Samsung Series 7 Laptops - 15.0" and 15.6" Models (NP700Z4 & NP700Z5)

I'm not saying Sony is more reliable than Samsung--Samsung cleaned up among PC manufacturers for both reliability and owner satisfaction in that 2011 survey. I'm just saying Sony is far better than you made them sound, and should be a viable alternative for people who don't like the Series 7 for one reason or another (lack of 1080p, for example).

Two-year-old survey placed them 3rd out of 9: 33rd percentile. New survey placed them 5th out of 14: 36th percentile. Not a significant change. Either way, they're a bit above average--not best of the best, but far from worst of the worst, which is what your post suggested. For example, they solidly outperform Dell in both surveys, which is the direct opposite of what you said about Sony and Dell. Maybe they used to be worse, or maybe your friends have just had bad luck with the brand.

 

Just found this video:
Samsung Serie 7 -- HandsOn (german) @ IFA 2011 - YouTube

Watch 0:33 second of the video, you'll notice the obvious flex when his finger presses the palm rest and the side of the keyboard.
Looks like this series is really a flex mania, not just the Best Buy model.

 

Numbers should be correct. My matte Thinkpad T410s has similiar results. A typical low end 1366x768 glossy screen will be in the 200 to 150 range. Most of the Macbook Pros have good 72% gamut, 500:1+ contrast screens, except for the one where they cheaped out with a low end video card 2 years back.

For poeple that wants the 6750m with a decent screen, HP dv6 and the dv7 with 1080p are best bang for the buck. Both of the 1080p screens are 72% color gamut with 500:1+ contrast ratio. Both can be had for about $750 with coupons. But to me 1080p on a 15.6 is just too small.

 

Wow you must have good eyes with deshaking technology in them because wasn't able to see anything with that shaky shaky cam.

 

No problem. I am very picky when it comes to laptop screen qaulity.

 

It's not that hard to see

 

Samsung advertises this as 300 nit display, and it does look bright, but according to your original numbers it is only 68*1.9 =129 nit, which would be extremely dim. Is it possible that you profiled it not at full brightness? (With 168*1.9=319 nit we get close to the advertised brightness, that is why I thought that you might have had a typo)

 

OMG. Saw the flexing on the 14" chassis laptop. I hope this problem does not trickle down to the retail models (plus the early reports of the mediocre screens). It would be such a letdown on an otherwise great laptop.

 

That's also strange since I remember reading an IFA review where it said the build had minimal to no keyboard flex. I can't find it back, I tried, but if someone comes across it, I'd be glad to be reminded which review it was.

 

Do you mean : Samsung Series 7 700Z (700Z3A) Laptop first look - Trusted Reviews

"Key action is firm with adequate travel, and there's not even a hint of flex."

But they also say it's full metal except for palm rest, and some users have been saying bottom is plastic.

 

I really hope samsung doesnt mess up this nice notebook by using a low quality screen. I have to say that I dont have a good feeling either.
They manufacture LCD TVs, so why cant they put a good one in a notebook? I will be really pissed off if the screen quality will be low end. Then, I will buy a MBP in protest and let them know!!! The MBP uses a samsung panel as welll!!!
Guys, if you look at the different models (13, 14 and 15) do you have the impression as well that the screen of the 13inch version is of better quality than the 14 and 15inch?
Newsgeek IFA 2011 Samsung Chronos - YouTube
Samsung Series 7 Chronos Notebooks Hands On - YouTube

I really hope the screen quality will be ok, then its close to perfect.

 

I don't really trust TrustedReviews, but I remember several sites pointing out the aluminum body (which would obviously affect the degree of flex). Either it's a BB issue or Samsung pulled a bait-and-switch on us.

 

On the other hand, this preview points out the cheap plastic bottom, so maybe the others just weren't paying attention:
Samsung Series 7: aluminum covers, quad-core Core i7 power, and AMD graphics starting at $999 | This is my next...

 

It's "palm rest and the side of the keyboard", not the bottom

 

Faux aluminum and plastic bottom: The first so that the user's hands doesn't rest on a cold surface while the latter to keep the laptop's weight down.

 

Some potential good news ... the Best Buy Series 7 that I took a look at definitely did not look like it had a 300 nit screen.

I think it is definitely within the realm of possibility that the screen on the Series 7 at Best Buy isn't what you should expect for the regular Series 7.

 

I really hope Samsung didn't skimp out on this model. I'm really looking forward to the release but the BB model is holding me back from ordering online. Then again, BB has always had lower quality versions of several products to cut costs and portray a better deal compared to the competitors.

 

LOL, you must do a side-to-side shuffle in your rolling office chair all day. And honestly, yes, I am going from standing to sitting and different heights/positions all day when I'm on a location photoshoot, going back-and-forth from camera to computer to review my shots, so both horizontal AND vertical viewing angles are important to me.

I also have to consider all the other people on set with me that are also constantly reviewing the photos on the screen. There is a digital capture tech who's always at the computer, the art director, client, hair/makeup artists, wardrobe/fashion stylist, etc. Everyone's always walking back and forth from the computer to review the shots and we are obviously not the same height. It's a unique user case, but that's what I NEED.

