More and more, computer marketing is all about mass market appeal and has moved away from technical specs, but technical specs DO still matter, ESPECIALLY in ultrabooks, which thanks to improved Intel graphics in Ivy Bridge are right on the cusp of being able to play modern games (albeit at lower settings). Nobody cares about paying more for 10-15% extra performance on desktops anymore, but that can make a huge difference in an ultrabook if you suddenly get the urge to use it like a real computer, and is worth a premium IMO. And the specs on this Series 9 model A03 should ensure such a performance advantage over most other ultrabooks on the market.

This model of the Series 9, the NP900X4C-A03US, simply has it all:

* 256GB SSD (most models have either a hybrid SSD/HDD, or only 128GB SSD)
* 8GB RAM (the number of ultrabooks on the market offering options with >4GB is woefully small).
* Decent screen resolution of 1600x900 that's a nice fit for a 15" screen.
* Core i7 CPU

I think most people can grasp the benefits of the first 3 items (which are clearly significant and may be enough to pay extra for just the bigger SSD and RAM alone), but there are significant benefits of the i7-3517U processor that's offered in this model, over the i5-3317U that's offered in the lower-end A01 and A02 models (and most other ultrabooks).

To wit:

i5-3317U:
1.7 GHz base clock frequency
2.6 GHz max turbo clock frequency
3 MB cache
1050 MHZ max Gfx clock frequency

i7-3517U:
1.9 GHz base clock frequency (12% faster)
3.0 GHz max turbo clock frequency (13% faster)
4 MB cache (33% bigger)
1150 MHz max Gfx clock frequency (10% faster)

(Source: Anandtech)

All of the above, combined with the 8GB RAM, should result in an across-the-board 10-15% performance increase in both processor-intensive apps, as well as graphical-intensive apps (ie, games). And this is all done within the same 17W power envelope, with the same excellent battery life and no battery penalty from using an external graphics chip.

I'm afraid I can't offer any benchmark comparisons as proof (I only bought one computer after all), but I can tell you that there are many reports of Diablo 3 barely being able to run on Intel HD4000 graphics, especially in later acts with lots of background action going on. But I can report that D3 runs great and smooth on this system in both Acts 3 and 4, with medium textures, low shadows, and high physics in the native 1600x900 resolution.

(As a sidebar, I should also mention the good news that my model came with a Samsung SSD, and not the slower SanDisk SSD that was in the 128GB model that I looked at in a retail store. No guarantees if this will always be the case, though).

I'm not going to go into usability aspects, other than to say that our family is very satisfied with the screen, keyboard, trackpad, build, etc. It's a sweet machine. Honestly, if you're concerned about those kinds of things, you'll likely go see and feel a Series 9 model for yourself at a local retail store (any 15" Ivy Bridge model will suffice for evaluating this aspect, of course). That's what we did, we liked it, and we are liking it more every day as we continue using it after about a week.

The downside to this model is that nobody is selling it, and even Amazon lists a 3-5 week wait for shipment. Fortunately, Amazon appears to be under-promising here, as ours shipped in about 1.5 weeks, and arrived a little over 2 weeks after we ordered it.

Bottom line: Don't let the extra money or the extra wait scare you away from the A03 model. This laptop is going to be the workhorse in our household that does everything, from general productivity to homework to surfing to on-the-move mobility to moderate gaming, and on and on. If you're looking to make a similar investment, go for the best and get this laptop."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+29points

29of 29voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Nnrpro

Top 500 Contributor
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Top 500 Contributor

from Signal hill, Ca

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Super fast laptop

PostedDecember 30, 2012

"Umm such a nice laptop, super fast speed, slim design and bright clear screen."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 7 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

GeekSquad

from San Antonio

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Awesome

PostedDecember 29, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedDecember 29, 2012

"Just wish it didn't run windows 8, not a big fan of all the tiles and Microsoft for that matter. But i'm betting it would run real good with a linux software. I'm actually in the market to find another computer for the girlfriend."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 8 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

AmericanWolf

from Alexandria, VA

I have used this product for:3-6 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

This laptop is screaming fast!

