Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus - NP940X3G

I don't think the world is ready for that yet. On another note, Woot had the black Asus UX31A touch that BB has been selling for awhile. It was refurbished but only $599. I had it in my cart and in retrospect should have pulled the trigger. Great screen, touch and pretty cheap. With all the crap going on now (Sonys appear to suck, Acer's are overpriced in my opinion, Toshiba's are stuck in the last generation it seems and Samsung is doing who knows what exactly) it would have been a great laptop to pass the next 6month to a year with.

 

That article is very outdated (Core2Duo), and was not using integrated graphics. This one is closer to what you can expect from Haswell with dual vs single channel RAM - Why you want Dual Channel Memory for your HD4000 integrated graphics. - ItsJustWhatever.com. It's Ivy Bridge with HD4000 graphics, but I haven't found any similar tests with Haswell. Also note that you'll be driving a screen that has a MUCH larger number of pixels, so the differences in the article would be even greater. Even with all that said, it's really crappy of Samsung to take this shortcut on their expensive premier laptop.

 

A listing on the Samsung spec page is not necessarily a confirmation ... 300nit, sata3, 2.56lb

Although if I had to guess I would probably agree with you. The loss of one fan port on the bottom has me hoping otherwise ....

 

Interesting article! I guess mine was out of date then, it seems that a lack of dual-channel RAM (in contrast to the amount of RAM) decreases gaming performance by about 10-30%. So if you're planning on doing some half-serious gaming on this device, stay away! Super high resolution + integrated graphics (only 4400) + single channel RAM = not a good framerate! Better off going with a non-ultrabook with a discrete graphics card. Casual gaming should still be fine - you'll be able to run at low resolutions league of legends or minecraft or facebook games no problemo. Crysis? Don't even think about it!

But i still maintain that this 'cheap' RAM (4gb single channel) will not show any sort of real-world noticeable performance decrease IF you're not doing gaming or processing images in photoshop. Again, if you want top-notch innards at this price you can certainly get it in other laptops. But if you want the highest resolution screen and the thinnest form factor, then you gotta go with the ativ book 9 plus!

 

So based off prior experience, any guesses at to what price point the AB9+ i7 8gb 256 SSD will come in at? Assuming of course that they release one at all...

 

yep you all right. i remembered wrong totaly. But anyways 9 plus is still a great deal for me and i realy wonder when it will release?
i am waiting to buy it.

i assume that there is a good talk on this topic but it is not only about ativ book 9 plus but also its about other new technologies. Am i right?

 

There is still nothing on Amazon UK - I thought this damn thing was being released on 17th!!

 

Well I would say at least $1800.

 

Yeah it sucks, now they are saying September 1st (here in the US).

 

That was probably the date on which it completely disappeared from the website! Perhaps Samsung couldn't / forgot to give a new date.

John

 

Maybe they forgot they were making a laptop, so marketing division announces whatever they want

 

Had a conversation with Samsung US online chat.

Me: what is the difference between AB9+ K01US and AB9+ K03US
Them: Sorry, for the delay. They are the same product with the same specs. The K01US is avail for preorder from Samsung, the K03US will be sold online and in stores by third party dealers.

What??

 

Samsung sometimes have a special model for vendors like the Microsoft Store; the 03 is probably Windows Pro as opposed to Home, so OS difference only.

 

I phoned up the Samsung Experience Store at Westfield Stratford, and was told after being placed on hold for a few minutes that the AB9+ would be in store first week of September, both the i5 and i7 versions.

Not sure how much confidence to put in what they said, especially on the i7 version given that its not even listed on their UK website.

 

Check it out:

Snabbtitt: Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus - Bärbara datorer - SweClockers.com

 

It seems to be the same i5/128gb/4gb that everybody else has, just a Swedish look at it.

 

thanks to you for this good information i will wait its release and will ask one of my friends to buy it and bring to my country

 

Now Amazon.com is saying Sept 10th, and the price is up to 1399 like usual.

 

Just called them myself now - was told would be available late next week or very early September. They had no clue what they were getting in stock though. All very odd.

 

Not really. Looks pretty much like MATTE at those pictures.

 

But it is the i5 version i want to buy i7 and 256gb SSD version of it
what would be the price of it?

 

Let me clarify the Swedish link a bit as I can understand what it says.

