Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus - NP940X3G

Still no reviews, birthday came and went, I have grown cold to this whole idea of an ultrabook, Samsung tsk tsk, it will take some amazing reviews, videos and people screaming Hallelujah for me to make purchase this and I will be waiting for Christmas, I am certain that there will probably be a plethora of haswell based devices by that time, and god knows if Samsung will keep up.

 

I think samsung has a mole in their business department ;-)
Otherwise it is very hard hard to understand why they equipped their brilliantly engineered last series with crappy sandisk SSD and this time limiting the option with 128 SDD - which is a joke in the premium class where this laptop otherwise belongs.

In my current laptop I replaced the Sandisk SSD to 256 Crucial, but this is not something the laptop maker should force buyers to do.
It is not simple task because the screws are small and clued and if you DO NOT have professional grade tools you most probably will destroy these (as a result you will never be able to open the case) and you also probably loose the warranty during this process.
It is probably the same with this new version.
Anyway I am waiting until they release the 256 SSD version or it is sure that SSD is upgradeable...

 

I have not read all previous 71 pages of this thread, so apologies if this has been discussed earlier.

I see a few write ups mentioning that there will be a 1920 x 1080 option, whilst most only mention 3200 x 1800. Is there any clarity on this point? There is no way I need 3200x1800, so I hope there is a lower resolution option to save a bit of money.

Also, what will be the best alternatives to this laptop (that will likely be available before xmas), given the following constraints:
*Haswell
*TPM security chip (so Macbook Air is out)
*13.3-14" screen
Do you think any of these alternatives will have similar or better battery life to ATIV Book 9 plus?

Thanks

 

What is wrong with the Acer A7-392....seems to meet most if not all your needs.

 

Some people would never buy a Acer because of their past reputation, especially one for $1600 but they are in the process of trying to turn that around. It will take awhile. Oh and they may not want white either especially if they need to bring it into a conference room at work.

 

Interesting news (use translator) :

http://m.chip.de/news/Samsung-Ativ-Book-9-Plus-Ultrabook-mit-ultrascharfem-Display_63942149.html?

 

I hope whomever wanted this at the preorder price jumped on it as Amazon has raised it back up to $1399 this morning.

 

Looks like Samsung is shipping in 1 to 3 business days whereas Amazon pre-orders will ship on Sept 1st. Anyone aware of student discounts by Samsung?

 

Any word on i7/8GB/256ssd?

Sent from a different Galaxy using Tapatalk 2.

 

Where did you find that? When I go on the samsung website it says "You will receive your order by 9/14/13" which is later than the amazon 9/01 (although who knows if they can make that date, given the UK amazon preorder failures)

 

Care to paraphrase what is so interesting about this?

 

Any ideas as to why Samsung would not release the 8gb 256gb SSD at or around the same time as the base model? What is the rational behind holding back the release of the "business model". It seems highly unlikely it would canabalize sales of the base model as it is likely to be substantially more expensive. Also, any ideas as to why Samsung's laptop business model seems to limit the spec options avail (as opposed to Sony and others with customizable options)? Especially when they seem so keen on choice in other areas (i.e. cellphones where there are now 4-5 versions of the Galaxy S4).

 

They never do and they may never release it at all unless they think there will be a big enough market to make it profitable. They seem to have their business model down pretty well which is why they do better than pretty much anyone else not named Apple..and they are catching up to them too. As far as Sony is concerned if you go over into that forum it seems they are making garbage these days. It's not the Sony of 30 years ago for sure.

 

I wouldn't worry about its being an Acer, just writing this on a 3-year old Acer 3820TG which has been flawless apart from the HDD which I exchanged (after I started to expect it might fail) for a faster one -- but this can happen with any drive (my worst laptop ever was Fujitsu-Siemens some 6 years ago, everything was flawed).
I myself do worry however about its cramped keyboard (although it gets good reviews with more key travel than -391) and overall whitish ugliness. With such a good screen I could even leave with no matte, but not with having to press THREE KEYS for simple kb shortcuts and adjust to different layout every time I switch between external and laptop kb.

 

The price on amazon is back down to 1224.59!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DVFMDN8

Edit: never mind! Back to 1399.99!

 

When first listed it was 1-3 business days, and now showing by 9/14/13 as you say.

 

weird it's 1224.59 there ^ but $1399.99 here: Amazon.com: Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Laptop: Computers & Accessories

 

Don't understand either.
Anybody knows if it is even possible/how easy it is to upgrade ram/ssd?

 

With Windows 8, the 3200x1800 screen will only display in 1920x1080. One needs the free Windows 8.1 update (e.g. october 17th, 2013) to enjoy the full 3200x1800 resolution.
Battery should last 11 hours.

