. And again, scaling issues are entirely dependent on Microsoft/devs and nothing Samsung can do (afaik). I have excellent eyesight though ;P
Four and a half stars!
* Full disclosure. I got this laptop for $1200 via Amazon early pre-order.
** I'm using this case. It's slim and cheap. Does the job. EasyAcc 13.3 inch Laptop Ultrabook Envelope Case Sleeve Leather Carrying Case Bag Accessories for Apple Macbook Air 13, Macbook Pro Retina, Acer Aspire S3, S5, S7, Asus Zenbook UX31, HP spectre xt 13.3, Samsung SERIES 9 NP900X3B, Samsung SERIES 5 NP530,...
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After multiple shipping delays (which I believe were Samsung's fault...not Amazon's), I finally received my ATIV Book 9 Plus earlier this week. Originally chosen (after its announcement in June) as my new laptop for grad school, it was frustrating to wait so long into the school year for its release and eventual shipment. After a few days with the device, the delays make a little more sense. The software (*cough* Windows 8 *cough*) isn't quite ready for this laptop.Right out of the box, the construction of this laptop can be described as "impressive." The matte finish on the body of the laptop is warmer and smoother feeling than the computer's Apple counterpart. The lid opens easily with one hand and settles right back into the comfort zone Samsung bragged about. Lifting it off the coffee table with one hand pinching the corner, there's no sign of bending or wobbling. Its weight and solid construction will be perfect for throwing into both briefcase and backpack. It is the level of quality you would expect from a laptop at this price point.
As for the keyboard, the size and placement of the keys are comfortable enough, but the chiclets themselves are unevenly weighted. Borderline wobbly. They're also made of a fingerprint-loving, grease-collecting, and overall cheap feeling plastic. The trackpad, on the other hand, is very solid and smooth and pleasant to work with. I'm not a huge fan of the default right-click on the bottom right portion of the track pad, but I'll either get used to it or figure out how to disable it in favor of the two-finger click.
The screen is easily the best I've ever seen on a laptop. The picture quality is just as described in the other online reviews, and is especially impressive next to my MacBook Air. The glare can be irritating, but it doesn't interfere with everyday use. The touch panel is responsive, and makes me wonder how people used Windows 8 on a non-touch laptop.
That brings me to my biggest gripe...Windows 8, and its failed interaction with this wonderful piece of hardware. There are multiple high-resolution laptops on their way to the market, and it's clear to me now why the other manufacturers have chosen to hold off on their release. I spent one day using the laptop with its original Windows 8 installation and found that, aside from the preinstalled software, nothing ran with a comfortable level of scaling. Chrome, Evernote, Microsoft Office 365, and even some webpages within IE11 failed to render in a usable fashion. Installing the 8.1 preview helped with a lot of the issues, but I continue to have problems with pieces of software, or elements within a program, requiring me to lean forward and squint. I have perfect vision, but feel like my like a little old man hunched over in front of this laptop trying to take notes in class.
The Haswell processor inside was actually my primary reason for choosing this laptop. The i5 chip, along with the 4GB of RAM I'm stuck with (literally...they're soldered in there) have no problem completing every task I throw at it. During class I have my Evernote, Chrome (2-3 tabs), Word, and Excel open and active the entire time. With lots of Alt-Tabs and several screen swipes, I keep this laptop active and engaged for my entire 3-hour class without a single stutter. Even some of the macros that bog down laptops around me, snap through their various stages with lightning speed.
As for battery life: in addition to my 3-hour class in the evening, there's the one hour of Facebook, Google News, and gadget blogs in the morning, the one hour of lunch/homework in the afternoon, and then two hours of procrastinated school work in the evening before class. I don't keep the brightness cranked (probably 60%) and I'm always connected to Wi-Fi. All 3 days, I've managed to easily get 7 hours of solid use out of the laptop with 10-15% left to spare. I feel like that's a satisfying amount of battery life, and gives me one less thing to worry about.
I wish I could say I was completely happy with this purchase. It's a very impressive piece of hardware, but the short-comings of Windows 8 have robbed me of the satisfaction I think I should feel after having waited this long and spent the kind of money I did. At this point, I'm stuck waiting for various software improvements, which isn't a very thrilling feeling.
Best Deals for Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Laptop
Had this laptop for about a week now. Here are my early impressions:Before this laptop, I had a bulkier Samsung laptop for a few years which was a great compromise between performance and portability. However, since I now have a desktop computer as well, I no longer needed a heavy-duty laptop, and was looking for something more portable for class and work. My first choice was to try the Asus TF300 tablet with the physical keyboard dock which was good for media and browsing and very portable, but really not useful for actual productivity. So I got rid of that tablet and decided to go the ultrabook route, and have been very happy with the Book 9 Plus so far.
Pros:
Great display
Comfortable Keyboard/Trackpad
Responsive Touch Screen
Good performance for an ultrabook
Solid battery life
Extremely Portable
Cons:
Pricey
Not much storage space
Not a fan of Windows 8
Some screen scaling issues
Area around trackpad gets kind of gross
Pros:
The first thing that you will notice won't be the resolution, because it seems to default to 1920x1080, but once you bump that up to the full capacity, the screen looks fantastic. Comparing it side by side with my older 1366x768 laptop shows a huge difference.
