Samsung 9 Series laptop (ZX310 / 900X3A) unveiled

This is for eww242...

Side-by-side speedtest.net testing with my Thinkpad (quite old, think it has g adapter), with both laptops on a desk in a different room than the router's.

TP 5.66 Mbps
S9 7.89 Mbps

Note that this is at home with a cable internet connection (not on campus)...

 

FIRST 24 HOURS WITH MY NEW S9 (model B02. Manufacture date on case "June 2011")
first off, what a fuQing gorgeous piece of hardware. Form may not always be function but I certainly appreciate good design and this is a sexy beast.

second- I was pleasantly surprised that a number of my minor "worries" and concerns- mostly from reading prior posts in THIS forum- proved to be wrong. For example, one post said "poor design b/c need to hold down Fn key to access function keys... no direct access to volume control, screen brightness, etc. w/o holding down both Fn key and action key". That seemed kind of lame. WRONG. RTFM. There is a "Fn Lock" key so Fn keys can either be primary as Fxx keys or "action" keys. Gee... that makes sense. There were some other comments I was worried about that also turned out to be "non-issues" for me. (e.g., problems with power plug "too tight" or "not tight enough". Problems with trackpad and screen bezel. All I can say is that there appears to be no functional quality control issues I've discovered. (a big relief) since many complaints of QC problems).

third- fired up no problem. This is now my 4th new Win7 computer. I started out before Windows 3.0 (actually, with Fortran on a mainframe, then DOS on a PC). Win7 is getting pretty close to how it should be. My step-daughter got a MBPro 2 days earlier (college scholarship deal- not my choice )and this was just as straightforward to set-up as OS-X/Lion machine. (sorry Apple fanboys). Screen is quite impressive. Speed is pretty impressive, as well. I also bought a matched set of RAM (4GB x2) that I will install, shortly. I figured for a $1600+ n=computer, $56 for RAM upgrade seems well worth it (I do a LOT of Photoshop, Premiere, etc. Even though I have an i7, 12GB RAM desktop, I will occ. be using the S9 when on vacation for photo/video. Who knows, if it proves worthy, maybe even around the house, too?).

fourth- WiFi. 15 feet from N router full signal. That's as far as I've tested it.

.
It is rare that I have ever found the "perfect" design or perfect machine. (with the exception perhaps of Cervelo bikes). It seems that there has always been some compromise or weakness in most product designs. Also, it is really hard to know just how bad the WiFi problem will be and that ALMOST stopped me from buying this machine. It's hard to know what % of buyers will really have problems since this forum is clearly a select group of users and, mostly, I would imagine we are hearing only from those with problems. Certainly, there does appear to be a "real" issue though. My solution was to spend $19 (on sale from $60) to buy a ultra-compact N WiFi adapter. It's miniscule, weights about 7 grams and if I need it, I have it. Hopefully, I won't need it... Also, I can't be sure, but the back panel does NOT look/feel like aluminum? Is it p[ossible that they have replaced the aluminum back panel with a plastic panel for better transmission? When I remove it to install the RAM upgrades in a few days, it should be more apparent.

A complaint: the packaging. Now, I know that this computer is trying to compete with the MBA but did Samsung really have to be all Apple-like with the fancy box? I just seems WAY over the top (yes, it's "cool" and hip and MOMA-like) but I bet you for all the money spent not only on the actual, physical packaging (I bet it's $10/unit?) but on the DESIGN (from my exposure tcorporate design, I wouldn't be surprised if they literally spent a MILLION $$ (or more) on industrial design, mock-ups, testing, etc.) they could have INSTEAD had every unit come STANDARD with 8GB RAM (they make the chips, afterall) and STILL come out ahead on cost and really produced a machine that stands out from the rest!! (btw- can anyone tell me if the A05, which has 6GB RAM, is built as a 4 + 2 setup and why in the world they would do that and not 4/4???)

Hope some of this info helps. As I said, I was very "concerned" when I ordered it (partly due to ignorant posts presented as fact from people who eiother didn't even actual have a machine or don't know enough to RTFM) but quite pleased now that it has arrived and has no apparent problems. Next step is to start installing some programs and see how it actually runs. I'll also report back on back cover if I find anything unusual when I remove it.

 

Well, you would not be able to avoid clunky stuff in order to convert digital signal to analog, especially if you want to do it with the high quality.