PostedDecember 16, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedDecember 16, 2012

"Thanks to it's internal Solid State drive this machine boots Windows 7 nearly instantly and runs blindingly fast. It also has a very solid shell and great battery life! I love my Samsung Series 9 laptop!"

Pros: extremely fast, built in camera

I would recommend this to a friend!

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 9 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

SamsungAmazes

from UT

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Product by Great Company!

PostedDecember 14, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedDecember 14, 2012

"This is a snappy laptop, handling all the computing needs I have. It is not a gaming rig by any means, but it can handle most games at the medium settings. It is super thin, close to 1/2" and it is just as sleek if not more so than any laptop I've ever seen. It is great, I would suggest it to any and all that are considering an ultra-book."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight, impossibly thin, great battery, hd display

Cons: touch pad isn't great

I would recommend this to a friend!

My product recommendations

Samsung Galaxy S® III (Verizon), Marble White

(607)

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 10 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

dedeeler

from Yonkers, New York

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Perfection

PostedNovember 29, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedNovember 29, 2012

"This is definitely one of the best products Samsung has to offer its fast light weight and so convenient the display is clean and clear with barely any strain on the eyes this is great for people on the go because its half the weight of other laptops and starts up so fast if your in the market for a new latop this should be your first choice"

Pros: Bright display, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+5points

5of 5voted this as helpful.

Review 11 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

McGeesSmith

from Amherst, NH

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

3 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Not Perfect, but still Five Stars

PostedSeptember 21, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedSeptember 21, 2012

"I spent months and month waiting for an ultrabook that would meet all my requirements and in the end purchased the Samsung Series 9 (which is NOT officially an ultrabook) because I believe it delivers on the promise better than the officially-labeled choices. Took this on a one week, 2 city trip within days of getting it. Also took my iPad. Never opened the iPad. Used the Series 9 to work on the plane and watch movies. Till the iPad has Office, it may be staying home.

Pros:
► Start-up in seconds. That means that all those times you think you'd like to open up your PC to work for a few minutes or even check something but don't because its not worth the hassle, you DO. I did productive work in the back of a cab in busy metro traffic.
► Light-weight.
► 15" screen (hard to find in sub-3 pounds)
► HDMI connectors for Ethernet and VGA (yes you have to buy the latter, but it worked like a charm at a client location - no drama). If you travel for business, the Ethernet is a must - you just can't depend on hotels having WiFi

Cons
► The keyboard. It's mushy.
► I wish there was a 512 SSD. The 256 will be limiting over time.
► It is expensive. No more than a MacBook for comparable specs, but still expensive.

Why didn't I just buy a Macbook? I did. And returned it without opening the box when I realized Office for Mac doesn't accommodate Outlook PST files. a deal breaker for me. And with the Series 9, no re-learning, no mirrored partitions, no historical file comparability/formatting issues.

Is it perfect? No. Is it a great choice to make based on what's out there? Absolutely. 5 Star."

Pros: Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+38points

41of 44voted this as helpful.

Review 12 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

JIMBLIMM

from STL

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:6-10

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

The Best ultra book out FLaOuT

PostedSeptember 18, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedSeptember 18, 2012

"The build quality and slimness is evident from unboxing on. It is sturdy and has a good feel, but is almost surreally thin and light. Beautiful screen with very decent outdoor viewing and vertical viewing angle (roughly 45 degrees of perfect view, another 45 of acceptable viewing, and 180 degrees of legibility)). Excellent battery life, (I've been using it for about 3 hours this session and i'm sitting at 70% remaining. So roughly the 10 hours advertised). The boot speed is faster than advertised (clocked the boot at 6.7 seconds), and it is literally instantly on from sleep. The CPU centric speed is more than fast enough for basic computing tasks, mathematica, and photoshop), and it can handle a little light gaming (League of Legends)."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+14points

17of 20voted this as helpful.