The keyboard is backlit, although it doesn't get particularly bright. I personally am a fan of this keyboard style which is similar to my old Samsung laptop. The keys are far enough apart so that you won't accidentally be hitting other keys, but not wide enough to feel awkward. A few qualms that I have with the keyboard are
The arrow keys are very small
It would be nice to have the alternate key number pad that most laptops have
No discrete keys for home/end (have to use the fn key + the arrow keys)
None of these are deal breakers, but they are some things I would have liked to see implemented differently.
I really like the trackpad on the device since the trackpad on my previous samsung computer had been really over-sensitive and I would often hit it with my palm when typing, but I have not had much issue with this so far on the book 9 plus. And the multi-touch works well (I personally turned off the Windows 8 swipe gestures since I found them annoying).
The touch screen is very responsive and seems to be fairly precise, but if you have large fingers, it might be hard to accurately use the screen at a high resolution without scaling it up.
One thing that I was concerned about was the laptop performance since the specs didn't really blow me away, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far. The main reason I switched from the convertible tablet to an ultrabook was that I do a lot of multi-tasking, and this laptop has been able to handle it well without any real slow down. It's obviously not a gaming laptop, but I was pleased to see that I could run Minecraft 1.6.4 at around 40 FPS without installing any performance mods.
I haven't done a formal test on the battery life, but I have yet to have problems with low battery thus far after moderate use throughout the day. It seems that the Haswell processor has been a step up in terms of efficiency over the previous generation. I would say that the battery life is similar to what the marketing claims are.
But by far my favorite thing about this laptop, and likely one of the reasons (along with the display) you are considering it, is the form factor. The device is very thin and very light, but without feeling cheap or flimsy. It can be held easily in one hand, and Samsung made efficient use of the device's size relative to the screen size (not too much bezel as on my previous device). The screen tilts back to a 180 degree angle which is nice for the touch screen. Overall, I love the feel of this laptop and was not disappointed at all.
Cons:
The other thing that you will likely notice first is the high price. At $1400, it is at the upper end of the ultrabook price range, and without killer specs, you are mostly paying a premium for the high resolution. I can't say that it's a good value buy, because there are certainly better dollar to quality ratio devices, but I don't regret the purchase. For someone like myself who generally holds on to electronics for a while, I think it was worth the investment today for what should be a good laptop for a while.
Another issue that I suspect concerns many people is the 128GB SSD drive. For this, you pretty much know what you're getting and if it will work with you. After getting rid of the bloatware and installing the programs that I regularly use, I have about 65GB remaining. Fortunately for myself, I don't keep much in terms of media and won't be installing games on this laptop, so it's not a huge concern for me. But I could see how this would be a breaking point for people who do like a lot of music or videos.
This one is not really the fault of the laptop, but I just am not a fan of windows 8. This is the first time I've been using it extensively, so maybe it will grow on me, but I just can't feel like Microsoft is alienating its core audience with this OS. I won't discuss this too much for this review, but I am already considering installing windows 7, and would have already done so if not for the touch screen.
This one is related to Windows 8 and might be fixed to some extent with 8.1, but there are definitely some screen scaling issues to work with the very high resolution. What has worked best for me so far is to go to the samsung settings fn + F1 and use the scaling settings there rather than through the Windows control panel. It solves most of the big issues, but there are still some applications that don't play nicely with the high res. Fortunately, this should only get better as time passes and programs are updated.
My last issue, and a very small one at that, is that the area where your palms rest around the trackpad while typing can get rather gross after typing for a while. It really collects the grease from your hands and is quite visible. Again, not a huge deal, I would just recommend carrying a cloth with you.
Overall:
I love this laptop so far, but if anything changes, I will try to update my review. Ultimately, you probably know if the cons are going to be deal-breakers for you, and if you don't feel that way and aren't scared off by the price, I highly recommend this laptop.
Side note: I have been using the Case Logic laptop sleeve and it works well so far. It leaves a bit more room on the inside than I would like, but it seems to do the job.
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Honest reviews on Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Laptop
Crazy nice computer! I've spent all day with it and absolutely love it! Ive installed several software programs with ease.connected to skydrive simple and easy. Logged in to Office 365 and all is working perfectly. touch screen works really well, very fast machine here.reboots in 8 sec or so....plus it has some pretty cool features for my galaxy s 3 and note 2....this is actually amazing for us.lots of work will be done that's for sure!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Laptop
I managed to snag the last one and I am very pleased with my purchase. I've used it for a while and here are my thoughtsPROs
-excellent build quality. Feels solid, nice brushed aluminum, absolutely gorgeous
keyboard and mousepad are godly, nice and responsive
screen is gorgeous, media looks great
nice and fast, good internet speed
great battery, lasts quite a while
handles light gaming well
CONs
battery isn't on par with MacBook Air ( still super long, though)
-windows 8 doesn't handle screen resolution that well( this should be fixed with windows 8.1)
Don't really understand the point of being able to lay the screen down flat so people on different sides could see. Wouldn't he just be looking at the image upside down?
OVERALL
I've used this quite heavily so far, and it's chugging along just fine. I heartily recommend it.
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