As for the HP, I would say it's not gonna work. This HP adapter was made for certain laptops with the certain GPUs capable of sending an analog signal through HDMI output = conversion is made by GPU, not the adapter. As far as I know, S9's Intel HD 3000 IGP is not compatible card for this task. Let me know if I'm wrong.

 

How about charging status/indicator with the closed laptop?

It's a painted metal. The paint gives a plastic feel. I would be surprised if they changed it with the plastic one.

P.S. Congrats on your new toy. Hope you enjoy it!

 

Try the same test 2-3 rooms further away and connect some more WiFi devices to the access point/rooter (AppleTV, other computers, a few phones). Thinkpad will kick S9's butt without doubt.

 

At work now, got full signal.
Same floor
1 wall between
distance 5 meters

 

I don't see how you can without a tv-adapter or a sling box. I am using a sling box with my dishnetwork DVR and it works very well, at home or from anywhere in the world. The S9 is a great machine for watching movies!

 

I don't see a connection between an ability of Router to handle multiple clients and S9 wi-fi issues...

 

Well, I did not replicate the test in other rooms, but this test was already quite a few things (4 computers, 3 phones/ipod touches, a ps3) connected to the router with playon (on S9) feeding to the ps3 while doing the test. Not sure if it matters for the speedtest, but all connections to the router were as before, did not change them for this test...

 

You will see a strong signal on the S9, but just to speedtest.net and you will see that the speed is nowhere near the labtop you are comparing it to. I am curious to get more feedback from buyers of the B series.

 

Looks like a few reviews on both amazon and this site state that wifi issue has definitely improved. Does anybody know where to get the best price on a BO2? I see that Costco is selling the BO1, which is a plus with their 90 day return policy?

 

Thanks for the updates, sosa, ttfno, etc.

Here's the link to a BO1 review on Amazon.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Samsung NP900X3A-B01 13.3-Inch Notebook - Black

I'd obviously prefer WiFi that enabled me to stream and download at super high speeds comparable to the best laptops, no matter where I'm at. And I also agree that a PC marketed as a luxury and/or business class product ought to give you that.

Having said that, I'd settle for WiFi that's merely usable in airports, at conferences, on campus for students, etc., to do simple things like surf the web, check email, download powerpoints and PDFs, watch YouTube at 480p, etc., w/o regular dropouts. In other words, I just want consistency w/ regard to simple, everyday online uses, while outside of your own house.

Give me that and a cheap, reliable way to connect to VGA projectors (e.g., monoprice's thunderbolt/VGA cables for $10), and this will probably be my next laptop.

(Fwiw, I just read that the Asus screen will be glossy after all. If true, that's too bad. No idea about the HP or Acer; I assume glossy.)

 

I am still very impressed with the nice assortment of Samsung software. Appears to be much more functional and practical than the CRAP that HP installs (I've owned a LOT of HP over the years- some of the best hardware [used to be, at least, not some much anymore] coupled to some of the worst software...) and the bloat that Dell installs. Others have also complained about the manual but I found it to be one of the most straightforward, clear and concise I have seen?

I must say that most of the "concerns" I had over this machine from reading previous posts in this thread where people were critical of it ("bad trackpad", "missing basic functions", "can't do x, y or z...") have turned out to be USER ERROR and NOT hardware or design problem with the Series 9. A quick read of the manual would have solved most of their "issues". Not only that, but like any other powerful tool, this machine is extremely flexible and there is a fair amount of set-up and "personalization" that is required to get it to run exactly how you want it. Not only that, this is almost entirely an OS issue and not a hardware issue! The one exception is the trackpad. My first impression was, "Uh oh" b/c it just wasn't responding for me. After a few tweaks in the Synaptics set-up program I can say it is nothing short of "magic". There are HUNDREDS (thousands?) of customizations that can be done to trackpad- 2, 3 and 4 finger taps, presses, swipes, etc. to do almost anything you could want- scroll different directions, rotate items, open programs, show desktop, etc., etc., etc. And, again, this is really not a "Samsung" issue but just part of setting up the Synaptics touchpad- which is true on ANY laptop.

So far, o/t weak WiFi (but perfectly adequate all throughout my house...) this is one of the finest machines I have ever used. The speed of an SSD is shocking (in a good way!). Makes me want to swap an SSD into my desktop to use as the C: drive!!!!

