Samsung 9 Series laptop (ZX310 / 900X3A) unveiled

Mine is April 2011 A02. SN:CZPC93GB400538

Looks like we both have a "4" in common and our laptops are built in April. If someone with May build could put their serial number here or tell us if there is a "5" in place of "4"on their model, this will be clarified.

 

OK. I'm assuming the SSD supports TRIM. Any idea on the controller / performance? I'd imagine it's a Samsung controller, and if it at least rivals my "old" Intel X-25M G2 performance (80GB or 160GB), I'd be happy.

Any word on the bottom of the laptop? Is it plastic? What about the "frame?" Basically I'm trying to determine if this thing is mostly aluminum construction, or if it's mostly plastic with a bit of aluminum thrown in on the lid and palm rest for looks.

While I'm on the plastic kick, I know that the area surrounding the keyboard is plastic (not ideal, but I can live with it), but what about the area surrounding the screen? Does it have edge-to-edge glass / plastic like the Apple line-up, Envy 14, etc., or does it have a traditional screen panel with a plastic bezel surrounding it?

 

Here is the SSD reviewed...

Samsung PM800 128GB mSATA SSD Review – Samsung Quietly Releases another Top Tier SSD | The SSD Review

The frame is all Duraluminum which is the reason for the wifi difficulties and the only plastic you will find is the base that runs along the monitor bottom as you look at it.

 

Awesome, thanks!

Still curious about how much of the machine is plastic. If they have some kind of "glass" or aesthetically pleasing covering over the screen panel (rather than a separate plastic bezel), I'd be thrilled. Essentially, I'm just worried that this is going to be similar to some of Asus's older U / UL series notebooks, which were plastic with a few aluminum panels / trim for looks.

Are the 9 series mostly aluminum (frame, body, etc.) or just some thin panels glued onto a plastic chassis? The bottom in particular worries me, though if that and the keyboard surround are the only major plastic pieces, I don't mind.

 

deleted. Need to figure out some on the B01 and B02 models...

 

Where did you see this listed? BTW you mentioned in a earlier post if the WiFi was fixed in the A05 and I can confirm it has not. I got one on Friday and been testing it all weekend. Its going back too with my A03. I will contact my guy and see if they have stock on the "B" series and possibly get one to test next week.

 

I made up the listing from searches. The B01 and B02 models show up. I temporarily removed my post while I did some more research on the processor speeds.

I'd be interested to hear if you can get your hands on a B model...

 

Wrote a negative review on the Series 9 on the Samsung web site. Just got a response that it violated their policy and they refused to post it. (of what Honesty??)

I like the machine -- except the WiFI - the screen is incredibility bright.

I hope Samsung does not throw the owner's of this machine under the bus,.

I have a May build date and will post my Serial Number when I return home from a business trip to Europe. Could not take the Sammie with me as I need the WiFi to work. Have my trusty X301 with me.

 

In my experiments with removing the bottom, I found that to be another 'tweak', albeit one that helped more than changing wifi cards. No matter what I did the Samsung still eventually exhibited the same behavior: once the signal falls below a certain point, the wifi performance drops off a cliff, while other notebooks (and phones) show a much more linear response. I don't know much about wifi design, but I suspect there is some sort of interference going on, which would imply some problem in motherboard or power circuitry design.

 

As far as I can tell, the primary difference between the B and A models (other than minor processor change) is warranty... the A versions have a 3-yr warranty while the B versions have 1-yr. Undoubtedly this is why the B is less expensive.

Hard to determine if the wifi is fixed, but since I rarely keep a laptop for three years, after I return my A03, if I decide to get a new S9 I would definitely go for the B02 (256bg HD)...it still irritates me that they don't offer more versions with Win7 pro though..

 

@Eppsing. Regarding Win7 Pro, you could look at Microsoft Technet subscription. It's paid off for me with multiple Windows PCs, multiple copies of MS Office in use -- even the Mac version.

 

I don't agree. As far as I can see the screen frame (bezel) is plastic.

