Samsung 9 Series laptop (ZX310 / 900X3A) unveiled

In what regards did you find macbook air superior ? Just wondering

 

I checked one out at the local Apple store on Sunday: the design is incredible, the touchpad is MUCH better, but - of course - I could not make a statement about the Wifi from that Apple store experience. The screen looked great as well. However, I cannot see myself leaving Windows. I have an iPhone, and 'though it is a great product, I hate the grip Apple keeps on its customers - especially the forced upgrades (I am jailbroken and unlocked). Windows is freedom, Apple is dictatorship ... (is anyone here old enough to remember the 1984 Apple "Big Brother" commercial?). And a backlit keyboard is a must for me.

 

From playing with it for 20 minutes in an Apple store , the Design and the touchpad. But frankly, a MBA it is not really an option for me. I want to stay with windows. I have an iPhone and I like it - but only because it is jailbroken and unlocked - Apple's total control over their customers' experience is unacceptable to me. Windows gives you a lot of freedom: a choice of hardware and the option not to upgrade if you don't want to (you can stay on XP as long as you want...). Also, there is a lot more software available for windows.

My experience with laptops has been with Toshiba (excellent quality), IBM and Lenovo Thinkpads (so-so quality), and now Samsung (disappointing quality, but I love the 3 year warranty).

 

Thanks for the details and for repeating your earlier post. (I remembered you had written on this, but initially had trouble finding the post.)

And thanks for 'antennas,' I wondered about that but was too lazy to Google it....

 

Replacing the card is extremely easy. The pictures already exist, and Series 9 Guy recently posted step-by-step instructions in this thread.

 

My wife loves the Apple stuff, phone, pad, book, you name it, she has it or had it, but she just thinks of Apple as a luxury brand.

On the other hand, I never get how people always go "oooh, aaah, sexy" about their designs. To me, it's very plain and utilitarian, but at least it was unique when not many people were using them in the past. Now that Apple is a mainstream computer company, and there are a hundred million+ iPhones out there, they don't even have that uniqueness anymore. Maybe it's just me, but how sexy can something be if there are a hundred million copies out there? I mean, if everyone out there looks like a supermodel, I might find Whoopi Goldberg sexy instead. (crossing my fingers and hoping that day never comes)

 

So, what happened to the chatter on this thread?

 

Looks like all problems resolved...

 

Being a happy Sammy 900 user from France, I'm wondering where you all went... Normally I find 3 or 4 pages to read but tonight nothing... I'm feeling lonely :-(

 

i think i'm going to be waiting / getting something like the evolve three for my portable need instead of this laptop, at this price point. just need full linux, touchscreen detachability, and ultra long battery life over i5-level cpu power.

as for laptops specifically, s9 is definitely the one to yearn for right now.

 

No. Someone just moved the Wi-Fi discussion to a separate thread. See:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/584982-samsung-series9-wireless.html

 

So I bought a Samsung Series 9 and been looking at the forums here and I would like to give my 2 cents FWIW.

First off I have had 6 of these now in my possession. YES 6! Don't ask. Out of that three have had WiFi issues but the touchpad was good. Meaning the touchpad worked well and sit perfectly in the case. I have had three bad touchpads that didn't sit flush with the case and had a slight "drop gap" on the bottom portion (mostly bottom right). One was really bad and stuck when right clicking. Three of these had good WiFi. I returned the first one because the touchpad was really bad even though the WiFi was good. The speedtests were all getting close to my max ISP speeds (25mb down - 25mb up fiber) but the internal speed was horrible.

At the moment on my desk I have two Series 9s - One with a build date of April and one of May. The April build has good WiFi (4 Bars for Signal) but again has issues with the touchpad not being properly seated. The May build WiFi is horrible (2 Bars for Signal) but the touchpad fits perfect! The April build internal WiFi speed is slow. I normally get around 80mbps for transfers and I am barely get 2-3mbps! But not sure if there is another factor here since the ISP speedtest is fine.