It is not a matte screen, but a blank touch screen. Possibly with a little less reflection than others? (only my opinion based on various images)

They say that the resolution makes it virtually impossible to use with normal settings in desktop-view. You'll have to increase to 150% to get anywhere near useful. They then try Win 8.1 Preview, which has a 200% setting as well. This doesn't impress them, as it basically isn't real scaling, but only partly (as in Win 7, 8 then I suppose?). They do say that it's only a preview, and things could be fixed. I suppose an alternative is always to run on lower resolution, and scale it down that way. I would assume that will still keep it very clear and great looking. Say if you scaled down to 1600x900. Not sure about this. They don't mention it anywhere.

My personal opinion is that it looks fantastic. The design I mean. But so did the 9-series. 4/128GB is a definite no for me, so I guess I will go for something else. I'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks, but I need to buy something pretty soon - and cannot wait until October/November for the 8/256GB.

 

It's not matte if it is touch, was it?

 

You can go for the Asus UX31LA: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=790468

I have ordered this one, and I hope they will get it in stock soon..

 

Yeah, that's pretty obvious, but I haven't found anything besides specs in this (Google-translated) review that indicated their model had a touch screen. I simply stated that it looked like matte on the pictures, bro.

Btw, Dell XPS 13 FHD might be a worthy competition for those who prefer to run Linux rather than W8 on their ultrabook (I'm not speaking of Linuxish Ubuntu but other distros should run better on the XPS than on the S9 as well)

 

nm.................................

 

>You can go for the Asus UX31LA: Komplett.se - ASUS ZENBOOK Touch UX31LA 13,3" Full HD
--

That's on top of my list yes, if I cannot get a Samsung. Not sure about the images in your link though. Could be that it's only another color scheme. Take a look at this:

Test: Asus ZENBOOK Touch UX31LA - DinSide

Black keyboard, black bezel. Looks better to me.

The specs on this one are excellent, but the bezel around the screen is a bit too big in my opinion. In fact, why do ultrabooks need a bezel at all? It would make much more sense to get rid of it altogether, given the limited space available. Don't see any reason for this. Only the webcam, but surely that can be fixed in another way? Behind the screen somehow? And the logo I guess, but that also can be moved. I bet you could fit a 15 inch screen inside the Zenbook. I'd go for that right away.

 

You need a bezel for windows 8 touch gestures.

 

So you really mean that these gestures are more important than 2 inch bigger screen in the same box? Btw, I'm not even sure you are right. I haven't used Win 8 with a touch screen yet, but what do you need a bezel for? Top right corner, then drag down? Shouldn't be a problem in my opinion.

 

No, I really mean they can't make a windows 8 touch screen without a bezel. You need a bezel, btw, to do a swipe fromn the right, a swipe from the left, a swipe down from the top or a swipe up from the bottom. You can't start any of them from on the screen itself. So of course it has to be big enough to actually fit your finger on too.

 

Well nobody knows yet, there hasn't even been a model number to go with the i7/256gb/8gb ram yet.
But I estimate it could probably cost about between 300-400 bux more, 1699-1799.

most people going for this machine holding money is most likely waiting for that version, i expect within the next 2 weeks it would be clear when this will be released and how much

 

I would guess something more ridiculous like 1899-1999. I'm not putting anything past them at this point. The thing I still can't understand is that PC makers have a failing business and they know it yet they are continuously banging their heads against the wall with outrageous prices for underwhelming specs. Cut down the apparently worthless (Atleast at this point and when it is finally functional you'll want an upgrade anyway) screen and give people a solid value for their buck with a tremendous form factor with future proof (8gb 256gb SSD min) specs at a good value (esp RAM which is dirt cheap). Otherwise, sit back and watch the PC market implode. Either way, flagship products by necessity require high end specs, they are not products you settle for. So damn frustrating...

 

Well said. This is exactly why I can't seriously consider this machine. I was impressed when they announced the resolution, but not so impressed that I'd overlook something as practical as the amount of ram, SSD, price, and now that you mention, the processor as well.

It's too bad there are so many people willing to overlook it and buy it anyway, as evidenced by this thread. PC manufacturers really need to get the message.

 

We have not overlook anything. Samsung always brings out an I7 256gb series 9 a few weeks after the base model is release, but this time they promised 8gb also, and they will make high profit margins selling it. For most people though, the base model is enough.

