Which is where Samsung’s new $1,200 Notebook 9 comes in. Equipped with a 15-inch display and powerful Intel Core i7 processor, the Notebook 9 seeks to be a lighter, less expensive alternative to Apple’s champion. And — with just a few caveats — it succeeds.
Attractive and lightweight
Not to sound snobby, but if I’m spending more than a $1,000 on a laptop, it had better be made of something better than cheap plastic. Usually that means metal, which adds to weight. Since 15-inch laptops already tend to feel heavy in the hand, such extra weight can quickly become problematic.
While Samsung did indeed use metal for the Notebook 9’s frame, it used a relatively light aluminum and magnesium alloy, ensuring that the laptop looks upscale without getting ungainly.
In fact, at just 2.9 pounds, the Notebook 9 is a full pound and a half lighter than the MacBook Pro. That might not sound like much, but when you add it to your bag along with all of your other sundries, it can mean the difference between being comfortable and having a sore shoulder.
As with the MacBook Pro, the Notebook 9’s aesthetic can be best described as “less is more.” The laptop’s lid has a simple chrome Samsung logo and nothing else. The keyboard deck is equally austere.
Measuring 14.1 by 9.7 by 0.71 inches, Apple’s MacBook Pro is surprisingly thin for a 15-inch laptop. But at 13.6 by 9.3 by 0.57 inches, Samsung’s Notebook 9 is thinner by a good bit. Again, the difference might seem slight, but when you’re cramming it into a crowded bag, every hundredth of an inch counts.
One issue I have with the Notebook 9 is that it doesn’t feel quite as solid as the MacBook Pro. Apple understands that fit and finish matters and builds its hardware to extremely tight tolerances. The Notebook 9 doesn’t feel as exacting.
Bright, colorful display
Samsung is known for producing some great displays. So it comes as no surprise that the 15.6-inch screen on the Notebook 9 is absolutely gorgeous. The $1,200 base model gets a 1920 x 1080 LCD screen that offers brilliant, dynamic colors that are also surprisingly bright.
If you want something sharper, you can upgrade that display to one with 3840 x 2160 screen resolution for a grand total of $1,500. Most folks won’t need such a high-res panel, though, since it won’t do much for you when you’re just browsing the Web or streaming Netflix or Hulu. But if you’re going to be doing something like pro-level photo editing, you’ll likely want to make the upgrade.
The MacBook Pro’s 15.4-inch Retina panel, by comparison, offers 2880 x 1800 resolution. The Pro’s screen is certainly sharper than the base Notebook 9’s, but Samsung’s display still has better color quality.
Solid keyboard, meh touchpad
I used the Notebook 9 for more than a week during my testing, and I’ve got to say: Its keyboard is wonderful. The keys feel sturdy and have plenty of travel, and the sound of each key press was music to my ears. I think Samsung’s keyboard is every bit as excellent as the MacBook Pro’s — and that’s saying something.
The Notebook 9’s touchpad is as smooth glass. Your fingers glide across it with ease. I did, though, run into issues with the touchpad’s palm rejection. There were a handful of times when my palm accidentally grazed the touchpad while I was typing; it moved the cursor and produced some typos.
I use a MacBook everyday and have never had that problem. There’s a reason that Apple sets the standard for touchpads.
Powerful, affordable performance
The $1,200 Notebook 9 packs an Intel Core i7 processor with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB solid-state drive. That’s plenty of power for most users. You’ll be able to stream movies, browse the Web, edit photos and videos, and play basic games without any problems.
By Daniel Howley.
Culled from Yahoo News.
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