I love this laptop design but there is something going on here and not sure what I want to do either. I like others, need a Windows PC for work. Plus I really like the LED Keyboard which is not available on the MBA. The screen is super nice for movies, and its a nice travel laptop. So I may end up just keeping the one with good WiFi and deal with the offset touchpad because it does work, just doesn't sit super flush.

There is my 2 cents worth.

 

Can you describe your vision of not "super flush" touchpad in detail? My laptop was built in April, my wi-fi is satisfactory since I replaced Broadcom with 6300, and my touchpad has a little drop of the level towards the bottom right and left corners, but I believe it's due to a hidden buttons design features. In the middle of the bottom touchpad part (between buttons) it's perfectly leveled with the chassis.

I would say the built and assembly quality is perfect except one little issue that I mentioned earlier: if you are holding an open laptop with one hand at the bottom right corner (four fingers beneath, thumb on the top), it's nearly impossible to get a click from the left touchpad button and vise versa (left corner, right button). I think it's a feature, not a bug

 

I just had an interesting conversation with the tech repairing my laptop. My 9 series is in for repair for the 2nd time. Last time it was a defective touchpad and they just gave me a new unit. This time it was an issue with data corruption and they're basically ripping out all of the internal components and replacing them. I really want to love this laptop, but the quality control seriously seems to be lacking.

Anyway, for all of you with Wifi issues: apparently Samsung has put out a service bulletin. The tech told me that Samsung has instructed them to replace the wifi module on all 9 series coming in for repair regardless of whether wifi is the problem. Apparently they're not admitting publicly, but they seem to be aware that the wifi sucks. I will say that I had no complaints, but I know from this forum that people have serious problems. I don't know if this means you can get your wifi module upgraded, but you might as well call Samsung support and try since it's now a "known issue" over there.

 

My touchpad is like this as well. It is kind of inclined as you go towards the bottom of the touchpad. I don't think it is a defect, I think it is just made like that.

 

Thanks! This is both good and bad news. I wish it was a software fix rather than a hardware fix. Well, atleast they finally acknowledged the problem.

 

REGARDING SAMSUNG WIFI ISSUES...

I just quite awhile on the phone with Samsung and, not only has the wifi issue been recognized, a 'fix' has been implemented and all support is being made aware of such as we speak. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to discuss the fix whatsoever but have been told that I could pass on the information.

I have been told that, if you have experienced the problems, please contact 1-800-Samsung. If this does not result in a resolve, please Twitter to @SamsungJessica and your matter will be addressed immediately.

Unfortunately, I haven't got a system that can be repaired so I cannot verify the result but I have been told that I should soon have a new system in my possession (hopefully) in order to confirm that the system wifi works as it should, and further, to update my original review of this unit.

I hope this helps all. Its been a long road...

 

I was about to post the same observation, also that it is slightly easier to click on the left than the right. There is obviously some variation in the units.

But my post is now a little different, as I just heard a loud 'click' from it, and now the slope is a bit more noticeable, the left click is almost noiseless, and it requires virtually no pressure. It still works, but I have the feeling it is going to need a repair in the near future...

Series 9 guy, I appreciate that you can't discuss details, but is it reasonable to assume that this fix is different from a simple replacement of the wifi card (which I have already done)?

 

for anyone that is having touch pad not align. Have you tried adjusting the screw that's located underneath. I had this problem after replacing my memory and loosing up the screws fix it. Maybe they put the screw on tight.

 

Thanks for the info! Can you tell us if we will need to drop the laptops in service or is it just a software fix ?

 

I understand all the questions but Samsung was very specific about what I can provide for info and were also very careful in what they said to me. Suffice to say that they are conceding a problem, they have a solution and they asked me to pass this on since I have been so involved and my review gained a magnitude of attention.

 

I chatted online with Samsung Support (Tier 1). They were useless. Only suggestion for any WiFi issue was to do a Samsung Restore. I said I'm not going to do that. They said they were not aware of any sort of service bulletin. Told me to contact Tier 2 support 800.726.7864.