Review 13 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

usedtolikesamsung

Top 250 Contributor
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Top 250 Contributor

from FL

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Excellent laptop

PostedSeptember 5, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedSeptember 5, 2012

"Beautiful platform and really nice hardware other than it could use a bigger HDD."

I would recommend this to a friend!

0points

4of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 14 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

blackmask321

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Sweetness in a box

PostedAugust 26, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 26, 2012

"This thing is amazing!!!. Between the Fastboot, the stylish exterior and the overall build quality there is nothing not to love. Performance shouldnt even be questioned about this thing. It will blow most desktops out of the water. I have always been fan of Samsung products and this Laptop just gives me another reason to continue. Only thing i am a little sad on is the charger of the system. I really just wish they can get a better charging system on these things. But man am i satisfied, If you dont have one get it now!!!"

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Lightweight, fast, sexy, freaking ninja

Cons: charger not as innovative as laptop

I would recommend this to a friend!

+3points

8of 13voted this as helpful.

Review 15 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

rwarfield

from Newark, NY

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Awesome!

PostedAugust 24, 2012

"Love it! This Series 9 (new) is the fastest, lightest, best portable I've ever even tried - and I have a lot of computers, laptops and deskops."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

-2points

3of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 16 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Bunsen

from Boston, MA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Excellent business laptop

PostedAugust 4, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 4, 2012

"I was in the market for a laptop for development with criteria of higher resolution than the 1366 displays, > 4GB of memory, an SSD and a reasonable processor.

I ultimately honed in on the Samsung as the best meld of features and while I fretted about it, I purchased it online sight unseen.

Once received, I was impressed by its build quality. It's quite durable and light for is 15" size. Once I had things running, my few complaints are that the trackpad is overly sensitive and not worth using if you can help it. I regularly disable it when I can attach an external mouse. Also, the bloatware for initial install is a bit annoying. I'm not a fan of the recovery partition mechanism they use, so I ended up re-installing from scratch and getting a bit more space and a cleaner install.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the purchase. One last reason that I chose it over competitors is the possibility of self-service. I do understand that it would void warranty to upgrade memory or the ssd myself, but in the future to allow for the upgrade post warranty is a great bit. I'd say only the lack of a serviceable battery would be the downside, but that's understandable to get the laptop to the packaging that it is in the first place."

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Lightweight, serviceable

Cons: trackpad implementation, bloaty install

I would recommend this to a friend!

+14points

17of 20voted this as helpful.

Review 17 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

1yatusabes

from Maryland

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:beginner

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Product

PostedJuly 27, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJuly 27, 2012

"Simply the coolest! Very convenient, portable, fast, and all-purpose use."

Pros: Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

-3points

3of 9voted this as helpful.

Review 18 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

SGS3

from Santa Barbara, CA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Best PC

PostedJuly 12, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJuly 12, 2012

"This was quite a change for me. I'm coming from a Macbook Pro, yet I extremely pleased with this UltraBook. Upon turning on the computer for the first time, I had only around 50GB. This seems to be the only complaint i have. If Samsung would have an option to increase to a 256GB SSD then it would be the best. It feels very premium and very lightweight as expected. Overall very pleased with it."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+7points

12of 17voted this as helpful.

Review 19 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Series9Lover

from Ohio

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:novice

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Amazing Design

PostedJuly 5, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJuly 5, 2012

"Such an amazing laptop! This is my first samsung laptop, but owning both a smartphone and tablet (which I also love) by them I had to cross shop. Blew away my expectations and the competition. Very premium feel, 100% satisfied. Samsung has earned my loyalty, and I'm sure if given the chance they will earn yours."

Pros: Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight, thin

I would recommend this to a friend!

My product recommendations

Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) Android Smartphone

(640)

Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1" (Wi-Fi Only) – 16GB Metallic Gray

(689)

+1point

8of 15voted this as helpful.