Granted, a top-dollar, top-end, ultra-portable "business" machine should have WiFi that functions up to par w/ all those credentials, but I would NOT kick this machine out of bed for eating crackers... I'm glad I made the decision to buy it (disclaimer: so far, at least) and the WiFi issue I can deal with- though I truly hope there is a fix- or maybe Samsung should refund us all a couple hundred bucks for selling a product that really doesn't perform as promised? Are there even enough units sold to consider a class action? THat was one of the difficulties in reading this thread- I have no idea how many S9's have even been sold, how many (all?) have wifi problems? How many people have actually "formally complained" to Samsung, etc...

Perhaps we should consider a new thread that could be a sort of "online petition" to get an idea of just how many people are really affected here? If it is only the few dozen of use geeks ranting on this thread, I don't know that Samsung would really even care?

 

I really don't understand why people who are happy with their S9s (and I have BECOME one of them) have to diminish the people who have problems with the weak Wifi. Lots of S9 users on this thread have gone through elaborate testing to analyze the Wifi problem, these are not subjective statements. If you are happy with the S9 in your environment you have every right to state this here, but please respect other opinions.

I think the S9 is a great laptop - at least I have not found any better. But if one needs powerful Wifi one should be aware of the S9s shortcomings ...

 

I regularly use it to stream Slingbox, Southparkstudios.com, or Zediva movies. Not very high bandwidth requirements, but has worked extremely well so far.

I also bought the Samsung SE-S084D external DVD player/writer (black). It is a nice accompaniment to the S9, super slim and light with similar styling, easily slips into any laptop bag. It generally works well but can be a bit fussy playing poor quality DVDs...had some trouble with my Three Kingdoms (Chinese disks), and they are legit/legal.

I agree video looks very good, but I would say the matte screen is a bit less vivid compared to some glossy screen machines such as my HP HDX, although it certainly makes up for this in other areas.

This works both ways, as evidenced by the vitriol directed at some for daring to state that wifi can be workable for even SOME people. Why can't we just agree that, although wifi has been clearly benchmarked to be below average (thanks to efforts by kalahari, phil1980, and others), it can still meet the minimum requirements of some, but certainly not ALL? It depends on individual usage patterns, which vary widely. Honestly, the wifi issue has really been beaten to death, so probably best to move on until there are meaningful developments.

 

Same here - one of the best machines I have used so far. It is a pity that I can use it only at home and have to call my friends or associates in advance when visiting to kindly inquire if they have a powerful rooter or if I should take my USB dongle with my 1600$ laptop.. And, if they have a HDMI projector, as Samsung clearly has forgotten about my part of Europe in terms of accessories (and not only my part of Europe if comments on this forum are accurate).

It's not crackers, it's a ton of popcorn - and the girl was supposed to be a model

 

Thanks for sharing nice1! How's the result after you install a fresh Windows and update the drivers? It sounds very promising. I think maybe Samsung has really fixed the wifi issue with B series, or post June build.

It surprised me at first that the price in Switzerland is so low, but then I realized CHF has been up a lot against USD since I left.

 

First time I'm in a nasty WiFi environment and use my Samsung besides a Dell Vostro 3700.
Signal strength difference between the two is ~ 10% (I find 40% on the Dell, 28~30% on the Samsung. The real big difference is the signal stability; while the Dell shows a relatively stable signal, the Samsung fluctuates heavily.

I use the Network Meter Gadget 6.5 from addgadget.com (no idea about reliability of the values) and can see the signal bar jumping on the Samsung while its more or less fix on the Dell.

I incline the Samsung a bit so the bottom is a freed and I have the impression that this gives a bit better result on the X9.

this is the Dell

 

I installed Win 7 Pro with SP1.

The signal is still unstable. I got a strong signal short to mid distance, but beyond that the signal is still weak.

I'm thinking about extending the antenna of the WLAN-module with a cable, to see how it affects the signal. Has anyone tried such a thing?

 

First screenshot with Intel6230, second - with DWL-131 usb. Same spot, same networks. Unable to connect with internal. Connected and working with external right now.

 

Yes, I and others have tried many things. Not sure exactly what you are asking though.
1. Connecting to an external antenna using USB = strong connection
2. Connecting other antenna to 6230 adapter and putting antenna ends in different locations in case = no difference at all (still weak connection)
3. Connecting other antenna leads to 6230 adapter and "dangling" antenna ends outside the case = strong connection
4. Taking back cover off the case = strong connection (but not as good as using external antenna)
5. Trying to double up the antenna inside the case so that two antenna are on each start-point on adapter = no difference

Short story for my testing is "whatever I did, when the case was closed and the antenna ends were still inside the case, the WiFi is weak and fluctuating"...

