**update 8/21**
this computer screams...no junk..nothing! i took things a step further (i guess i was bored) the other week and completely formatted the laptop with a fresh copy of windows 8 via usb.
this gets really kinda techie so if your not up to the task just skim over this part of the review.
from Microsoft's terms of service. "May I make a backup copy? Yes, you may make a single copy of the software for backup purposes.."
do the following at your own risk.
with some google searching...you will need to download the official .iso format of windows 8 file named: en_windows_8_x64_dvd_915440.iso and make sure it matches the id sum: 1CE53AD5F60419CF04A715CF3233F247E48BEEC4. (official version)
after thats downloaded then google: Windows7-USB-DVD-tool (don't worry it works with win 8 too)
run the program and select the .iso and make your bootable usb of windows 8. (i used a 4gb sandisk thumb drive)
copy all the files off the same thumb drive and reformat the drive to a fat32. why? samsung boot cant read NTFS format.
then put all the boot files you took off back on the newly formatted thumb drive.
unplug the usb drive.
reboot your pc. repeat pressing f2 during boot to enter bios.
change under advanced tab fast bios mode to disabled.
change usb charge in sleep mode to enabled.
save settings and reboot. put in the win8 usb in the 2.0 usb slot (right side) and boot to bios again by repeatedly pressing f2.
go to boot tab change your boot order to the usb instead of the hard drive to top of list. save and exit.
win 8 install screen will boot. select the install a fresh copy option. delete all partitions. install win8. you will not need a win 8 key. you own win 8 and the key is imbeded in the samsung bios system. there will be no option to put a key in.
when booted in windows 8 and you have a big smile that your computer is completely clean...do a google search and download the sw update software. re download all software/drivers via samsungs software.
everything work like a charm now. fresh and clean windows 8.
i also recommend start 8 software. i prefer a desktop experience and having a start button like win7.
afterwards, go back into bios and reverse your settings to the defaults, what they were before you changed them.
enjoy friends!
**update 6/26**
just a quick heads up!
do not bother updating to the new intel driver released 6/4/13 for wifi.
i tried it for a couple days and the wifi issues came right back again.
just stay on the microsoft wifi driver and you will be fine.
**update 6/19**
after a month this computer is still a beast. after reading the long thread and discussion about putting in a SSD, and it being too difficult i figured i would give a shot at installing one. (remember now i have no tech experience). well let me tell you it was retarded easy...and i did it in 20 minutes. and man this thing screams!!!
so you want to upgrade the ssd? do it. its easy. and don't worry the back comes off super easy and no it wont snap if you pull carefully.
steps you ask? don't mind if i do. :)
(before proceeding with this please order some nitrile latex free gloves and a micro philips screwdriver)
*order the samsung 840 ssd with the data transfer cable kit. (to clone your current hard drive)
*install data migration tool off samsung website and clone hard drive. (it took about 45 min)
*shut down computer, flip over computer, unscrew ALL back screws.
*start at front computer corner (left or right, doesn't matter) with a credit card pop up the edge.
*take that same card and push it down the crack on the whole front side of computer.(it will pop all the clips out, don't worry it wont break)
*do the same on both sides pulling the cover back. only thing now that should be connected is the back corner hinge things.
*push the back plate forward off the hinges and the enire backplate will come off.
*unscrew harddrive mount screws.
*unscrew hard drive holder screws.
*replace hard drive with ssd.
*reverse all your steps and re-boot.
this thing boots in 3 seconds now completely and opens all programs instantly.
ill post a few pics under user pics. enjoy.
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ive had this laptop for a few days so far so i will update this review as time goes on.
the good:
1920x1080p resolution w/touch on a ultra book style laptop.
dedicated GPU plus integrated.(good for those who play a game now and then)
back-lit keyboard
the touchbad: i love it, works almost as well as a mac...no joke.
amazing speakers...no joke very good for a laptop.
solid built laptop with premium feel.
decently thin with what i think is a perfect size screen/keyboard
aluminum body.
small power brick.
5ghz wireless support.
decent battery life.
2 video outs (hdmi/vga for dual monitor support)
core i7/8gb ram
the bad:
no solid state hard drive (you can notice it slows loading speeds down a tad)
no matte screen :( screen will have smudges especially touching with your finger.
aluminum body does leave smudges, but not that bad.
the plastic in-between the keys on the keyboard is GLOSSY! so dumb. it gets all greasy looking in-between keys. the picture they have showing it on here it looks matte but believe me its not...not a huge deal but whatever.
fn lock key, adjustable everything, u can even turn the fan noise down or completely off.
THE BIGGEST CON?
Intel 6235 wifi driver. If you on wifi it cuts you off randomly sometimes...and its really annoying, It is not the chip its the DRIVER. was almost a deal breaker but heres the fix:
getting rid of the "intel" driver and reverting to Microsoft driver.