 

OK. So I just got it in the mail.

Here's my first impressions:

Build quality. Everything seems very sturdy. There is no keyboard flex. Yes, the bottom might be plastic, but it flexes no more than my wife's Macbook Pro. There does seem to be some flex on the palm rest, but that doesn't really matter, does it?

It really is a beautiful machine. Well designed, clean lines. Etc.

The keyboard is actually very nice. Though it takes getting used to it being shifted to the side.

One thing dominates any laptop: The screen. And let me tell you, this screen hurts my eyes. It is painful. Washed out. Just really bad. I thought my previous laptop's screen was bad. But at least it was useable. This thing hurts. Seriously. Guess this means I'm returning it. Everything else is great. Why did they have to screw this up so completely horribly???

Bah.

 

Ugh. That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the honest review.

 

This is still the Best Buy model, right?

 

Don't stop believing guys

 

this the best buy model or from amazon etc?

 

I got it from Best Buy

 

Monitor: Samsung LTN184KT01F01

 

I'm torn between this and the hp dv6tqe...

Any thoughts about the comparison of the two machines?

 

JacobJ,

Thanks for posting your thoughts. I had similar impressions when I checked this model out at Best Buy, although I was not able to power-up the laptop to check the display and touchpad. I agree that it's really sad that Samsung (and possibly Best Buy) gimped this laptop with a poor-quality screen.

I'm sure that even the general public will notice the screen quality if it's as you describe it, and I'm sure that this will not persuade people to buy or recommend another Samsung product in the future.

I can only hope that the other models in the Chronos line incorporate a better display, but at these price points I have my doubts.

If you have the time, do you mind posting your impressions of the touchpad as compared to your wife's Macbook Pro?

Thanks again!

 

Why are you even buying a TN panel if you have such a need for viewing angles ? In my case I do sit all day on a chair so its fine, what i dig in this screen is the maximum brighness and the range of levels it can reproduce, 300nits is pretty good for numerised xrays.

 

ok....so the 14inch(15" screen) does exist because it's in the video
Samsung Series 7 Chronos Notebooks Hands On - YouTube

now... are the specs
and when/and which countries are it being released too?

it's frustrating when a big company like samsung cant even answer a simple question like the one i have...if the 15" is not going to be available in the u.s anytime soon...i'm gonna spring for the 15.6" asap...

comparing the 15" mbp and the 15.6 series 7
the series 7 is slightly smaller according to measurements...i might just buy the 15.6 and stop bothering with trying to get the 15" model...?

 

Ok, so far everything here on the non-Best Buy models is speculation and won't be answered until the 2nd, only a few days away. I think the general concensous is that the Best Buy modelis not very good in terms of screen quality and build quality. To this, though, Best Buy laptops are consistently worse than the ones produced through retailers like amazon because they are cheaper for Best Buy to purchase.

An example of this can be seen with the worse Vaio S laptop (the SC) which has a worse screen compated to its brother the SA (despite the SA already not having a very good screen).

I'm somewhat confident that the model offered by Amazon or Tiger Direct will have a better screen and build quality. What really brings this home for me though is the fact that the Best Buy model is not the full model without the backlit keyboard or the express cache (card?) which leads me to beleive that they would strip the good screen for cost reasons.

Don't worry about what Best Buy does, everything will probably turn out fine. I have a lot riding on this computer being "the one" for me too so I get your apprehension but wait until October 2nd before we fully praise or lynch this laptop.

 

I noticed that Tiger Direct has this note in specs:
Display Type: SuperBright HD LED backlit Display

Best Buy on the other hand simply says:
Display Type High-definition widescreen LED

Not sure if they simply have different terminology, but... I still have a week to return the Best Buy model.

 

Wow, washed out? That's terrible! How can Samsung even put out a screen that bad?

Edit: Oh it's the best buy model...hopefully this only applies to best buy

 

I think this all makes sense,the BB model is definitely apart from the others.
That kind of explains why the other retailers and other models are only coming late october, that's because the batch of real series 7 chrons with hopefully the display shown at IFA are being produced stocked & shipped.
If you look closely on official reps info, they all mention late october for any other retailer than bestbuy over the world and in europe.
Bestbuy is so fishy they couldn't even hold on to put on sale their special batch scheduled for 2st october...

 

Drop the display brightness a few steps and you may well find that it becomes very good. You only need the full brightness when sitting in the sunshine.

I saw the same problem on one of my Dell Latitudes until I figured out that I only needed about 75% brightness when indoors. (And that sort of brightness doesn't mean dim - its about the same as full brightness on most notebooks).

John

 

Assuming this is all true and we're not just fooling ourselves, what a boneheaded move on Samsung's part. Why would you have your customers' first impression of a major new product be the crappy budget model with inferior parts? That combined with the horrible confusion about the 15"/14" model tells me Samsung needs to fire its marketing people. I mean, they should know how quickly news spreads on the Internet. The kind of people who would evangelize about your product are also the people who are camping out in threads like this and concluding that your product sucks.