Review 20 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Lovmysamsung

from Florida

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Awesome

PostedJuly 5, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJuly 5, 2012

"After 6 months of consideration in purchasing a new laptop, when I saw the new Samsung thin with a solid state drive I had to take a look at it. It was love at first site, so I purchased it on the spot. I got it home, it set up with ease and I am enjoying it everyday. A great choice and an awesome machine."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

0points

7of 14voted this as helpful.

Review 21 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

LittleRhodey

from rhode island

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

samsung series 9

PostedJune 28, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJune 28, 2012

"very well satisfied with this computer, the battery is excellent, boots up extremely fast. very light weight with all the features such as hdmi, usb 3.0."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

0points

5of 10voted this as helpful.

Review 22 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Anonymous

from Santa Clarita

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

What a beautiful Ultrabook

PostedJune 14, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJune 14, 2012

"With a new power skimping Ivy Bridge processor, and a sleak design there is very little to complain about. Two issues not enough SSD options, the standard 128GN SSD is 1/2 full on arrival, loading MS Office Pro, and the recovery disk left me with only 52 GB left. The Network port requires an adaptor, otherwise this guy is the Bomb!"

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Realistic color, widi, backlite keyboard

Cons: ssd too limited

I would recommend this to a friend!

+8points

8of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 23 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

mla5008

from PA

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Laptop

PostedJune 3, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJune 3, 2012

"This is an amazing laptop, came from a macbook pro and would not go back."

Pros: Bright display, Realistic color

I would recommend this to a friend!

+2points

4of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 24 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

manabouttown

from Florida

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

One of the fastest on the market

PostedFebruary 22, 2013

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedFebruary 22, 2013

"I was amazed at the speed of this ultrabook. It literally starts up in 22 seconds. All aspects of the ultrabook are top notch."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 25 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

auburnfan38401

Top 100 Contributor
Vote on helpful content and promote its author.
Top 100 Contributor

from columbia, tn

Features

2 out of 5

Performance

3 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

1 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

could be a little better

PostedJanuary 1, 2013

"it could be a little better, but not by much. i am happy with it."

-1point

0of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 26 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

a1bailey

from Boise, ID

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

3 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Love the laptop overall!

PostedDecember 19, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedDecember 19, 2012

"Lightweight, high performance, great screen. No issues other than a crack in the case that required that I send it back for replacement."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Lightweight

Cons: crack in plastic at hinge.

I would recommend this to a friend!

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 27 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

syserr

I have used this product for:3-6 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Picky Professional

PostedNovember 16, 2012

"The specs are great. I'm a software engineer and have been using Linux on this laptop for 3 months. Linux support is coming along, I found that most established Linux distributions had issues so I made my own mix with Gentoo. Out of simple distributions - Linux Mint Debian Edition won't do you wrong.

I like the laptop, but I do have a list of cons: I love the non-glossy screen, but it does seem to give eye fatigue. Keyboard keys are spaced out much further than older laptop keys - mistyping a lot. It would be nice of the arrow keys were a full inverse-T. The hinge for the screen/lid gives plenty of friction when almost closed, but not enough when greater than 90 degrees open. I have worries about the power port being fragile. IMHO it should come with a HDMI and DVI cable."

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 28 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

woz123

from USA, PA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

3 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Close to Perfection, needs a couple small tweaks

PostedOctober 5, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedOctober 5, 2012

"A little history I am an IT professional with many, many years of experience and I normally build my own desktops from parts. I also have several handfuls of computer certifications involving PC hardware, Software and System Administration, so overall I feel that I know something about computers.

Samsung has never been on my radar for PC hardware until a co-worker who I respect greatly walked into the office with his Galaxy 9. I was immediately impressed with the build quality and sleek design for a PC. While I was not nessicarily in the market for a new laptop after playing with the 9 for a couple minutes and comparing my reseach with my co-workers I convinced my self I need something new as my current home laptop is rather old and has seen many winters as kitty cat buttocks warmer. The 9 is fast and well built. This is critical for me as this box is going to get abused at my house as a couch surfer, kitty cat warmer, homework computer, and backpack travel buddy.