Price should be around EUR 1500.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...third-party-msata-upgrades-2.html#post8661518
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...v-book-9-plus-haswell-new-70.html#post9337268

 

Microsoft store website has the ab9+ up for preorder,
http://m.microsoftstore.com/msusa/C...0X3GK03US_Touchscreen_Ultrabook?c=-1108476218



Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Tapatalk

 

keeping with the current round of Samsung idiocy they have now priced the K03US and it is exactly the same as the K01US and from a quick comparison of specs they seem identical. So any hopes of a i7 or 8GB or 256GB are gone for now.

ATIV Book 9 Plus (NP940X3G) | Samsung ATIV Book

 

d'oh!!!!!!

 

student discount available?

 

Here in New Zealand, the preorder price is NZD$2499 (USD$1997), talk about insane right? This is just for the base model.

Buy Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus | Read Reviews | Smith Online Shopping

 

I totally understand. Laptops in Singapore are also overpriced! I hope that the AB9+ won't cost above $2500.

 

Let's see...

Acer s7 13.3":
iCore 7 (4th gen)
8GB RAM
256 GB SSD
Price: $1,560
Amazon.com: Acer Aspire S7-392-9890 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Crystal White): Electronics

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus:
iCore 5 (4th gen)
4GB RAM
128 GB SSD
Price: $1,400
Amazon.com: Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Laptop: Electronics

The only advantage is the screen resolution on the book 9 plus, but for me 1080 is enough and I'm more concerned about the other specs.
I just wish acer and samsung switched form factors, I fking love how the ativ book 9 looks, but I can't believe they didn;t at least go for 256GB SSD or iCore7...

 

Not to mention the Ativ 9+ has 4GB of SINGLE CHANNEL memory. Very stupid move on Samsung's part for a device this expensive. Guess I'm writing this one off.

 

Source please, otherwise speculative based on previous models.

 

No, not speculation. Specs - Laptops NP940X3GI | Samsung PCs, then look under System Memory, Memory Configuration. 4GB x 1, which is single channel. 4GB dual channel would be 2GB x 2.

 

Sony, Acer, Dell and Apple all released i7 256GB SSD 8GB model. Samsung must be nuts.

 

I need my function keys row (I use them heavily as a software developer). Also, it's _not_ available with WQHD anywhere, so in theory, it's available the same way AB9+ is.

Oh, and I don't like how it looks. I like my laptops to be black (or dark). Maybe a flashy colour sometimes, but otherwise black

 

I must admit I have no idea why they left out that 6th row of keys. They certainly weren't short on space. Just to be different I guess. I too need that dedicated row. I had the S7-191 for awhile and it was screaming fast and a great little machine but my primary reason for returning it (other than the white bottom on a silver machine) was the lack of that dedicated row of function keys.

 

Samsung started doing this with the X3E / X3F. Presumably to save a couple of dollars compared to using the 4GB DDP package. It's going to have more impact on this model when the reduced memory bandwidth combine with the insane resolution of the display.

Perhaps the dual channel RAM will return if they start using an 8GB DDP package which, our research last year, indicated would be in production around the middle of this year.

At the moment everything seems to point towards the current Book 9 + being for those who think they will benefit from the ultra-high resolution display. Others should look at the other models in Series 9 range, or elsewhere.

John

 

I don't understand how this is possible. Perhaps the specs just haven't been properly updated yet? Otherwise what would be the point of a separate model number for the exact same machine?!??!!

 

What are thought's about the Toshiba Kirabook compared to the AB9+. The Kirabook is Intel 3rd gen, but has a high resolution, 8gb RAM, and 256 SSD.

 

Help me out here. What kind of a performance hit are we talking about? Deal breaker decrease in performance or unnoticable to the casual user? I feel so conflicted but I think I'm gonna stick with the AB9+ as I got it for 1215 which is a great deal. At a min I may keep it unopened for a couple weeks and see what more info is released.

 

I was really interested in this laptop since it was first announced. But, it seems like as the days pass and the release date approaching, this laptop seems to be getting worse in terms of both specs and price.

 

That's why I went with the Samsung ATIV Book 9 NP900X3E-K01US 13.3-Inch Full HD. I just had to have that matte screen I saw at best buy but had to buy on amazon to get the faster i7 and 256 liteon SSD. Let me just say, anyone who gets this model won't be sorry. I have zero regrets even after paying 1500 USD. I did not want to wait to see if and when Samsung may ever update the current model at its current 2.6 lb form factor. Whatever trackpad, wifi etc.. issues may have plaqued the B9 in the past are completely obliterated on mine. I'm talking crazy stable machine here. Going on three weeks of everyday use now. And I never get tired of looking at this screen. Zero fatigue.

