Samsung 9 Series laptop (ZX310 / 900X3A) unveiled

The Airlink gets some pretty bad reviews for performance. The Netgear might be a good work around solution.

 

I got the same impression. You'd probably have to deal with drivers at the least with that cheaper one (according to some reviews).

 

No No No! Come on guys! It's not a solution... I even can't say it's a work around - at least not for a high end notebook. We need to wait and need to claim it from Samsung.

 

Yeah... I'm going to stop considering the Series 9 until Samsung updates/fixes it like in other countries and/or the price is drastically lowered to around $1000. EDIT: Decided even lowered to $1000 it wouldn't be worth having to deal with such silly problems when I could instead buy something relatively flawless for that amount.

Now I'm looking at the Lenovo u300s ( $1050 at J&R) and the Samsung Series 7 14" ( effectively $1000 at MS Store). Oddly enough, the Series 7 is slightly less wide than the Series 9 because of the teeny bezel.

The Lenovo seems to have 0 problems or deal-breakers other than the glossy screen (or the 1366x768 res, but the Series 9 has that too). Its special features are quick-charge (30 min. -> 50% I believe) and the F-row defaulting to system functions (ie fn lock is always on, if that makes sense).

The Series 7 is heavier at 4.3 pounds (instead of 2.9) and thicker and has a normal hard drive, but it has a 1600x900 res, probably the longest battery life of the three, the fastest processor (2.4-3.0 GHz instead of 1.6-2.3 GHz), 6 GB RAM, and a video card. It also has a DVD slot and ExpressCache (for SSD-like speed in booting and some commonly accessed files).

 

You might wanna look at the new Toshiba Ultrabook as well.

 

Series 7 14" won't be available soon, or ever perhaps. Lenovo U300 seems to loose to Toshiba Z830/Z835. Asus UX31 can be interesting too, if you value 1600x900 and an all aluminium frame. And in my experience Apple Macbook Air is still the best ultra book.

Ultrabook Showdown: Which is the Best?

 

here's the one i got for $7.44 at Monoprice and haven't had an issue with it - signal strength is great -

For only $6.96 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Ultra-Mini USB Wireless Lan 802.11N Adapter - 1T1R (150Mbps) | USB Network Adapters - Wireless (150Mbps)

 

Here's one for $5 incl. worldwide shipping. Reviews seem good.



150M WIFI USB Wireless Network LAN Adapter Card 802.11n |MiniUSB - BuyinCoins.com

 

Ah, I knew there must be some better mini USB wifi adapters. Good to know.

Phil, thanks for the suggestions. The UX31 seems to have its own host of problems (and I dislike the touchpad after having used it), and I dislike the the z830 for a variety of reasons (overall cheap feel to me, slow SSD, general dislike of Toshiba).

 

Good point. I actually have the same opinion on the UX31 and the Toshiba, which is why I didn't buy them.

so that leaves one question: why no Macbook Air?

 

The Air's a great laptop for Mac fans, but a couple things make it a no-go for me:

- wedge shape (personal preference)
- personal dislike of Mac OS (it's not bad, but I would rather use Windows or Kubuntu, and I hear that non-Mac operating systems perform poorly on Apple computers)
- high starting price for 13" ($1300 not including a new Windows license is overbudget for me; I'm going up to ~$1100)

EDIT: Looks like bad non-Mac performance was just rumors, but I'd still have to spend extra money on Windows if I wanted to use that.

 

That's not correct, look at how the Core i5 Air sometimes beats the i7 in the UX31.
Asus UX31 | Prestaties: cpu en gpu | Core | Tweakers.net Reviews

Sorry for the off topic conversation, let's try to keep this thread for Samsung series 9 from now on.

 

So has anyone kept theirs? I ordered an a05 not knowing about the wifi issues. I really need a laptop right now and don't see anything else that is any better. Asus still has wifi issues, not a fan of the toshiba, and I can not get used to OSX no matter how hard I try.

I am thinking about just getting the netgear usb wifi adapter for $26 and keeping the laptop, but I am not sure if that is a smart move or not.

The wifi issues for sure exist on mine. When I am within 10-15ft of the router I get 20mbps when I get any further it drops down to like 1-3mbps.