Tier 2 started having me going through Device Settings. I could not hide that the fact that I had replaced the Broadcom with Intel Centrino. They immediately said my warranty had been voided because one is NOT allowed to open the Series 9. We had a pretty "strong discussion", I was put on hold a couple of times, but they are sending me a shipping label for me to send it in for service. This was quite a long "discussion" that we had. At this stage, I am not 100% sure if they will charge me for "out of warranty" service (even though it will have the original Broadcom and RAM re-installed before it goes back) BUT I'll address any of those costs later.

It's worth noting that they did not acknowledge that there was a known issue with WiFi; that they would not say what "service" they would do; that there was any kind of service bulletin; etc.

I really like this laptop, apart from the WiFi, but I'm really pissed off with Samsung right now. If they don't take of the problem at no cost to me, I will be taking action.

EDIT: If anyone else, who has installed the Intel Centrino card, wants to return it for service, I suggest re-installing the Broadcom card before you call Support. Make sure you've tried this before you call. FYI, I had tried that on my Broadcom and it had not helped.

 

I am sure there are going to be bumps as this was just instituted today and many will not have read or know anything about it. This is why I was told to make sure to have people Twitter to Jessica

 

OK to answer a few questions about the touchpad -

What I mean by sitting flush is the top of the trackpad is flush with the surround of the case, but if I rub my fingers down either side from top to bottom you can feel it sink down and on this one the bottom middle is not flush. Of the 6 laptops 3 had trackpads that were flush all around. Maybe the screws inside or how they seated them internally makes the difference. The current laptop I have which has decent wifi but the trackpad is a bit off at the bottom, I could live with it though. Not sure how someone can say its by design but if it doesnt bug you then who cares. I would point out I never had a laptop touchpad sink in like these do and why just at the bottom, because it clicks? Not sure. Plus if you like to use the right side to scroll, like I do a lot because I like that feature, it becomes really apparent. My 2 cents though.

I have contacted Samsung Service on Twitter and will also tweeted Jessica too. Since I have a good relationship with the place I got this laptop from and we are trying to get in touch with the Samsung Rep there to see if they can enlighten us. I would like to know what they are doing to "fix" the wifi issues, but I doubt its software, as Samsung Support via Twitter told me I could ship it to them to get fixed. I think they are starting to see an issue. I don't want to ship it to them for "repair" when I could just get another "NEW" laptop with these fixes already done, especially since I am still in my 30 day warranty and can return this one at anytime without an issue.

Like everyone else this would be a perfect laptop except for these few issues. There is nothing that compares with it if you want a Windows PC. Nor have I seen anything in the pipeline coming either.

 

Done - Maybe she'll give me her contact number so I can discuss in detail my personal findings. I really want to know details about this "fix". Why do they want it kept a secret? Shouldnt they tell people so it doesnt stop new purchases?

 

IMHO I don't think you need to do that. Not sure what it would accomplish. Just call Samsung Tier 2 support and have them send you a shipping voucher to return for service.

 

I have some other questions maybe someone can answer.

First is about the Control Center. Does everyone else notice that if you reboot your laptop the settings revert back in the control center? I cant seem to keep the bluetooth off. Not sure if turning it off through there is the same as right clicking it in the task tray and turning it off there for battery savings.

Second the screen dim thing is a bit annoying. I turned it off in the power management and under the intel settings but I can still see it happen "a little" when you go from a white webpage to the black desktop. Does anyone else notice this?

And last but not least, the keyboard backlight sometimes does not turn on for a while when you wake the laptop? I try and raise the brightness when its off and it gives me a error message saying the ambient light is bright (even when its not and completely dark in the room). Kind of annoying. I would like to to wake with it on. Then if it senses "brightness" then it turns off, rather than the other way around.