 

FWIW, I just got this in my INBOX from Amazon regarding my preorder:

Hello,

We're writing about the order you placed on August 18, 2013 (Order# 102-2763377-1705827). Unfortunately, the release date for the item(s) listed below has changed, and we need to provide you with a new delivery estimate based on the new release date:

"Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Laptop"
Estimated arrival date: September 12, 2013

We will make every effort to get the delayed item(s) to you as soon as possible. If there are other items in your order, they'll be shipped according to the delivery estimates listed in the order details in Your Account ( www.amazon.com/youraccount) at no additional cost.

--

So amazon just pushed it back a week.

 

I wonder if there's something wrong with the Ativ Book 9 Plus, they just keep pushing the release date back.

But anyways, I'm also waiting on the iCore 7, 256 GB and 8 GB RAM model, I just hope they charge something crazy for it.

EDIT: I just hope they DON'T charge something crazy for it.

 

The base model IS NOT enough. Windows hasn't been satisfied with 4 GB ram since XP.

Now we're talking about 4 x the resolution. Does anyone even know if there's a dedicated video card with onboard ram ?

Add to that, we're in 2013 and RAM is dirt cheap, the 128 GB SSD barrier has been breached almost 4 years ago - and you will see there is absolutely no reason to have this base model (especially in a premium notebook).

There are not much use cases where you won't see the effects of such low ram and drive space. By saying the base model configuration is ok, it's sending the wrong message. The configuration should be comfortably usable, instead of borderline usable.

Again, we're talking about a premium (and also premium priced) laptop.

 

Agreed (See above rant on this very page). Question is, if you got this laptop for 1200.00 like I did, would you keep it? Problem is, these underpowered premium machines must be selling in some profitable manner otherwise Samsung and others wouldn't keep doing this crap. So unfortunately, we as consumers are atleast partially at fault.

 

Yeah, it needs W8.1 to function.

Oh, it will cost crazy $ to be sure.

 

Yeah I guess they will charge like $2,000.

I just wish they released the Ativ Book 9 with 1080p, iCore 7, 256 GB SSD and 8GB RAM and touchscreen. I know the super high res will be great but if with 1080p you can save $200 then I won't care.

 

i'm hoping that's what the AB7 will be if/when they refresh it with Haswell.

 

Wow, that's an interesting proposition. As I have mentioned previously, I am highly impressed by the AB7 I just wish it was Haswell and more appropriately priced for the current specs (seems to be a recurring theme). Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for this one to come out as it seems clear that Samsung is in no rush to bring its Haswell products to market.

 

Does Samsung not like 8GB of RAM?

 

Where are you getting your information about the RAM affecting the use? I think there are not much cases where 4 gb instead of 8gb of RAM WILL effect the everyday use. Unless you are doing some serious multitasking, you will never go above 4gb of RAM usage. Check ur task manager and see how much you're using! I'm using 2.5gb right now (including OS). And most entry level ultrabooks start with 128gb instead of 256gb - SSDs are expensive! Maybe in a few years this baseline will change, but as of now, if you want extensive data with an SSD (terabytes) you basically need to get a hard drive - either external or internal. Specs look great on paper - ooh numbers! But in everyday performance you're going to see minimal difference. Maybe a few milliseconds here or there, unless you're doing computer-intense tasks like gaming or serious multitasking.

You guys are focusing so much on the specs and while I agree they are subpar compared to other laptops you can get at this price point, this is not a performance beast. It's built to be a ultrabook with a high resolution screen. It is one of the thinnest laptops out there. Again, not a macbook pro retina powerhouse. Unfortunately, you can't just expect 1. super high resolution screen 2. the best specs 3. the thinnest frame etc. etc. etc. you have to pick and choose. And samsung, for this laptop at least, chose super high resolution screen and the thinnest frame, not the best specs.

If specs matter to you, then get a nice thicker laptop with an decent screen and amazing specs. There are plenty out there for a 1400 price point! Ex. the Lenovo Y500!

 

No offense, but have you ever used more than ten Chrome tabs before?


Sent from my SGNote2 using Tapatalk

 

Ultrabooks have been around long enough not to be 'scraping the bottom' on the configuration.

I have a Lenovo Yoga with 8 GB ram, 2 SSDs (totaling 384GB), which can be acquired today for less than $1000 (compare that with the price of the book 9 plus). It's almost a year old "ultrabook". With Chrome (~10 tabs open) and visio running, it's using 4.2 GB ram. I usually have other things running as well. I don't need to imagine how much worse the performance would be if I only had 4 GB ram.