1. Uninstall the Intel Proset wireless software/driver from the computer under control panel uninstall program. (not the blue tooth just the wireless)...after thats done..
2. Open device manager/network adapters
3. double click centrino advanced-n 6235
4.click driver tab
5. It should say driver provider Microsoft / 12/5/2011 / 14.8.8.75
6. click events tab to see if driver service added was (NETwNe64)
that will fix the drop problems.
then fine tune your adapter
1. click tab power management / uncheck allow computer to turn device off to save power
2. click tab advanced / make sure transmit power is set to highest
well i love this thing. its awesome. its slick. its powerful and it will make you very happy.
questions? just ask.
buy it
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Ok--all the reviews about this laptop are true. It's great for the money.
However, there are some design considerations to keep in mind. 1rst--the battery is buried in the unit. So you won't be able to swap out the battery (or take the battery out). 2nd--unlike some other laptops (ASUS comes to mind)...this Samsung laptop comes out of sleep & hibernation via the power button... hitting any key won't do it; you HAVE to use the power button. 3rd--if you hold down the power button for 5-20 seconds, it doesn't necessarily reboot.
This combination opens the door to a catastrophic failure. If you get stuck in sleep mode...how will you reboot the computer into post? That's what happened to me after the first morning with this laptop. If holding down the power button doesn't work to reboot out of sleep mode, then SOP is to take out the battery--except you can't with this unit. Engineering woopsie. There is a little pin hole in the back that is supposed to disengage the battery but my suspicion is that it doesn't fully do so. Likewise it might be pretty hard to total drain the battery. So your stuck in sleep mode.
After the first day with my new laptop I had what amounted to a brick blinking 'sleep mode'. I called Samsung customer support--the guy was real nice but he couldn't get the laptop out of sleep mode any more than I could.
Thank goodness I bought with Amazon. I was able to return this Samsung unit with no problems and I bought another brand with better engineering.
Best Deals for Samsung ATIV Book 6 15.6-Inch Full HD Touchscreen Laptop (Mineral
Pros: Nice design, solid feeling keyboard, touchscreen, good specs
Cons: WiFi Drop-outs, Auto back-lit Keyboard, Heating/Fan Issue (on first laptop), minor smudging, no SSD
May 14th 2013
Received this laptop today and almost immediately noticed it had a fan and heating issue. Alot of heat keeps being produced at minimal cpu usage (only surfing the internet) so the fan, located right underneath the screen by the hinge, keeps kicking into an abnormally high rpm to cool down the system. The system continually becomes very hot and the top of the keyboard, possibly thanks to the fan location, becomes hot to the touch as well. This includes the 3 or 4 top rows of keys, making it extremely uncomfortable to use for even brief typing periods. Also putting the computer into the lower performance mode with the F11 Fn doesnt do much to fix this heating issue.
In short this means it is a very loud and extremely hot system most of the time... which needless to say completely ruins the computer.
I contacted Samsung about the issue and after about a good 45 minutes they suggested i send the laptop in for repair. I am awaiting a replacement laptop from amazon at the moment, will update to see if same issue occurs or if it's just an isolated defect.
During the periods of time when it is not behaving this way however i am pleased with the laptop (although keep in mind ive only had it for a few hours now). The keyboard is surprisingly very comfortable, the touchscreen works well, and the overall mechanical build is of high quality. The screen has almost no wobble but has some reflection to it like any device. The 1080p graphics on it are a surprising huge step up from the 720p of my 4 year old laptop too.
The matte finish of the case unfortunately allows for minor smudging, which might bother some especially if moving from a silver finish like myself, but isnt a major annoyance. The few times i tested the JBL speakers i was impressed. They are certainly nice especially compared to your typical laptop speakers.
Apart from these minor things and the heating issue I had the Ativ book 6 is a first rate computer by my standards.
5/16/13:
Received replacement laptop yesterday and was suffering from same heating/fan issue initially for a bit even after the initialization and all the updates were completed. Today however the fan has been low and heat minimal unlike the initial laptop. Ran the replacement laptop at max cpu usage and experienced the same heat as what the initial laptop experienced at 3% usage, fan wasnt interchanging btwn rpms though which is another good sign for this one. Also confirms something was terribly wrong with the first unit. Additionally putting it into low power mode with F11 puts the fan to a whisper even quieter than the 'low' rpm it has been at today (had no effect one defective unit fyi).
To be more specific than before the defective computer became very hot where the fan blows causing the keyboard keys to become hot and uncomfortable. Fan would not run at a consistent rpm for a long duration but rather interchanged between medium and high, along with a rare low, when simply browsing the internet. Running the photoshop app alongside certainly made it worse. Plugging the battery charger in also causes the fan to increase rpm and vice versa independent of the charge on the battery too on both computers.