Side note - what do you think about the "Movie Enhancer" setting? Any noticeable difference? I can't tell and am thinking about uninstalling it. I also installed SP1 but recently a update killed the Samsung settings so I had to restore back to factory. No big deal for me since I am still debating if I want to keep it, but not sure if anyone else had that issue too.

 

Lets not get carried away. I have had a very long standing relationship with Samsung and they will be the first to say that things are done a certain way there. She can't tell you anything about the solution except to say that they have recognized and addressed the problem and they have a solution which will be put forth.

Jessica was nice enough to step forward and she has the resources so lets not taint that.

 

Well I only have one laptop, so being without one is a pain because I travel a lot for work and need it. I also don't really like the fact that after purchasing a $1400+ laptop I have to send it for "repair". I would rather have a new replacement shipped to me with the fixes, then I can test it and ship the old one back. Especially since I can return mine to the place purchased as its still in 30 day. However the "stock" or "inventory" on hand is still going to have the issues. I would like to know what the "problem" is and "what the fix is" before shipping it out. It must be a hardware fix if they want you to send it in. Just a personal preference.

Not sure what you would "taint" by contacting and asking for her info? I have had 6 of these with issues! It would be nice to see if she can find out if the touchpad issue is by design or a defect too.

 

Not sure if this response was to my posts. I suggested that people contact Samsung Support, and return the Sammy for service if they have a WiFi issue -- instead of contacting Jessica.

Just to repeat myself. I had tweeted SamsungService, SamsungMary and SamsungJessica and all of them did not acknowledge any WiFi issue. Tier 1 Support did not acknowledge a WiFi issue. Tier 2 Support did not acknowledge that there was a WiFi issue but said they would service mine. So, while I would like to be "gentle" on Samsung, this seems like the same issue that I had with with Apple and my iPhone 4 where they would NOT acknowledge that there was an antenna problem -- and resulted in Steve Job's saying "you're holding it wrong" (or something like that). Eventually, Apple acknowledged there was a design fault in the iPhone 4.

 

Yes but banging our heads against the wall and shouting doesn't help anyone. You contacted Jessica now just wait. I will also be letting her in on this thread.

 

FYI
SamsungJessica just turned back to me with this troubleshooting link; NP900X3A Troubleshooting Guide

She tweeted me to call 1800SAMSUNG to set up service in case troubleshooting does not help. I haven't tried the link yet so but will do as soon as I get back home from work.

 

Folks,
After reading the troubleshooting guide, changing bandwidth capability from 11b/g:20mhz to 11b/g:20mhz/40mhz at network adapter settings(under advanced tab) kind of improved my overall reception. Still not great but slightly better than before. If you haven't done it yet, you should definitely give it a try. I'm getting one bar more everywhere I had weak wireless reception before.

 

Sorry, that help page that you posted is old news -- it's on the Samsung support site.
Changing the bandwidth capability setting, which you extracted above, is one the first things I tried a month ago. It made no difference.

 

I agree with kalahari. I've made that bandwidth capability setting change already. It makes a difference -- a small one, but it doesn't solve the problem.

As for the rest of the article, when I have two laptops, sitting side by side, one laptop has a steady, fast connection (a 4-yr old Sony) and the other has an intermittent, slow connection (the new Series 9 Samsung). That sort of renders the articles' suggestions as moot. Unless I'm right on top of my access point, the Wi-Fi connection is unreliable. Even then, it sometimes drops out.

I've also chatted with Samsung customer service. They haven't acknowledged any problem with the wi-fi, although a tweet to SamsungService did elict an offer to send the unit in for repairs, which I appreciated. The people who answer the tweets are great. The Tier 1 people are nice, too, but clueless.

Frankly, I don't want to deal with repairs. I think I'm returning this laptop while I can still get my money back. I have a week to get it back to Costco.

I'm also concerned about data corruption on this SSD. I did a recent update via the Samsung update module. It hosed the laptop and I had to do a drive image restore. And, no, I didn't have any malware. Since no one on this forum has reported problems with the update, I assume that something became scrambled with the RAID setup on the drive. That is perhaps a more serious issue than a flaky Wi-Fi. Up until that update, the laptop had been working fine (except for the wi-fi, of course).