 

I have kept mine - apart from the WiFi issue that I make bearable with an internal WiFI dongle the laptop has performed very well for 6 months. When the guarantee period ends, I will hack into the laptop and try to reroute the WiFi antennas. For now I am coping.

 

Which dongle did you buy?

 

I bought D-Link DWA-131 but I would not recommend it as the most powerful choice - I still get some spots were my old laptop performs better than Series 9 with this dongle. It is discreet though.

 

Hi all, I'm thinking of buying the model 900X3A-B03.

It says:
Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300, 3x3 802.11 abg/n (up to 450Mbps)

Is it without WiFi problems for sure? Here I can't return a product after opening its box, and it's quite expensive also.

 

As far as I know the B03 model which is NOT an US version might have Intel 6300, which means that there is a third antenna and no problem with the WIFI.
What country do you buy it from?

 

Israel

But there are problems with the HDMI?

 

There are no problems with HDMI on any models.

 

Saw a reported problem here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/8097942-post2774.html

So it's not a general problem? And do you think that the B03 is a good buy?

 

Sorry for offtopic: does your Thinkpad x220 have SATA 3 connector inside? This standard SSD is too slow ?

 

Oh, HDMI is definitely not a common problem. Only real issues are:
1. WiFi range and fluctuation. If you're buying one with Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300, you probably have the new LCD with the 3rd antenna. I obviously cannot guarantee that but it would be silly for Samsung to put that adapter in without putting the 3rd antenna in a location that adds value.
2. The fragile power connection. This has been a problem for a number of people but it is covered by the warranty. I have heard that this problem may have been fixed in some models (not yet available in the USA). I did not have this problem with any of my Series 9's but I was very careful.

What is your full model #? Nx900X3A-B03xx Can you fill in the "x"s?

 

Ha! My ThinkPad X220 is arriving on truck in next hour.

From what I have found out, the main connector definitely does support SATA 3 -- Lenovo only sells the SATA 2 SSD so that's what I got.

I have been told that the slot that doubles as WWAN/mSata, only supports SATA 2 though. So I might not be able have my 160GB SATA 2 SSD + 120GB mSata SATA 3 SSD

 

NP900X3A-B03IL

 

Should the micro-HDMI to HDMI converter be included?

Mine seems to be missing.

 

I bought the netgear g54 wifi adapter from staples last night. Everything seems to work great now and you can barely see the adapter.

As much as I hate keeping a product that is flawed I can't find a laptop that I would want more so I think I am just going to keep the laptop and use the netgear wifi with it. I need a laptop and who knows how long it will take samsung to send the fixed laptops to the U.S.

 

maybe there's a hidden benefit to the wifi issue

Laptop Wi-Fi said to nuke sperm, but caveats abound | Reuters

NEW YORK | Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:55am EST

(Reuters Health) - The digital age has left men's nether parts in a squeeze, if you believe the latest science on semen, laptops and wireless connections.

In a report in the venerable medical journal Fertility and Sterility, Argentinian scientists describe how they got semen samples from 29 healthy men, placed a few drops under a laptop connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi and then hit download.

Four hours later, the semen was, eh, well-done.

A quarter of the sperm were no longer swimming around, for instance, compared to just 14 percent from semen samples stored at the same temperature away from the computer.

And nine percent of the sperm showed DNA damage, three-fold more than the comparison samples.

The culprit? Electromagnetic radiation generated during wireless communication, say Conrado Avendano of Nascentis Medicina Reproductiva in Cordoba and colleagues.

"Our data suggest that the use of a laptop computer wirelessly connected to the internet and positioned near the male reproductive organs may decrease human sperm quality," they write in their report.

"At present we do not know whether this effect is induced by all laptop computers connected by Wi-Fi to the internet or what use conditions heighten this effect."

A separate test with a laptop that was on, but not wirelessly connected, found negligible EM radiation from the machine alone.

The findings fuel concerns raised by a few other research teams.

Some have found that radiation from cell phones creates feeble sperm in the lab, for example. And last year urologists described how a man's sitting with a laptop balanced on his knees can crank up the temperature of his scrotum to levels that aren't good for sperm. (See Reuters Health story of November 8, 2010, at reut.rs/gHmXpC.)

So between the heat and the radiation from today's electronic devices, testicles would seem to be hard-pressed.