5/27/13:
Had this replacement computer for awhile now and was experiencing frequency wifi drop-outs and connectivity issues. After uninstalling the intel driver and reverting to the windows one (as described by dissed in the review below) I have not experienced any issues! Had to change power settings as well so that the computer wouldnt turn off the wifi to save power.
Another issue is that the computer automatically turns on the keyboard back-lighting during low light conditions. The reason this is an issue is that you are unable to turn this off and unable to control the brightness level.
Certainty had alot of headaches with the defect unit and wifi issues, these things aside this laptop runs great!
So in quick summary computer initially has lots of wifi issues/drop-outs and is prone to become a bit hot/noisy under heavy loads. Unable to turn off keyboard back-lighting during the night and smudging is pretty common on the casing (but not too bad). Battery life was about 4.5 hours in my case which is alright considering the i7 and graphics card inside this laptop. Lastly had to make a few setting changes due to alot of automated things that dont make any sense (like putting the computer into sleep mode after 1min idle on battery and disconnecting wifi adapter after 5min). Meaning that someone who isnt great with computers might want to avoid all this hassle.
Honest reviews on Samsung ATIV Book 6 15.6-Inch Full HD Touchscreen Laptop (Mineral
I love everything about this laptop. The display is gorgeous Full HD. The JBL speakers are fantastic. The touchscreen is very responsive as well. I do have a couple issues with this Laptop though. It came with a dead pixel to the left center of the screen, it's only really noticeable when watching darker videos or darker backgrounds. But during those particular times, it can be quite annoying. On top of that, I'm having the same WiFi issues as the other two reviewers are having so far. If I am just sitting in a webpage typing and the laptop isn't attempting to connect it's fine and seems to be working great. But if I go to youtube or another website to watch an HD video, sometimes even just a basic webpage, the WiFi will start doing the same thing as the other reviewers. As expensive as this laptop is, I'd expect the Wifi to work properly.
I love Samsung products, I own a Galaxy Note 2 cell phone, I have a Samsung Google Chromebook, a Samsung HD Television, and now this laptop. I'm hoping I can have it replaced with a model that has a fixed WiFi card and preferably without the dead pixel. I'm going to give it a day or so and see if the WiFi issue gets resolved, but if it doesn't I will most definitely be returning the laptop and hopefully having it replaced with a fully working model.
So I'm giving this Laptop a 2/5 for shipping with a dead Pixel and a pretty terrible WiFi issue. Changing battery settings didn't help my issue at all. But I'll happily give this a 5/5 if I can get the dead pixel and wifi issue resolved.
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UPDATE:
I received my replacement Laptop today and the WiFi was still an issue for me. After reading "Dissed" review (which was added after my original review) I followed his advice and deleted the default Intel WiFi drivers and let them roll back to the basic Microsoft drivers and I've had Zero issues since then. The WiFi is working perfectly and quickly. It's also nice that this unit has no dead pixels. (also, my original model was having Touchpad issues that I didn't notice until after I wrote my original review) this unit has zero issues with that at all. It's an amazing laptop with a top quality screen. Worth every penny. I have now kept my promise and will upgrade this review to a 5/5. Fantastic Purchase so far.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Samsung ATIV Book 6 15.6-Inch Full HD Touchscreen Laptop (Mineral
I must say, this laptop was a great purchase and I have zero regrets. Its a touch on the heavy side for a laptop this size, but the trade off is an easy one; its feels incredibly sturdy. There are couple of issues that are definitely not make or break, but are quality of life wishes and things to maybe consider:
Windows 8, while not as awful as it is made out to be, is pretty bad. The curve is somewhat steep moving from Windows 7, but not insurmountable. Red a guide before the purchase and pick one up frequently as you use this machine. It helps.
The WiFi does drop out when you close the lid and open it up. a quick toggle of the airplane switch turns it back on. This can likely be controlled via some of the device/power options, it its so incredibly minor, I haven't even poked around.
The Catalyst control panel is a bit confusing, but once its sorted an properly set up, the switching between graphics cards is seamless and the Radeon sings and the heat output is not that much greater.
The speakers are on the bottom of the laptop. Odd choice, I thought, but I usually (if not always) have headphones on.
The bloatwaree is fairly easy to remove.
The good is great though:
The graphics are stellar and the display when cranked to the max is beautiful. Deep, rich and colorful.
The backlit keyboard is great, it is bright enough to be seen in a well lit room and not so bright that it burns out your retinas in a dark one.
It's a pretty quick little computer; the hard drive is spacey as well.
The laptop itself runs quietly and with very little heat even after an hour or two of run.
The touchscreen is very responsive; much more so than many of the floor models I've seen at certain electronics stores.
I would buy it again and not think twice about it. Dollar for dollar, I have yet to see a better value.Suggestion, however: grab a windows 8 compatible mouseLogitech Zone Touch Mouse T400 for Windows 8 Black (910-003041) for instance.