If your reading other reviews please make sure the v2 Series 9 also called the “new model” is the review target. There have been many slight but important upgrades between the two. If you’re doing a hands-on test in a big box store the word “new” is visible in the hinge area to the top left of the keyboard.

The 9 ROCKS! But there are three major items keeping me from rating this product as perfect the last two are easy fix’s for Samsung.

1. Power Input: This power jack while almost identical to the competition in the ultra book category looks drastically under built and may be easily broken or bent. I don’t know if this is part of the Intel reference design or not but for me this is a major concern.
2.Cables: Lack of included cables for connecting the mini-ports to true ports. This is a premium product and @ this price point include the gosh darn cables.
3.HDD: The included SDD is small 128gb and the uplift price to 256Gb is not reasonable. I could buy an entirely new drive for that and was planning to. Sadly Samsung’s web site state you invalidate the warranty if you replace the drive. The sleep and restore speeds could have seen improvements by adding their own premium hardware vs a lower priced commodity part.

I would have gladly traded the nice graphically designed packaging materials (black box) for a lager HHD or usable cables. Why include such a nice box if the purchaser can't even see it until they get the white shipping box (ugly) home?

Once last comment, even under high load running benchmarks the chasse was very quiet and quite reasonably cool, so no roasted chestnut this winter. The kitty cats however said they wanted to keep the old laptop :-)"

Pros: Bright display, Realistic color, Lightweight, runs very cool and quiet, fast, not much 3rd party bloatware, industry standard battery life, larg display in a small package

Cons: power supply jack my not be robust, lack of cables, small hdd size void warranty if upgraded, some 3rd party bloatware installed

I would recommend this to a friend!

+9points

11of 13voted this as helpful.

Review 29 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Tototlsha

from Tacoma, WA

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

3 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Great laptop

PostedSeptember 10, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedSeptember 10, 2012

"I've been using this for a couple of months and it looks so cool. Fast bootup and instant wake."

Pros: Bright display, portability

I would recommend this to a friend!

-6points

0of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 30 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Computeraholic

from Texas

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

A Laptop for the 2010s

PostedJune 17, 2012

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJune 17, 2012

"This laptop has some great features. It has some drawbacks as well, but, overall, it is a great purchase.

I was able to compare this laptop with others in its class from other manufacturers in store, and I am pleased to say that this laptop has a more solid feel and design.

The screen is great; almost edge to edge, The keyboard has a great feel considering the thickness of the laptop; a true surprise. Out of the box, the laptop has very little "junk" pre-installed. Most third party applications already installed would be used by most advanced users anyways. The on board RAM is phenomenal, and the i5 processor is fitting. The laptop boots in seconds!

The laptop comes with a LAN dongle, but not an HDMI, VGA, or DVI dongle. An added expense most will likely need to incur. The location of the micro-HDMI port is a problem due to its proximity to the LAN port. Some micro-HDMI adapters won't work with the LAN dongle in place. The silkpad is massive! It is very different that what I am used to. It will take some getting used to since it is "smart" per-se, and will assume some gestures. The laptop does not come with a case or sleeve, so that should be considered as well.

This laptop is a nice purchase. It is my first ultra-thin purchase and will travel well. I wish it would have come with an HDMI dongle, but I will make due."

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Realistic color, Lightweight, keyboard, solid feel, fast

Cons: no video out dongle, silk pad takes getting used to

I would recommend this to a friend!

+9points

10of 11voted this as helpful.

Review 31 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

Houguy

from Houston, TX

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

3 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

2 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Impressive Design with good performance!

PostedJune 8, 2012

"I have only had the New Series 9 15" for a few days, but so far I am relatively impressed with the design. I only wish I had gotten one with a larger capacity SSD. I thought the price was comparatively steep for a Samsung. But the quality seems to descent. Price a little steep!"