 

The main reason holding me back is Haswell. That extra battery life is important to me and the AB9+ really caught my eye with its design but now... Oh well, I think I'm gonna look elsewhere instead. Zenbook Infinity, here I come, baby!

 

Agree with every word. And I just noticed B&H have reduced the price of the X3E-K01 to 1399 (on amazon its still 1499). My only question now is how long to wait - are we likely to see further reductions once the 9+ is released/later in the year....

 

Of course, this is not a powerhouse. Using the macbooks as a comparison, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is fundamentally a macbook air with a retina screen. Not a macbook pro retina. So if you are fine with having a laptop as powerful as the macbook air, then go for this model. If you want a powerhouse like the macbook pro, either wait for the update or go for another laptop.

As for the RAM, I am not worried about the 4gb of single channel RAM.

Single-channel vs dual channel: Test Results: Single Vs. Dual Channel RAM - Parallel Processing, Part 2: RAM and HDD "As expected, the performance difference between single channel and dual channel DDR2-800 memory using an up-to-date Core 2 Duo system Compare Prices on Core 2 Duo Processors is little to nil, depending on the benchmark - most tests show differences, but they are really small. For games and enthusiast PCs, we recommend sticking to high-performance dual channel RAM, because the memory is one of those components that you want to perform best for a smooth experience. For regular applications, though, it doesn’t really matter much whether you run single or dual channel. Two 1 GB DIMMs typically are cheaper than a single 2 GB module, but a single DIMM will reduce your power consumption by several watts (which might just be more interesting than it is important)."

as for the amount of RAM, 4gb is more than enough for me and the smaller amount of memory should cause little performance loss
Conclusion - Do You Really Need More Than 6 GB Of RAM?
"Not much has changed since 4 GB of RAM became the “sweet spot” for performance and price in the enthusiast market. While 32-bit operating systems previously limited those 4 GB configurations to around 3 GB of useful memory space, today's test shows that 3 GB is still usually enough."


As a final note, the reason I am not settling for older models is partially because of the touchscreen. If you want a future-proof device, touchscreen is the way to go (unless you hate glossy and dislike anti-reflective covering on glossy screens). Touch screens are the future.
Surprisingly, touchscreen laptops don't suck | The Verge
Why Would I Want a Touch Screen PC?

 

Excellent, well informed post. If I could find a like button I would push it . Best rational for AB9+ i have seen. I bought my wife a Macbook air with 4gb 256 SSD and it runs like a dream. I just personally do not like Apple OS and I actually enjoy touch and find it extremely useful. In a perfect word I would get this laptop with atleast 256gb SSD out of the box but who knows when that will be available. I guess I will have to just invest in an external hard drive or cloud service...And come on guys, don't you think if a powerhouse like macbook pro retina was really available in this form factor at this price point, Apple would have released it already?

 

I asked samsung. their reply:

Thank you for contacting Samsung.

I understand you would like to know the differences between the NP940X3G-K01US and the NP940X3G-K03US,

We are pleased to hear that you are interested in our products.

We see that the NP940X3G-K03US includes SideSync, HomeSync Lite, and S Apps; where the NP940X3G-K01US has MS Signature software.

 

Seriously?! On my Amazon preorder all these features are listed. Not to mention they have been touted by Samsung as selling points. Sometimes I feel like Samsung is the Village idiot that just so happens to be able to spin straw into gold...

 

Samsung should be shot for releasing this notebook and at this price. It's 1 step forward (resolution), 2 steps back (RAM and SSD size).

8GB should be the minimum. I also wonder if they're even including a 64-bit version of Windows with it since it's only 4GB and a 32-bit version would be all that's required. The last thing user's should have to do when upgrading is worrying about finding 64-bit drivers.

 

After following this laptop all the way I feel like I might just jump ship to the new macbook air. For the same price of £1300 I can get an i7, HD 5000, 8gb ram and 256 SSD with the dongles I require. Sure, I have to live with 1440x900 but I'm starting to think the 3200x1800 may be an overkill crippling resolution which I'm just hyping over. I mean, is it really worth losing the other specs over? And do I really need touch?

And based on the customer service differences I've had between samsung and apple in the past, that's one more in favor of the macbook.

Either way I ideally want a laptop within the next 2 weeks, and there's still no indication to when the thing will be released in the UK.

 

As mentioned above 32 bit can only effectively use 3GB of ram.

 

Hi all,

I have been waiting for this ultrabook because of its battery life and a rumor it was told us that there would be two OS MS Windows 8 and Android both included

is that right?

and do you know any release date for it?

 

I think your referring to the ATIV Q which is currently on hold for an undetermined amount of time by the powers that be at Samsung.