My laptop is a plain vanilla one. No modifications to the innards. No software installed, except MS Office 2010 and my Blackberry Desktop.

Speaking of which, if I want to return this laptop, how do I do a secure erase on a SSD? Does anyone know? I have stuff on the drive that I don't want to fall into the wrong hands. I've heard that you can't just use the normal secure erase programs out there on an SSD. Is that true?

 

There are many free utilities that will do this. I've used Eraser in the past and will probably use it again when I return mine for "service" to fix WiFi problem.

The SSD corruption is weird. I'm not if that would be related to the laptop -- you may have just been unlucky or there may be a problem with your particular SSD.

Oh, and I wish I had bought mine from Costco!

 

I don't think that Eraser will work on an SSD drive, see the Eraser Forum for this discussion.

Heidi Computers Ltd Support • View topic - Erasing USB key Drives

I guess the best thing would be to move the file into a TrueCrypt volume or BitLocker and then replace the drive image without those files. Not sure if even that would work.

Sorry, I don't think that I made myself clear.This is NOT a general problem since no one else mentioned a corrupted drive after a Samsung update. I think that it is just my particular laptop.

I buy electronics (and cameras) there because of that 90 day return policy. Unfortunately, their selection is limited, so I can't buy everything there.

 

Its a joke, I got the same thing from her and she tweeted me "we wont know what the issue is exactly unless our techs look at this, which is why youll need to setup service" - LAME. They most likely dont know anything after all. Who knows?! So what they just swap out the adapter for another or intel which as far as others reported didnt make a difference? All the link does is tell us the general BS we already heard and know. We already have others telling us using a USB network card improves the signal, so we know its not the actual network but our broadcom cards or case causing the loss. I think I agree with a couple of you who are going to return theirs, mine is going back and maybe Ill wait and get the ASUS UX31 - or something else. The only thing with that is I cant find specifically if its going to have a backlit keyboard. Give manufactures a few more months and there will be some alternatives than Samsung! Cant say I am not disappointed but the lame response and sending in new laptops is not what I consider good customer service. Plus how are they going to test that its resolved? Or test that its defective for that matter!? Too open ended and not enough info to know if its worth doing. Plus again who wants to send in a new PC for "repairs"? If they acknowledge there is an issue and know a FIX then maybe, but thats not the case! Sorry Samsung you lost my business!

 

I'm not looking at a different laptop (yet). I have contacted Samsung and they are sending me a shipping label so I can return mine for service. Unfortunately, I'm still traveling for the next 10 days so it might be a while before I get it back.

I don't know if they will replace the laptop or whether they will put in a different adapter. I know, from personal experience, that the Broadcom and the Intel Centrino 6230 don't do the job -- so I hope they're doing something else that does work... Hopefully, someone who gets a "serviced" unit back from Samsung will give an update soon.

 

That new/upcoming Asus UX line sure looks nice...

 

Mine is coming back from repair (here in Singapore) tomorrow. I sent it in because the power plug didn't connect securely and it wouldn't charge. I won't bore you all with the nightmare of dealing with Samsung customer service, but after four phone calls and a making a lot of noise, I am told that they replaced both the battery and the keyboard for my laptop. No idea why they would replace the keyboard, but they say it was faulty. We'll see how wifi works after the changes.

In any case, I still have a month left to return mine to Costco in the US...that gives me time to see if the new Vaio Z is launched before then. Rumor has it that it will be available in July, and if that's true, I am 90% sure I will get it -- should have everything the S9 has (backlit keyboard, SSD, etc.) and more (higher res screen, better connectivity, better wifi card).

The Z was what I wanted initially, but I needed a replacement immediately when my previous Viao was stolen. I'm sure it will cost significantly more than the S9, but for me that's not an issue, I want the best ultralight laptop available, and I'm almost certain that will be the new Z. No way I would even consider the new Asus if the Z is launched, but maybe that's just me.