 

+ A02 supports TPM while A03, as far as I remember, doesn't. Not sure about TRIM (A02 supports it, A03 - ?)

 

I think screen frame is duraliminium. It is extremely solid. However there is plactic glossy layer of plastic on top of the frame. I think It is just for looks though

 

There is no stock anywhere on the "B" series yet. Please post a link to where you saw them listed. I'll post a message when they come on stock and I order one. I returned all of mine and waiting to see what happens. Still like it but don't want to get stuck with a laptop with bad wifi since I live in the cloud and travel a lot.

 

Multiple stores list them. Just do Google search on "NP900X3A-B01US" or "NP900X3A-B02US". I haven't seen them in stock anywhere yet. Some claim to have in stock within a week.

EDIT 6/29: The B01 appears to be in stock but can't find B02 in stock.

 

Apologies... you are right...

 

While both main laptop parts (the screen and the base) are made out of duralumin and, I agree, are extremely solid, the question was about the plastic parts. In the base the plastic is used in keyboard and its framing. In the top part the plastic is used in a hinge (if you look from the side you'll see that duralumin only covers the plastic hinge) and in a screen bezel (I highly doubt that we'll see duralumin under the plastic).

All the parts that are exposed to an outer world when the laptop is closed (except the ports doors) are metal, and as I mentioned before, survived a fall down from about 3' to a kitchen tile with no damage.

 

I have had two tickets open asking if the "weak WiFi" problems has been resolved in the new production models. Both times, Tier 2 Support said they would refer my question to the Product Specialist. His/her first response was that it's only a known problem with the A03 (which we all know is not true).

When I called Tier 2 Support today, they still did not have any new info. They hardly appear to be aware of a "weak WiFi" problem. I was finally transferred to a Customer Service Rep. I explained the question to her. She went off to the Laptop Dept. to see what they could tell her. The answer that she got was that is that Samsung is still in the process of figuring out what the fix will be and that there is no ETA as to when the weak WiFi issue will be resolved.

This obviously conflicts with what Series 9 Guy said earlier where I think he had been told that a fix was being implemented in June 2011. I'm not saying that my info is correct -- it's just the response that I got today.

This is unfortunate. I was planning on buying a B02 model when they become available but it sounds like they most likely will still have "weak WiFi".

 

I've had the A03 not for about a week now and i've been only testing out the wifi only within 15 feet of router but have no problem. I did buy the expandable 4gb and wifi card but have not installed as of yet.

I bought my laptop at costco just hoping to hear news in regards to the new Vaio Z to come out but with the damn thing asking out of their for it I think I'm going to stick with the Series 9. I also noticed that Costco is now selling the i7 which is what I was looking for anyways. When you click on the product its labeled as NP900X3A-A03US but i'm pretty sure its the i7

 

I had no problems with WiFi when I was close to a router.

That Vaio Z is going to be really expensive. And yes, I noticed that Costco is selling the A05 (Core i7) with a mistake on the part # at the bottom of their listing. All the specs match the A05 specs.

 

Although I didn't want to, I just returned my A02 yesterday to Microsoft Store as that was my last day of return. Luckily price on A03 was reduced to 1399(or 1350 cant remember) so I'm glad I returned mine. I guess now everybody knows that there is an issue with these laptops so they are trying to get rid of the old inventory.

I'm planning to buy another S9 or a new Sony Z in a month. I was hoping that Samsung already fixed that issue on the June built laptops, if what you are saying is true than Sammy will have to find another buyer. Seriously I think this is the best laptop out there. Excellent screen, good battery life, desktop like performance, nice design etc. but I just dont understand why they cant achieve the same level of excelence as far as WIFI goes. Like I always said before, wifi had been fine for me at home and at work but I know that it is much weaker than other laptops so I understand everybodies frustration at places like airports, hotels etc. which are not the optimal places to surf internet but sometimes we are required to surf at these places. So I expect it work in those places as well.

 

Noted and just passing on what I have received from their HQ in NJ. I will be in contact sometime this week once again and will mention this.

