Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) review

Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors aren’t just faster than the previous generation, they’re also more power efficient. For a laptop the main benefit this gives is less heat, allowing thinner and lighter designs. The Samsung Series 9 laptop is the first laptop we’ve seen to use a low-voltage 2nd Generation Intel Core i processor and the result is a 13.3in laptop that weighs just 1.3kg.

Comparisons with the MacBook Air are inevitable and it’s clearly the laptop that Samsung has its sights on with this model. In terms of power, there’s no competition really. While the MacBook Air uses a Core 2 Duo processor, the Series 9 has a 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-2573M and 4GB of RAM. As we’ve recently changed benchmarks, we don’t have the latest performance results for the 13.3in model, but the similar 11in model is around 50 per cent slower overall.

The Series 9 scored 31 overall in our new benchmarks, which means that it’s a fair bit slower than a desktop processor. However, this is because it has a relatively slow clock speed and a laptop like this is designed for its portability rather than full-on performance. Standard desktop tasks and Windows feel very smooth on it and less intensive tasks, such as photo editing will run quickly, as our image editing score of 57 shows.

Part of the reason that the Core i5 can be squeezed into such a slim case is because it has the Intel HD Graphics chip integrated into the processor die. This combination requires less power and cooling. While this chip will decode HD video, games are out of the question on this laptop, with it scoring just 4fps in our CoD4 test; reducing the screen resolution to 800×600 and turning off AA didn’t have much impact and the Series 9 limped through it at just 11fps.

Beyond performance, comparisons to the MacBook Air will certainly be made in terms of looks. Here Apple has the slight edge. Its sleek case made entirely from aluminium and is marginally thinner, although it is ever-so-slightly heavier. While the lid and lower chassis are metal on the Series 9, the screen bezel and keyboard surround are both plastic. All parts of the case are wicked fingerprint magnets, so you’ll want to carry a cloth around to make sure you give it the occasional wipe down.

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That’s not to say that the Series 9 isn’t an attractive laptop. It’s sleek and curved, while remaining impressively thin. It will slip easily into any bag and you’ll barely even notice that you’re carrying it around. This really is what an ultra-portable laptop should be like.

Opening the case, it’s clear to see that Samsung has been inspired by the MacBook air. Gone is the usual touchpad with dedicated left right buttons, replaced instead with a large multi-touch touchpad. The entire unit is a single button, which follows the same rules as on Apple’s laptops: a click with one finger is left-click; two fingers gives you a right click.

It’s responsive and works brilliantly, once you get used to it. By default, tap is turned on, so you tap (without clicking) to select an object or move the mouse cursor. Given that this often means that while you’re typing the touchpad can get knocked, moving the cursor to a part of the screen you don’t want to type on, we disabled this in the Windows Control Panel.

Where the Series 9 really loses out is with multi-touch gestures. On an Apple MacBook, a four-fingered swipe puts Exposé into action, giving you a quick way to switch between applications; on the Series 9 the same action either minimizes all windows if you swipe down (the same action restores) or gives you Flip 3D in you swipe upwards. Two fingered swipes let you scroll through a document, but a little icon appears in Windows 7 to show what you’re doing. Windows 7’s multi-touch support, it’s fair to say, just isn’t as smooth or as well integrated as on Mac OS X. Even so, this is the best touchpad we’ve seen on a Windows laptop and far more preferable to the two-button models we normally see.

The full-size Chiclet-style keyboard is incredibly comfortable to type on. We found that the keys had the right amout of feedback and travel, letting us touch-type at full flow without making any errors. For use in dimly-lit areas, the keyboard has a backlight that’s activated by a light sensor. Shortcut keys let you control the brightness. It’s a nice touch that makes the Series 9 easier to use in a variety of locations.

We were pleased with the evenly-lit 13.3in screen, which has a resolution of 1,366×768. It’s incredibly bright, so you can use it in pretty much every lighting situation, and produces rich colours. It really is a fantastic screen. While the MacBook air comes with a 1,440×900 screen, there’s really very little between the two resolutions and the two laptops are about even there.

As you’d expect from an ultra-portable, there’s a 128GB SSD installed. This makes the laptop pretty snappy, with fast start up and application load times. It should be enough for most people’s needs, but you’ll need some external storage if you’ve got lots of videos, photos and music files.

An SSD uses less power than a mechanical hard disk, which should help to boost battery life. In our light use test, we managed to get almost six hours out of this model, which is the same as the 13.3in MacBook Air and impressive for such a slim device. The battery is integrated, so you can’t replace it easily without removing the entire underside.

With such a thin case, squeezing in ports of any type is going to be difficult. Flaps on either side pull down to reveal full-sized USB (one’s a USB3) ports and mini-HDMI. It’s slightly disappointing to see that there’s only a MicroSD card slot, as this format is only really used by smartphones, rather than video cameras and digital cameras that you’ll want to read from more often.

There’s also no room for a full Ethernet port, so Samsung provides a proprietary connector and adaptor in the box. You’ll need to make sure that you don’t lose this if you want to used wired networking.

Perhaps the biggest issue we have with the Series 9 is its price. At £1,299 it’s £90 more expensive than a 13.3in MacBook Air with a 128GB hard disk and 4GB of RAM. Currently, this extra cash buys you a brand new processor, where as the MacBook Air is running an old Core 2 Duo; however, as soon as the new models start coming out (rumoured to be June), Apple will have caught up.

Regardless of what Apple will do in the future, the Series 9 is a fantastic bit of kit. It’s well made, fast, light and has excellent battery. In short, it’s everything that you could want from an ultra-portable laptop. If you want Windows, it’s a great choice, but if the OS isn’t so important we’d be tempted to wait for the new MacBook Air instead.