 

I cannot respond any different really because I have been through 4 systems myself except to say that she did state that the wifi problems have been recognized, addressed and a solution is being put in place. I SPOKE with her 3 days ago and she said everything was being put in place as of that day.

I apologize if this turns out to be lip surface but she did state that the problem was recognized, addressed and there was a solution to which systems had to be sent in.

 

Which Sony Vaios are you talking about? Let me know because I am looking for other options. Like you I want an ultra portable and the same features as you and price is not an issue with me either. Funny thing is I sold my old Sony Vaio to purchase this Samsung! If you come a crossed anything else let me know. The UX series is nice looking but no backlight is a deal breaker and mac is out since I have Windows only apps for work I need to run. I have time before having to return mine so I can wait till the last minute, so if it comes out in July Ill be ok. Plus we'll see how things pan out with Samsung.

 

Keep in mind, as far as the leaked pictures tell, Sony Z will not be as thin or as stylish as Series 9.

 

Sony VAIO Z21 Series mentioned on various European sites, isn't actually for sale yet -- Engadget

There is also a long thread about it in the Sony section of notebookreview. http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/556513-new-sony-vaio-z-speculation-news-thread-210.html

It's off-topic so I won't go into much detail here, but it is expected to come in a two-piece form factor, the laptop in one and dedicated GPU, optical drive, etc. in another, with the former weighing in at 2.5lbs (1.1kg) and latter 1.5 lbs. Total of 4.0 lb, but I would only carry the 2.5lb laptop for most use.

As for the styling, I don't mind if its not as thin as the S9, it should have better capabilities and be lighter...In fact, I prefer a more professional look than the S9 has. Not yet certain about battery life, but it should be good.

The lack of keyboard backlighting is also a dealbreaker for me on the Asus, plus the early prototype looks like an MBA2 rip-off and it won't be out until around September.

If I am happy with my S9 post-repair I may just keep it and also get the Z. I now realize that there seems to be no such thing as a reliable laptop anymore, so a portable back-up would be prudent (been without the S9 for 10 days while it is under repair, so currently working with my 8 lb desktop replacement HP HDX)

 

This thread is so long already that I wish people could keep it to a discussion of Series 9 issues and questions. It would probably be good to start another thread to talk about alternative notebooks

Thanks

 

Do you guys think this is worth it for the i7 over the i5? I can get the i5 for $1515 shipped on amazon.

PROVANTAGE: Samsung NP900X3A-A04US SERIES9 I7-2617M 1.5G 8GB 128GB 13.3 inch WL W7P 64-Bit with 3-Year Warranty

This is the i7 version at $1900ish shipped. Has anybody ordered from Provantage before? I am leaving for Hong Kong on Thursday and want a new notebook.

 

Can't say if the i7 version is worth it (but I would probably buy it if I was buying one now ) Don't forget that the i7 costs more because it comes with 8GB RAM (including the faster processor). The i5 only comes with 4GB and "officially" your warranty is voided if you upgrade that RAM yourself.

Provantage was REALLY good and shipped fast when I ordered parts from them two weeks ago. Only problem was one item that showed in stock when it wasn't. I was notified automatically that day (and web site changed to back-ordered) but you may want to do a phone order (or do internet order and follow up after).

 

Thanks for the quick response, kalahari. I'm not so sure if the i7 is worth it as I definitely plan to add the extra 4gb of memory myself. How much faster is an i7 vs an i5? I'm guessing for the average user, they won't be able to tell. Has anybody reported on the i7 version and the wifi issue? Is it improved or does it affect all models?

 

I don't think you'll see much difference in speed at all. The WiFi issue is an unknown as I have not seen posts by anyone that has the i7 yet.

I pointed out the memory advantage because it means that, if there is no WiFi issue, the i7 notebook will not need to opened -- until you want to upgrade to 256GB flash drive if that becomes available