 

Thanks, I wasn't really aware of this option...I took a look at it and it may make sense for me as well.

Regarding Wifi strength, it seems we still have no certainty about any possible resolution and its timing. I have been waffling over whether to return my S9, looks like I need to do so while I still can, then do another Vaio Z21 vs S9 evaluation in a month or so. The Z21 is carbon fiber and apparently shipping with Intel 6230, so presumably wifi will be acceptable...but may be best to wait for some hand on reviews if possible.

The latest issue I have with my S9 is all the rubber screw covers becoming loose and falling off after it was serviced (twice already). I suppose this was inevitable, but it's yet another minor irritation, and I am certain they will soon be lost and impossible to replace.

EDIT: @Kalahari, regarding your post below, to avoid going off topic, by Z2 I meant the Vaio Z21 which was just announced and available in July. Same target market as the S9 and MBA. Sorry for the cryptic message.

 

@Eppsing. What's a Z2?

EDIT: I guess you mean the new Vaio Z? It does look good...

 

Are there places to buy a car charger/plane charger?

 

This covered somewhere back in the 170 pages

There is no Samsung charger yet but you could get something like a Kensington Auto/Air Inverter. They are often very noisy (the fan) but you might be able to find one that is reviewed better.

 

My B01 model I just purchased last night shipped out this afternoon, and it's due to arrive on Tuesday. I'll be sure to report back about what improvements (if any) Samsung made to the WiFi issue.

 

Interesting. Where did you buy the B01 from? The B02 doesn't seem to be available. Looking forward to your feedback Thursday.

EDIT: I see that the B01 model is available from stores like J&R.

 

I just bought the D-link MainStage in hopes of linking it to my Series 9-NP900x3A-A03US only to find out it doesn't support Intel Wireless Display. I've talked to Samsung (no help) and scoured the posts on this thread, and concluded the following:

- The Broadcom wifi card blows
- The Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 isn't much better, but still worth the upgrade.

I just ordered my 6230 card (from Provantage - thanks Kalahari). Since I've never put in an internal wifi card before, I plan on following Series 9 Guy's WIRELESS REPLACEMENT GUIDE and phil1980's links for the Intel drivers. But I have two questions - #1. Does anyone know for sure that this Intel card will allow my S9 to use the WiDi? #2. Is there a step-by-step (or general ball park) way of going about the uninstallation of the Broadcom drivers?

I actually get a pretty good and consistent Wifi signal from my S9, so this is purely for the WiDi. But I hear some people had issues with the bluetooth. I just want to know exactly what drivers I need to uninstall and when (I assume it's directly before the removal of the card).

Amazing thread - It's help me tremendously. Thanks.

 

#1 I think others have used it successfully.
#2 Broadcom drivers should be removed before you open up and remove the adapter -- I didn't do that and it was a battle. The drivers for wireless and bluetooth are in Windows Uninstall list. One started "Broadcom..." and the other was "WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software".

Some Intel info and drivers. WiFi and Bluetooth both worked. WiDi not tested but appeared operational:
1. Product brief on Intel 6230
2. Intel Chipset update
3. Bluetooth and WiFi
3. WiDi
4. Graphics
5. Intel Driver Update Utility (Doesn't run well on Google Chrome)

 

Congrats and please let us know if they have fixed the wifi! Is B01 with i5 1.6ghz and 1 year warranty ?

 

I have a Series 9 A04 with Centrino 6230; installed all new drivers, including WiDi and WiDi software.
My Samsung Central Station just arrived and I'm trying to connect to it via WiDi with no luck.
Has anyone tried this combo? I've seen several questions about connecting in other forums, but nobody has yet reported success or posted instructions on connecting.

 

I got it working but not via WiDi. I used the Central Station Wireless USB that came with the Central Station. I don't think Central Station is WiDi compatible. I'd be VERY happy to be wrong here though.

 

How did you get the wireless dongle to work? Did you use a USB extension?

 

B01 is also listed as WiDi Capable.