The average user will have more apps open, and the higher resolution will also eat up more memory, unless there is a dedicated graphics card with it's own RAM, then let's not talk about how fast hard drive space goes.

By the way, specs matter to everybody and if a thicker laptop was required in order to get 8GB RAM, 256 GB hard drive, and i7 then why is the B9+ also being made with that configuration ? Obviously that means that you don't have to opt for a "nice thicker laptop".

The bottom line is, this is 2013 and ram and SSDs are cheaper than ever, and the Book 9 Plus would be immensely more practical with it than without it.

 

that's the point. browers are designed to eat RAM like mad these days (and in the future it will not get any better), and using many tabs is something a huge number of average users wishes to do / tends to do. therefore 4GB RAM is likely to cause problems, with many tabs, and many of them youtube etc.
so, since it is _obvious_ that 4GB laptops will NOT be able to handle a fairly frequent avg user's usage pattern, with NO possibiliy for the user to upgrade their RAM once they realize this, II think it is a clear case of malintent on the sides of manufactures who sell 4GB soldered in 2013, September. They speculate that people will buy another computer in 2014 once they get annoyed by the limitation. The SSD is not the issue. you can easily extend by SD cards, or HD upgrade, or exterrnal HDDs, or small USB sticks that hardly stick out of the chassis. So the avg user COULD live with a 128 GB for some time, even though 256 is the way to go.
I wished reviewers sent a clear message to manufacturers and users, that 4GB is a no-go. Laptops with 4GB soldered should automatically get a reduction in rating, none should get more than a 60%/ (which typicall equates a 2star rating), to make a point and warn users. I have 2 GB RAM soldered on a 2010 laptop and I am constantly running into performance problems with "too many tabs" in Chrome, and I will not use any idiotic add-ons that will flush out RAM which then needs to be reloaded etc.
I am addressing the X3E in particular, which doesn't even offer 8GB. I really blame reviewers for taking this crap from Samsung and others, like e.g. Sony who limit RAM to 4GB on the Vaio Pro 11, not Pro 13. I also wonder what the point is. They could "at least be as nice as to" charge some insane amount for a 8GB version, instead of offering none at all (with the "new" X3E, which I am still considering due to matte). I also wonder what their marketing departments are thinking, when there is 8GB stuff like the Acer 392, the Vaio 13, and the Asus ..LA in the market. I really think review websites are to blame for this. It's like a car review that says, yeah, this car has just 2 seats, but it's otherwise great, we think you'll be fine, you may really consider buying it! You'll be very happy - until in one month's time when you want to take a 3rd person with you. Idiot reviewers.

EDIT: I'm going to send a link to this post to some review sites, encouraging them to write an article to warn people from buying _4GB soldered_, and also take this into adequate account when writing reviews, even adding a warning to previous reviews. And moreover, in 2015 they should warn from _8_ GB laptops, accordingly. Manufactures need to be forced to stop this tactic of deliberately limiting RAM on slim high end machines once and for all. -- And the same goes for fan noise. If Samsung can make a relatively quiet X3E (even with Iv), so should Sony, instead of a noise Haswell Pro 13. Noisiness should have a huge negative impact on scores.
And speaking of usability, reviewers should also routinely warn people not to buy glossy screens unless they are absolutely sure they will be working in environments where they will not be very annoyed by reflections. This sends a clear message to manufactures: You must offer a matte option (Sony got it right here, with the Pro 13).

EDIT2: The whole insanity gets clear when one reads stuff like "4GB RAM android *phones* announced", and high end laptops get 4, too.

 

Honestly, even at $1200 - if I was stuck with 4GB, this laptop wouldn't serve much purpose to me so no I wouldn't keep it.

While I'd always be admiring the screen, aesthetics, and portability, I wouldn't be able to use it productively. Office apps, browsing, netflix, visual studio, adobe reader, etc... the specs just don't cut it.

 

I was interested in this laptop but will just get a Sony Vaio Pro 13. 4GB is simply unacceptable, which is one of the reasons I said ASUS can go to hell. Just to play around I tried to find a Series 7 and 9 with an i7 and 8GB of ram. Nope if you want one of those you have to get the 256 GB SSD which jacks up the price another 300-400 dollars. Sure the screen is pretty but it shouldn't define the laptop. I'm sure the 8GB version, will easily top $1500.

 

I'm also in the same boat, I'm still waiting on samsung to at least give us some news on the higher specs model, if I have to wait 2 more months I'll just go and buy the acer s7.