EDIT: Based on question received, wanted to note that fluctuating WLAN speed results were obtained when testing at "some distance" from routers. Also, that other WiFi devices tested did not have these fluctuating WiFi results.

 

@Kalahari, just to clarify this point, did you find the signal to be fluctuating even at relatively close distances to the router?

In my tests, which were admittedly nowhere near as exhaustive as yours, and in actual use, I haven't noticed fluctuating signals. As I mentioned previously, what I DID see when I "stress tested" was significantly shorter range, which I estimated at the time to be about 30% less than my HP.

This makes me wonder if you are in an area that is congested with many competing wifi signals? Did you notice this in general use, or was it during high bandwidth activities and testing? FWIW, I have been operating almost exclusively on the "g" band, and relatively close to the routers (typically within 30 feet), which could explain the differing results.

 

@Eppsing,

No, fluctuation was only observed at "distant" points from different routers that I tested with. The fluctuation was significant and not observed with other WiFi devices (laptops, iPhones, iPad, Tivo network, iPod touches). Also, the fluctuation was most easily observed by running multiple speedtest.net tests against the same server.

My testing was done with 3 different routers. Only one of those supported "n" band. So I did testing (with easily re-creatable results) on "n" and "g" bands. Also, the same results applied to 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands on the new ASUS router. I tried different channels too.

My house is not near to other houses. For example, right now, my S9 can only see the 2.4GHz and 5GHz access points on the router that is right next to my desk -- it cannot see my 2.4GHz access point in the basement. My iPhone 4 can see my access point in the basement plus an additional 4 neighbor's access points (at 1 to 7% strength).

 

Thanks for your helpful reply.

I actually thought of this
"3. Connecting other antenna leads to 6230 adapter and "dangling" antenna ends outside the case = strong connection"

Just need to find a good spot to place the antenna, so just the head of it looks out of the case. This should be possible I think?

Can you plz describe how you realised this?

 

@nice1:

In this post, I have a picture of where I "dangled" antenna ends outside the case. I then put the bottom of the case back on to do my tests.

As phil1980 has said and I have suggested to Samsung, the best place for the antenna ends are probably behind the screen bezel (but I don't know how to get them there). S9 Guy suggested under the keyboard (so that they would not be impacted by the case) but that would probably require "popping up" the keyboard -- which I didn't want to try.

I don't know what sort of antenna you have to test with. I have two that end in the flat squares (that I showed in the picture above) and also one that is encased in a thin rubber tube (like phil1980 used to connect to his 3rd point on the 6300 adapter). I can't see an elegant way to position any of those to get them "outside" the case.

 

They don't fit through the vents?

 

I popped my system right apart to keyboard removal and, apologies, but cannot remember the exact method to get underneath the keyboard. The extra wire is really the best method of verifying that it is the materials affecting reception and I thought that since the keyboard was a different material, it might be a great solution.

I might grab another this week simply because I have a new Runcore SATA 3 mSATA on the way for testing and would love to test it in that system. I always have hope although very recent conversations with Samsung PD haven't resulted in a positive answer yet.

 

Assuming you're talking about the vents by the fan, no, definitely not. Either end of the antenna.
You can take it out of the back, next to hinge, though.

 

@S9 Guy,

Sorry to hear that conversations with Samsung PD haven't resulted in a positive answer yet. Now that I'm back in the U.S., I'm going to follow up with them with them again but have not yet been able to talk to anyone who has any idea when a solution may be forthcoming. I have had acknowledgement of the problem but that's all...

I need to make a decision soon as to whether I should keep this model or return it -- and then wait for Samsung to release a Series 9 model that does not have below average WiFi capabilities...

 

Samsung has posted a Firmware update (BIOS version 06HL). Available here

Installed it. Ran a couple of programs. Checked WiFi. Ran Windows Experience Index. No problems found or any improvements seen. I was hoping for something "magical"

 

Strange it is not available for the A05US version

 

LOL. Samsung has yet to even acknowledge the existence of the A05US model on Samsung USA web site. For months, it has been showing that as an invalid model number...