But that is not at all clear, said Dr. Robert Oates, who has managed to father two kids despite having both a laptop and an iPad.

The president of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, Oates told Reuters Health he doesn't believe laptops are a significant threat to male reproductive health.

"This is not real-life biology, this is a completely artificial setting," he said about the new study. "It is scientifically interesting, but to me it doesn't have any human biological relevance."

He added that so far, no study has ever looked at whether laptop use has any influence on fertility or pregnancy outcomes.

"Suddenly all of this angst is created for real-life actual persons that doesn't have to be," said Oates, also of Boston Medical Center.

According to the American Urological Association, nearly one in six couples in the US have trouble conceiving a baby, and about half the time the man is at the root of the problem.

While the impact of modern technology is still murky, lifestyle does matter, researchers say.

Earlier this month, a report in Fertility and Sterility showed that men who eat a diet rich in fruit and grains and low in red meat, alcohol and coffee have a better shot at getting their partner pregnant during fertility treatment. (See Reuters Health story of November 18, 2011, at reut.rs/v9bobG.)

"You should be keeping yourself healthy," including staying lean, eating healthy foods, exercising, not taking drugs and not smoking, agreed Oates.

And for those laptop worries, he mused, "I don't know how many people use laptops on their laps anyway."

SOURCE: bit.ly/u7jpxF Fertility and Sterility, online November 23, 2011.

 

it is not supposed to be included :/

 

Thanks.

So in the box there are two areas where it looks like there should be a cable.

One has the ethernet adapter in it, what's the other area meant for?

 

I can't tell you where the stuff were placed into the box but as far as I remember I only got the ethernet adapter, the power adapter (in 2 pieces) and the manuals.

 

Hey all - i've tried to read through all the pages but I'm still in need of some advice. I purchased the Series 9 (B01) at Best Buy this week while it's on sale ($999) but I haven't opened it yet. After reading various things I'm now wondering if I should have gotten the Toshiba Z835. The only *real* differences I can see is the lack of bluetooth & slower processor on the Toshiba. Also, the keyboard looks smaller on it when compared to the Samsung. But the Toshiba offers quite a bit more ports, has higher battery life and is lighter - plus it's cheaper. Has anyone else been torn between these two machines?

What is the Series 9 battery life like for you? Consumer Reports says 8+ hours but everything else I've read is closer to 5 hours.

Anyone able to give a keyboard comparison?

My use is going to be 50% email/web browsing with 20% apps, 30% music/video consumption.

Any help in making a decision would be great! If the price of the Toshiba dropped back to $799 then it may be an easier decision.

 

The SSD in the Samsung is a lot better too.

 

I dislike the Toshiba ultrabook because...
- the touchpad is worse (in my opinion)
- the keyboard is worse (in my opinion)
- the build quality is worse, even cheap-feeling (in my opinion)
- the screen is worse
- I distrust Toshiba (personal thing; they aren't necessarily a bad company)
- the SSD is super-slow... like hard-drive speed (I didn't think an SSD could be this slow)

To play devil's advocate, though, the Series 9 has those wifi and power connector issues. I think both laptops are good for people with differing tastes (my tastes happen to be against the Toshiba).

 

Theorbo, you raised an interesting point about the Series 9 being on sale at Best Buy for $1000.

obligatory link

The on-sale one (which I may buy since it's only $1000... very respectable) is the B01-UB, whereas they also have (now sold out) the B01-US, which is the only version I had known about before. The specs appear to be identical. Does anybody know the difference between these two models? Does the UB have the wifi fix perhaps?

I'm worried that this -$200 deal is too good to be true, similar to the Series 7 at Best Buy which turned out to be missing some features.

 

Wow Myky your dislike for Toshiba is obvious. I, as well was not a Toshiba fan until I had this particular Z830 in my hand. I dont know if you have had one yet since they are a brand new release but....IMHO...the touchpad is excellent, build quality very tight and feels as it should with the metal graphite look finish and the screen is excellent for a 769 and matte.

Tradeoffs...yup the SSD is not the Samsung but their isnt a person alive who can tell the visible difference during typical use. In fact, this starts at under 14 seconds from press of the button which the S9 does not.