Of course, specs are often wrong, but that would imply it is shipping with the Intel 6230...so overall it is a better machine than the A03 and costs less, with the only sacrifice being warranty length (again, assuming the online specs are accurate, which is a bit "IF" based on their track record)

I would also be interested to know if the 1-yr warranty is domestic only, or if it is international like the 3-yr warranty.

This thread has gone pretty quiet...everyone now salivating over at the Vaio Z2 thread, same as me?

 

Not me. After looking at its specs, I decided to buy (another) Series 9 with its known limitations. Got the A05 this time.

 

That's the one with 256gb SSD right? I'll be interested in hearing your report on that since I am still on the fence. The one thing I found odd about that configuration is the 6gb RAM, I mean why not just go with 8gb rather than a 4+2 configuration?

I think I get your point about the Z, it has some great specs for my purposes, but there are a few concerns (such as all the proprietary, overpriced hardware) and no full reviews yet so a newer version S9 (with better wifi??) is still under consideration...or if I get lazy I may still keep my current A03 for now..

 

Yes, 256GB SSD. I already have 8GB fast RAM, that I bought for my returned A03, to put in it.

I have 45 days to return it if I think I have made a mistake...

 

Aha, just found some additional PR from Samsung:
"The Central Station uses UWB wireless technology to connect to a laptop, like the Samsung Series 9 that comes with built-in UWB. "
So, how does one activate/use UWB on the S9?

 

Until there's news on the wifi issue, there isn't much to say - there really haven't been many other issues so far.

Mine has now gone past the Day of No Return - there's nothing else to buy, and I didn't want to be without it while waiting.

And to be honest, the wifi is slow, but only once in 7 weeks of constant use have I had a problem actually connecting when other people didn't. So for me it's a livable fault.

 

Looking at buying this laptop. But note the problematic Wi-fi issues with previous models.

Does anyone know what is different with the B01US and B02US models?

The B01US is in stock here:
JR.com: Samsung NP900X3A-B01US Series 9 13.3" Premium Notebook PC in PC Notebook Computers

 

Well, good ole Samsung's done it again! Turned on my computer this morning to find some automatic update asking me to restart. When I did, all traces of Bluetooth have been eradicated. F12 no longer activates the bluetooth (only wifi), the Bluetooth program doesn't open, and even the radio button toggle in the Control Center doesn't have a Bluetooth option anymore. Am I the only one this happened to?

Luckily my Centrino 6230 comes today. Any advice on on how to tackle this issue in the meantime? Thanks.

 

Just got my B01 delivered. It does have the Intel 6230 installed.

For the Central Station, if anyone figures out how to connect without the dongle that would be awesome. Not having the USB extension and dongle hanging off the computer would be great!

 

I don't see UWB (aka Wireless USB) devices in Windows device manager on my A02. Another "discrepancy" from Samsung?!

And Central Station is not a WiDi device - it uses different technology. You can google it. Personally, I don't see a point in transmiting a picture to a "tiny" 23"/27" screen over wireless with the 5 feet distance limitation.

 

B02 has 256GB SSD. Otherwise, I think they're the same.

EDIT: Just checked. That is the only difference. I have a print out of the specs. Note the weak WiFi is not likely to be fixed in the B models either.

I don't know what's happened to B02 model though -- even online sites, like J&R, that had it shown as having zero in stock have removed it entirely from their listings -- it's not even shown as back-ordered. That's why I bought the A05 (with 256GB SSD) because B02 not available (or maybe not even going to be available).

 

I did some searching on UWB and Series 9 yesterday. For A02 and other models too, it said that they do not have UWB. There seemed to only be two or three laptops on the market that have UWB.

 

Two or three Samsung laptops or in general? I have UWB in my Dell XPS M1330 - it was installed by my request. No UWB in Sammy.

 

No, it was a general site with all kinds of laptops. It definitely said no UWB on Samsung Series 9. The only ones that it had listed were Toshiba Protege and two non-brand names. So their list of models was probably not complete. I'm sure someone else could track down that site if they wanted to.

 

Did you have a chance to test the wireless performace ?