Samsung Series 9

Samsung's Series 9 was introduced back in 2011 and the second generation of Series 9 will be released in 2012 to compete with all ultra-thin notebooks. It will be 30% smaller and will pack more power than the 1st gen Series 9. The display will remain at 13.3 inches but will produce 1600 x 900 resolution. Samsung will also release a 15 inch model with the same hi-def resolution. At first glance this machine looks beautiful. The design is much different than the 1st gen. It's no longer black-on-black duralumin but rather all aluminum. This keeps the ultrabook extremely light at 2.5 pounds.

 

Because Samsung is a big player in the television market, they have really focused on providing a top notch display for the Series 9. Not only do users get 1600 x 900 resolution, we also get a matte screen. This anti-glare layer makes outdoor use more enjoyable.

Standard models of the Series 9 will host Intel's Core i5 and upgradable to Core i7. Core i3 will no longer be an option as with the 1st generation of Series 9. To keep the unit as light as possible Samsung has omitted a few ports. The Series 9 will only have 2 USB ports (1 of them USB 3.0), microSD slot, mini-HDMI, and headphone jack.

With 128 GB SSD drive and 4 GB of DDR 3 memory, Samsung has claimed that this ultrabook will cold boot in 9.8 seconds (1.4 seconds to wake from hibernation). The chiclet keyboard is backlit and the 3.9 x 2.6-inch clickpad is spacious and easy to use. Samsung states that the new Series 9 will support up to 8 hours of battery life but with the higher resolution it will be a challenge.

 

Samsung Series 9 Release Date: February 2012

Samsung Series 9 Price: $1500