Pros: Durable, Lightweight, relatively fast

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 32 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

ms601

from NYC

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:6-10

Features

3 out of 5

Performance

2 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

3 out of 5

Rating:

3 out of 5

Slow

PostedJuly 13, 2012

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

PostedJuly 13, 2012

"It should be quick and my old laptop is faster processing multiple applications. Don't understand why as on paper it appears great. Looks great though and is very light and portable but cannot compete with the airbook..."

Pros: Lightweight

Cons: Did not meet expectations, slow freezing on multiple applications

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

-4points

6of 16voted this as helpful.

Review 33 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

sblumen

from Washington, DC

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

3 out of 5

Performance

2 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

3 out of 5

Rating:

3 out of 5

Good product - missing key accessories

PostedJune 28, 2012

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

PostedJune 28, 2012

"Product works well and is light and easy for travel. BUT, there is no availability to the VGA output dongle - which is a proprietary item only from Samsung. I have looked everywhere without success. If this part ever becomes available - which will allow me to use multiple screens on my desk, I would increase the rating.

The micro HDMI dongle that comes with the unit works - but the resolution does not fit external monitors correctly. major portions of the screen are outside of the display area, making this basically unusable."

Pros: Bright display, Lightweight

Cons: Not high def, Did not meet expectations, missing

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

+12points

20of 28voted this as helpful.

Review 34 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

awacs

I have used this product for:3-6 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

2 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

2 out of 5

Rating:

2 out of 5

Such a shame

PostedJune 10, 2013

"It is a very nice looking, good performing laptop, with one problem.

The touchpad does not work.

Frankly, I have not seen a laptop, not even one that is a decade old, that has the same type of erratic touchpad problems as this one. Its erratic, it freezes, it feels like a someone who is drunk and it drives you, the user, absolutely crazy. You're forced to bring a extra mouse EVERYWHERE, fearing for the moment your touchpad calls it quite. Restart? Fixes it 50% of the time.

This is the reason I can not recommend this laptop. Its a shame really, it looks quite nice. But its like a nice car with a bad steering wheel. Nice looking? Of course. Good car? Definitely not."

Pros: Bright display, Lightweight

Cons: Poor quality, Did not meet expectations

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 35 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

rumorajj

from Jacksonville, FL

I have used this product for:3-6 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

2 out of 5

Performance

2 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

1 out of 5

Rating:

2 out of 5

Nice but horrible touchpad

PostedNovember 11, 2012

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

PostedNovember 11, 2012

"This COULD be a great product but the Elan touchpad is horrible. I can't use a mouse so I have to rely 100% on the touchpad. Samsungs driver has no sensitivity adjustment. Even the help screens don't reflect the actual screens you will see. The only way I have found to use it so far is to turn off most of the features of the touchpad including the touch feature. Yes, I mean you can only use it for extended periods of time if you dumb it down to the point where it is no different than any other 2 button touchpad. And even at that the buttons are hard to push. Samsung could fix this by giving us a better driver but I've never seen them be responsive when it comes to software. It is really unfortunate. I would be happy to work with anyone at Samsung so that they can get this right if they are willing."

Pros: Bright display, great looks

Cons: Poor quality, Did not meet expectations

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

+5points

5of 5voted this as helpful.

Review 36 for Series 9 15" Premium Ultrabook

MrRobots

from Massachusetts

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

1 out of 5

Performance

1 out of 5

Design

3 out of 5

Value

1 out of 5

Rating:

1 out of 5

A Terrible Brick -- With Potential

PostedFebruary 22, 2013

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

PostedFebruary 22, 2013

"Do not purchase this product. The series 9 I received is so plagued with issues (trackpad errors, OS crashes, hard drive problems) that this is one of the worst ways you could invest your money. It certainly has good specs, though, and if it functioned properly I imagine it might be a contender for an average laptop."

Cons: Poor quality, Did not meet expectations

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.