It also has a fan which doesnt bother me at all but, remember now, this is the thinnest and lightest laptop released so far. Now as for the Sammy which I had four of, great shape but you cannot keep it clean because it thrives on finger residue, its heavier, its thicker, its plug breaks, its wifi is really unbearable, and the open/close port cases are a pain at times when using the unit.

I think in providing an opinion, we shouldn't be jumping the line of providing users with a fair response simply because of our personal views, especially when you say flat out that you dont like Toshiba....

Myself, I have had the open option for a free S9 for months now but declined because it simply doesn't work in travel situations where, like I am right now, you travel regularly and type from the inside of a hotel room or airports...

Gorgeous laptop I will concede but something has to be said when I would decline a free laptop (S9) to pay for another (Z830) dont you think? If you still think I cannot provide a fair and impartial opinion eheh, see my username (yipes!)

 

1. I've edited my post to be a bit less extreme and removed the glossy screen bit. There was definitely a glossy screen on the Best Buy model I saw, but I guess the Toshiba can have matte too (kinda strange).

2. Much of my dislikes for the Toshiba are personal preference. I'm sure people agree with me, but it's also worth noting that many call this ultrabook the best so far due to its good ports, good battery, and lack of stupid mistakes present in other ultrabooks. For example, the screen was flimsy to me when I saw it at Best Buy, I dislike the rectangular keyboard keys, the touchpad buttons strike me as cheap and ugly, etc. All of these things I dislike about it others may disagree with or not care about.

3. Interesting that you say that the SSD is still fast (better than the S9 somehow). I've heard otherwise (although I obviously can't speak from experience).

4. I agree, the S9 is a fingerprint magnet but for some reason that doesn't bother me.

5. The z830 and the S9 are actually the same thickness, but the Toshiba is a stunning half-pound lighter than the S9 at 2.4 lb. (I can confirm it feels awesomely lightweight).

6. The Toshiba is an excellent buy at $800, even though I myself would not do it.

See? I'm not unreasonable

Since the S9 is on sale, I think I might get it this week. I'll return it within 14 days if it turns out the wifi gives me problems or it's otherwise deal-breakingly annoying.

ANYWAY!
Theorbo, I highly recommend visiting Best Buy and using the demo Toshiba ultrabook for a while to see if the same things that bother me bother you (as an added bonus, the S9 may even be next to it for easy comparison if it's like my Best Buy). Try out the keyboard with Wordpad open, browse the internet to see what the touchpad is like, etc. I will concede that the Toshiba is the safer buy due to its lack of fundamental issues that could be problems later if not immediately (the wifi and power problems).

 

Mykinius & Series 9 Guy - thanks to both of you for your helpful responses, even with any biases.

I recognize the brand-loyalty that comes with these type purchases, especially the higher-end models. I have a friend who has a lower-end Toshiba and they've had nothing but problems so that does give me a bad taste about the brand, even though I recognize that their issues may be totally unrelated.

For me, this laptop is going to be quite a step up (speed-wise) from everything I own so any SSD is going to be an improvement I think, even if it's not the fastest.

Can you guys give your opinion on a few other things?

• So the Toshiba does boot to the desktop in less than 30 seconds? Does it wake from sleep as fast?
  
• How do the screens compare? I've read all the marketing gook but cannot grasp the actually difference.
  
• What about the fact that the processor for the Toshiba is an i3 vs. an i5?
  
• What about the lack of bluetooth in the Toshiba?
  
• Finally, what about the keyboard on the Toshiba - are complaints with it strictly a matter of personal preference?

Again, thanks for all the help. I definitely need to go to the store to look at both side by side. I tried looking at the differences between the UB and the US models and cannot find anything. Interesting ...

 

Better keep your receipt!

 

*So the Toshiba does boot to the desktop in less than 30 seconds? Does it wake from sleep as fast?
can't answer this (you can probably restart it at Best Buy and see for yourself, but the resume time would be hard to measure since that varies according to how long it's been asleep)

*How do the screens compare? I've read all the marketing gook but cannot grasp the actually difference.
The S9's is way better. Excellent color, contrast, etc. Furthermore, the S9 has a much higher max brightness. The Toshiba I saw at BB had a so-so (ie unimpressive to me) glossy screen that looks bad at minimum brightness especially (whereas a matte screen wouldn't so much). I'm not sure if I can say that the Toshiba's monitor is bad in relation to normal laptops, though, since most laptop screens are similarly bad/glossy (the S9 just happens to be outstanding).

