Build:
I can attest to the machine's toughness. While I have yet to drop it...I haven't exactly been delicate with it either. I was able to pry off the bottom to have a look inside. No problem. The screen doesn't seem to flex as others have mentioned in their review (seems pretty solid) and I do keep leaving the sliding doors to the ports open when I threw the laptop in by pack going to work (it's just a regular pack...no padded laptop pocket and I didn't have a case or anything to put the laptop into. Doors seem to be working fine (not that I enjoy testing my luck...I just keep forgetting)
Hardware:
I love the keyboard and display (especially the keyboard backlighting) Wifi seems low-end for a high-end model (same chip as in the 13.3 inch Series 9 (bcm4357). I did a skype test of the in low light...it seemed ok but not great (basically I had to be right up to the camera to be seen). Speakers are pretty good (I did prefer the Samsung Series 3 which had their speakers above the keyboard instead of underneath the unit). Speakers seem to be loud enough and stereo sound (even when placing the laptop on a chair or bed). YMMV (I"m not expecting the speakers to compete with bigger laptops or external speakers). The battery life seems to be sub-par (2 1/2 to 3 hours using continuously not even streaming video or audio and, yes, Ubuntu has power management settings which I've configured)
Popping the bottom off to look at the hardware, there is no 204 pin memory modules so it looks like replacing/upgrading the memory is difficult/impossible (I'm not brave enough to try extracting the motherboard to see if the modules are on the other side below the keyboard). I do love the fact that the SSD is PCI-E (and can be replaced..as opposed to soldered on the motherboard like macbook air.) I'm going to replace the wifi card with a Centrino 6230 (as soon as it gets here)
Software:
I reformatted to Ubuntu Natty 64 bit and loaded VMware player for Windows 7. I haven't had any issues with the touchpad. All the complaints about multi-touch gestures not working or limited seem to be a Windows only issue. Specifically two-finger scrolling and two-finger tap (for right-click) work flawlessly. Since the touchpad works on my Win7 install via vmware tools this functionality is still present when I'm in Windows. (win7 Pro 32 bit)...althugh I haven't played around very much on the Windows side since I use the Unity mode and just launch Outlook and IE mostly. The Broadcom chip seemed to work for me (I'm using it until my Centrino 6230 gets here) I'm on kernel 2.6.38.11 if that helps out anyone.
I can't give it 5 stars because of the wifi and battery. All in all, I like the laptop very much. Other than the wifi card and the battery life...this was worth the $400 over the Samsung Series 3
...while Apple offers configuration options for the Macbook Air 11 inch...the price tag is $1649 (core i7, 256 gb ssd option) + $249 or so for the applecare 2 year warranty. While I like OS X...I want to use Ubuntu as my OS (and not through vmware)
If you're a windows user and want a thin and light laptop the Series 9 is the way to go.
1/5/12 update Ok, I've had my Series 9 for 4 months now. Still love it. Since the last review I've reformatted from Ubuntu to Win7 (Ultimate 64-bit). I installed the Intel Centrino 6230 card and it works flawlessly. I ended up taking the sliding port doors off.
Hardware Under Windows 7 I Installed all hardware drivers that were available from Windows update and the rest from the Samsung support site. I do think the battery has a little better performance under win7 . I use sleep mode (left it asleep at 50% battery life all night and most of the day). When I woke it up...the battery was at 49%. I used it for a bit and put it back asleep. When I got home I got back on it. Battery life now at 31% (using it for about 1/2 hour). Compared to Ubuntu I'd say I'm eeking out an extra 1/2 hour or so on windows.
Software Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (SP1) all updates from windows installed (except the 35 language packs...don't need those). Use the drivers from Microsoft and only install the drivers you need from Samsung. Use the battery life extender (software section) from the Samsung site. And the firmware update 1.0.0.2 (firmware section) on samsung site.
In conclusion You will need to replace the wifi card (I recommend the Intel Centrino 6230). You will want to install a fresh copy of your flavor of windows (or linux) 64 bit edition and delete the existing partitions during the OS install. Under Windows 7, when you get updates just create a new restore point...you don't need a separate recovery partition. If you are going to create an image you will definately want to do this via network. If you're just worried about your data and settings...just use Windows Easy Transfer (enable and login as administrator). I've got 2 external monitors running...one is on a USB display (UGA USB video adapter) and the other is through the mini HDMI port. Run the USB video adapter on a USB hub works great.
11/17/12 1 year and 3 months...
Laptop still functioning like a pro. I would recommend using the Samsung AA-AH1NAMB/US Micro HDMI To VGA Adapter. I was using an VGA > HDMI > micro HDMI and connectivity was extremely sensitive.
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Prior to this, I used Macbook Air (11 inch screen) and it was not up to challenge for the relatively simple computing tasks and it lacked so many ports. This Samsung on the other hand is very powerful, lightweight,functional with a slick design(given, not as slick as Macbook Air), I would strongly recommend anyone who is looking for a lightweight, powerful laptop.Best Deals for Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
The stats listed for this item are not false. This is one of the few 11.6 inch laptops that was manufactured with a 128 GB SSD drive, and 4GB of ram. I thought it was a typo, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was exactly as was listed.The only disappointment, is that this came with the faulty wifi card that's usually associated with the Series 9. I purchased an Intel Centrino combination bluetooth and wifi card for this and replaced it right away. The wifi now works perfectly. I had a tricky time opening the laptop up due to some stubborn screws. Be very careful not to strip the tiny things or it may be permanently sealed forever.
I should also mention that I'm typically someone who is very bothered when electronics are made of fingerprint prone materials. A good example would be the glass on touch screen phones. Many people say that this computer is a 'fingerprint magnet', but I actually found this to be false. While you WILL have some finger printing for every day use, it's only a 'magnet' if you're doing something like eating popcorn or a cheeseburger while using it. There is a glossy plastic frame around the screen that I would deem as a 'magnet', but you shouldn't be touching the screen with your fingers anyway.
Fantastic little computer once you replace the wifi card.
Honest reviews on Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
I'm a heavy computer user. When I wanted to buy this laptop I saw the bad reviews about WiFi so when I ordered this laptop I ordered an external wifi adapter in case! When I received this laptop every thing was good. Its about 2 months and wifi was perfect so far.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
I think there are some serious quality issues with this version of the Samsung device. The packaging I received seemed to already have been opened at one point, so I think my device may have already been returned once, fixed, and resold. Anyway, after one week of use the SSD drive failed and everything on it was lost. Yeah, should have been backing up everyday I guess, but I usually back up every week and the machine didn't even last that long.
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