 

Hello all, I am new here. Just bought a Series 9 B02 version. So, i too am having the wireless problems. I have been scanning the thread and see that I am not alone. My laptop came with the Intel WIFI and same problem, although not half as bad as it could be with broadcom. So question: Has anyone looked at the "Transmission Error Percentage" in the Intel Tools? Mine is pretty high. I am wondering if the rest of yall read 0 percent or what you are getting.

My solution to this problem that samsung should be doing? How bout replacing the bottom cover on the laptop with a different metal or even plastic? From what I am reading the duraluminim (sp?) seems to be the issue. Just a thought.

 

@frazzxr

You're right, Samsung should be doing something about this and many people have reported the same problem. Samsung is aware of the problem.

Yes, I had observed the Transmission Error Percentage being high. I blame the Duralumin case.

Yes, I think that replacing the bottom cover could solve the problem. That would be a major engineering expense for Samsung though (and would probably result in a heavier notebook). I, and others, have suggested that Samsung consider relocating the antenna ends (inside the screen bezel, under the keyboard, etc.) but we haven't seen that happen yet.

 

I have another question about this laptop. I am not sure if this is an optical illusion (if it is, others should see it too), at the bottom right of the keyboard, the "end" key. Mine appears that the right hand side of the key sits lower than the left side of the key... has anyone see this or is it a possible problem with my keyboard?

 

Exact same on mine. Might actually be intentional since it allows little finger to slide from RT to LT smoothly up on to key?

Intentional or not it certainly seems like a non-isse, but still one worth noting. I don't wonder if it was engineered this way (clever) or just coincidence?

 

Thanks for confirming.... anyone else see this? When I call them for the first time on my wireless issue, I am debating making this an issue too.

 

Yes, I see this "End" key sloping on mine too. Never noticed that before.

 

I have decided to part with my laptop and the reason is because I need money for a new gaming computer. It has intel 6230 and upgraded ram to 8gig. Haven't experience any issues. paid $1680 in march and have all original box and packaging. How much can I get out of it? Is ebay the only option to sell?

 

That would be the T50 model right? It seems like it's only coming out in 60GB and 120GB versions. It's interesting how they only cost a little more than the SATA 2 versions. I wouldn't mind seeing RunCore bring out a 240GB version though...

I opened yet another ticket with Samsung Support. For the fourth time, they said they would escalate my WiFi problems to the Product Specialist. I'll probably be returning the A05 that I have.

I've looked around and the best notebook for me is still a Series 9. I'm thinking that, once Sony gets the WiFi problem solved, that I will buy one with Core i7; small SSD and replace it with a SATA 3 SSD; little RAM and install my fast 8GB...

 

@Series 9 Guy

If you are testing the Runcore SATA 3 mSATA in the Series 9, can you see if you can figure out where the SATA Port 2 is and if it is usable? The BIOS claims there's two SATA ports.

 

I was really hoping they would get the wifi fix done with the B series, but apparently that is not the case. I'd love to buy another S9, but I'll have to wait a few more months. I see that many other companies are coming out with ultra-slim computers by the end of September...HP, ASUS (all trying to compete with s9/macbook air)

 

Actually, I am hoping that the mSATA port is not set t0o limit SATA 2 only. It would be ashamed if a SATA 3 could not be installed on a Sandy Bridge architecture as they are about to hit mainstream

 

What actually could limit it to SATA 2? I know that Alienware has the same processor as the A05 and they have SATA 3 SSD.

 

So is this a build issue or by design?

 

I am not so sure I care about the expense for Samsung. This was an expensive laptop ~1600 dollars. They should stop production fix the existing and fix them as they come off the line... save them money later when they have to fix the ones they are still producing as well.

A couple more ounces in this laptop would not make that much of a difference I don't think...

 

LOL. I'm not disagreeing with you. I just think that it's less likely that they would do that when they can possibly "repair" the current and new production models by moving the antenna end points.

 

I called samsung today to talk about my wifi issue. No one I spoke with was aware of any existing issue regarding this??? They told me "you can't always believe what you read on the internet". They are however RMA'ing my laptop. I am not sure why... many of you have sent them back right? what are they coming back with?

 

Looks like a build issue to me. No other corner keys are sloping. It's not something that I would return for service though.
If it was going in for something significant service wise, I would report this too.

 

I did report it to the person i talked to on the phone... hope they wrote it down. Call me jaded, but when you dole out that kinda cash for something, I do expect perfection. I have a U36JC that has 0 issues and cost me 1/2 the price.