*What about the fact that the processor for the Toshiba is an i3 vs. an i5?
The biggest bonus you get from i5 vs. i3 is Turbo Boost, which is basically the ability of an Intel i processor to temporarily overclock itself significantly for quick, demanding tasks (like loading a program). The processor stops Turbo-ing when it starts to overheat. I don't know how much of a noticeable difference this makes, but I'd definitely go for the i5 if possible from what I know.

*What about the lack of bluetooth in the Toshiba?
Personal preference. I don't care because I never use Bluetooth.

*Finally, what about the keyboard on the Toshiba - are complaints with it strictly a matter of personal preference?
I don't think I've seen complaints about it, but I haven't really seen praise for it either. I don't like it because of the weird, wide shape of the keys, but unfortunately I can't remember if it's mushy or not. Again, I highly recommend just ranting in Wordpad on the demo unit to see if you make a lot of mistakes, feel compelled to type slowly, are uncomfortable with the layout, etc.


@ SoundsGood: You know it! I will be purchasing the laptop viewing it more as a 14-day trial I can keep if I like.

 

Yikes...didn't want to start a feud but I guess, after rereading my last, I can see how i got my back up.

The Z835 is glossy screen and the Z830 is matte. I have never concerned myself with sleep resume although this does it in about 2 seconds. The reason is that I simply dont mind waiting 14 seconds to start the machine from cold and saving the 4GB that I would normally have set aside for sleep and hibernation.

My Toshiba has an i7, bluetooth, and this keyboard is amazing NOT TO MENTION that it is one only two with a backlit keyboard as I believe the S9 has this as well....This one is spillproof though.

I agree that the potential buyer should go to the store and put both in hand first and foremost. I also think he should pay particularly close attention to things mentioned here, especially wifi and plug difficulties.

Oh....I think that the Z family also has a 3 year warranty, of which Samsung did a complete about face on....

 

Ok, again thanks to both of you. I will go to the store to get my hands on the Toshiba. Like I said, i've purchased the Series 9. I'm looking at the box (I haven't opened it yet) and I do notice that it says:

COMMUNIC: Intel 802.11 abgn (3x3) + BT3.0

I wonder if this wifi card actually has a functioning third antenna?

 

Sweet! I think it is because of the 3x3 (as opposed to 2x2). A quick Google search convinces me that that indicates an Intel 6300 wireless card, which I believe is the good one.

Furthermore, if that indicates a wifi fix, the power plug problem may also be fixed (as it has been in other countries where the wifi was fixed).

/cue Mr. Burns eeexcellent

EDIT: Don't take it from me, though. It might just be wishful thinking

(No hard feelings, Series 9 guy! No hostility here! Didn't try to sound mean or something if I did.)

 

And to make my decision harder now the Toshiba Z835 is back on sale at Best Buy for $799. Sheesh! LOL

 

I got my S9 for $850, not sure if I should sell it and go for a z830.

 

If you haven't already, go to a Best Buy and compare them side-by-side (literally, since they might be placed next to each other instore already).

 

Oooooo come on! Now you must open it and check!
You can download the 'everest' program to check the wifi card (or just use the device manager - I think there should be written). Do you have US version?

EDIT: One more note, I'm waiting for Lenovo U300s - if it has a backlight keyboard and good screen I will probably buy it instead of Samsung 9 (unless Samsung releases an upgraded version).

 

The U300s unfortunately doesn't have a backlit keyboard, and my guess is that the screen is average for a laptop (it's 1366x768 and glossy, so it's probably not great).

 

I need to correct myself....

Previously, I had reported here that, on initial testing, the Z830 Toshiba only worked in SATA 2 mode. This was incorrect and I don't know what has changed but my Z830 is now running in full SATA 3 speeds...

I am not trying to crash the thread with this but there has been alot of comparison between the two so thought I might throw this in. I can post a bench if anyone likes but they are above 500MB/s from the Runcore...

 

Yeah post a CrystalDiskMark please.

This is what Laptopmag posted.