 

This planet.

Isn't the F like a thick slab of plastic? How is the battery life compared to the MBP 17"? Remember... I was talking about design too... not just specs.

Again... they are just now catching up. Although I'm not sure how thin the SE is and what type of battery life it has (without the slice).

What about battery performance?

And that was what I was referring too... a very thin notebook but costs quite a bit more.

And that's what I mean... Mac screens and the solid build are what people draw comparisons too... so even if the competitors are cheaper, people are always bringing up the things that are part of the higher price points.

 

Can we keep the Mac-vs-PC discussion somewhere else? It's been done to death already EVERYWHERE ELSE ON THE INTERNET and I want to focus on this laptop.

 

I apologize... but there are quite a few people comparing the Series 7 to MBPs.

On this forum, where does one start a thread comparing Mac notebook design to PC notebook design?

 

If you're going to use the continually-moving-target method of debate, I think the answer is pleasegodnowhere.

This is a classic example of continually-moving-target debating:

" Anything Sony is just as if not more expensive [than Apple]." (actual quote, emphasis added)
"No they're not, with only one exception." (paraphrase)
"But OMG battery life! ...or thickness!" (paraphrase)

 

johnl at macmall: [12:39:28 PM] Hello. My name is John and my extension is 37308. I’ll be happy to help you. Please give me a second to check on your question.
methodii: [12:39:28 PM] Do you know when NP700Z5A-S02US is expected to ship?
johnl at macmall: [12:40:11 PM] As of the moment, the item is in backorder
methodii: [12:40:42 PM] Do you have any indicative date when it will become available?
johnl at macmall: [12:40:51 PM] And we are expecting to have them available by the second or third week of October.
methodii: [12:41:37 PM] Thanks!

 

Thanks

asdf

 

I will say that I used the MBP as a comparison in my post because I think the MBP is a great machine, one of the best. I consider the MBP to be overpriced, which is my opinion on a standard variable (price/value) one uses for comparing laptops. Another factor one should consider is Mac OS vs. Windows.

To then claim someone who has a MBP "made a bad decision" or "was duped by advertising" or "has a bad machine" is a poor leap in logic, and a mistake that I do not make.

There may be a lot of irrational hate / love for Apple, but I just ignore those people and act as though I am speaking to the majority of people that don't fall into one of those camps.

 

But then there would be absolutely nothing to discuss!

In all honesty, I'm the prime guilty party because I am seriously looking to upgrade/replace my aging MBP with one of the Chronos laptops. For my own personal reasons I am REALLY trying to avoid going with any more Apple products. And you have to admit that from a cosmetic/industrial design, and hardware spec standpoint the Series 7 compares very favorably to the MBPs. And it's fairly obvious that this is the market Samsung is targeting.

I promise to stop now. But I will have my bag of popcorn in hand while future developments unfold. Thanks for all the great information everyone.

I'm out.

 

MBP has quality...price is high but hey people buy...hype or not apple can sell products...

 

MBP and series 7 are both aluminum clad, simularly specked notebooks. So its natural that they would be compared... its not so much as a mac vs pc as it is just 2 simular notebooks. Envy would be on the list if they still sold one with a high rez screen.

 

Those who receive their Series 7 from TigerDirect, please do report on whether this version includes the ExpressCache. There is no mention on the product page about that.

 

What you call "continually moving"... I consider "clarifying". That's what people do on forums... they "discuss" and refine arguments because what some people read isn't what some people meant to say.

For example, your responses can be seen as confrontational based on the wording you use such a "what planet" and "godnowhere" as if I have no clue... so I clarified my points so that you can understand my point of view. It seems other posters here knew what I was getting at.

So thin notebooks with high resolution and good battery life from Sony were priced lower than Macs? The only model that came close was the Z series... and that was just as if not more expensive than the MBA or MBP.

That may be different now, but I was talking about the past (that's more clarification for you by the way).

So are we clear I'm talking about the thinness, construction, screen rez and battery life? It's been in my sig for a while now.

The point is it's taken a while for anyone to make these type of PC notebooks at lower price points. If you don't agree... please name 5 notebooks prior to this year that are comparable to MBPs or MBAs that cost much less.

BTW: I saw the Sony SE in person today... and it's really nice. I would take it over the Sammy Series 7 15.6 w/ numpad because of the 1080p display. And at $999... it certainly is LESS than any Mac.

 

Then buy it and leave this thread.

 

I see nothing wrong with bringing up the MBP as compared to the Series 7 Chronos. Or a Vaio when compared to the Series 7 Chronos. Or a 15z compared to the Series 7 Chronos.

But comparing Apple laptops to the PC laptop market as a whole during years prior to 2011...I see no relevance to the Series 7 Chronos.

 

MacMall offers the top Series 7 model (NP700Z5A-S01US)
for a whopping $1435.... thats $136 above Samsung's suggested list price.... What an "irresistible" deal... *gulps!*

http://www.macmall.com/p/Samsung-Electronics-Consumer-Electronics/product~dpno~8865773~pdp.gijcded