The Samsung notebooks on Intel Centrino Duo: new platform, new design

How we mentioned before, in the moment of presentation of the Centrino Duo platform the products were represented by five companies. One of the most complete model rows at Samsung: a line from five span-new devices well illustrates a new direction in the design of notebooks of company, and we became acquainted with them closer.

Updating a platform, a producer, as a rule, simultaneously updates the design of devices. Did not become the exception and Samsung: the first hints on coming changes appeared yet last year. The notebooks X1 and M70 notedly differed from the other products of company before giving preference to the rounded forms. Acute angles, clear verges, is successful neat colour gamut and plastic - by comparison to a former «biodesign» new models look at oneself on an order more serious, abandoning the impression of stylish technological devices. Although certain nuances in a design are: a developer would more attentive walk up to placing of interface sockets, and notedly the salient choke of card-reader on X11 does not give it an attractiveness. However, let us become acquainted closer.

Samsung NP-X60

CPU Intel Core Duo T2300 (1,66 GHz)

RAM 512 MB – 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz

Chipset Intel 945GM

Screen 15,4" WXGA (1280×800)

Brightness of screen, max/min 90–14 кд/м²

Hard drive 60–120 GB

Optical drive DVD/RW Multi

Graphic adapter Intel GMA 950

Control unit touchpad

External sockets USB 2.0 (3), FireWire, PCMCIA, RJ11, RJ45, S-Video-out, D-sub

Cardreader MS, MS Pro, SD, MMC, xD

Network possibilities Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 3945ABG, Bluetooth, modem 56K

Battery lithium-ion, 5200 mА·h (11,1 V)

Time of work from a battery ~ 3,5 h

Mass 2,5 kg (with battery)

Size (W×T×H) 36,1×26,5×3,4 cm

Set OS Windows XP Professional

Samsung NP-P50/NP-P60

CPU Intel Core Duo T2500 (2,0 GHz)

RAM 512 MB – 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz

Chipset Intel 945GM

Screen 15" XGA (1024×768)

Brightness of screen, max/min 80–5 кд/м²

Hard drive 60–120 GB

Optical drive DVD/RW Multi

Graphic adapter Intel GMA 950

Control unit touchpad

External sockets USB 2.0 (4), FireWire, D-sub, PCMCIA, ExpressCard, RJ11, RJ45, S-Video-out; COM (only in NP-P50)

Cardreader MS, MS Pro, SD, MMC, xD (only in NP-P60)

Network possibilities 100 Mb LAN, IrDA, modem 56K

Battery lithium-ion, 5200 mА·h (11,1 V)

Time of work from a battery ~ 3,6 h

Mass 2,5 kg (with battery)

Size (W×T×H) 35,7×26,5×3,4 cm

Set OS Windows XP Professional

Samsung NP-X60. It is the classic variant of budgetary multimedia notebook on the equipment: 15,4" WXGA-matrix with permission 1280*800, presence of the Instant On system and row of the special keys for the call of mediaapplication. NP-X60 will be the quite good intermediate decision between usual business-models and full functional mediacenters. To the positive moments it is possible to deliver a comfortable keyboard and battery of megascopic capacity which allowed a notebook to remain 3,5 h in MobileMark 2002. Quite good result, but a considerable merit in his achievement belongs to the display with a low grey level. In the total to work in the apartment even with the ordinary diffused lighting already no comfort: a screen is dark. To dignities of display it is possible to deliver the good transmission of half-tones and quite good corners of review on a horizontal line.

Samsung NP-P50/NP-P60. NP-P60 - practically the complete copy NP-X60, except for some nuances: multimedia functionality and card-reader are absent. The COM-port and scaner of finger-prints closed by a choke appeared in place of them. To all appearances, this model will be to liking to the users in a corporate sector. But if you the adherent of classic devices, necessarily will pay attention on NP-P50: it is noticeable more compact then models with wide screen, more powerful CPU is equipped, by an ordinary one 15-inch XGA-display, writing DVD-drive, the IrDA interface, four ports USB 2.0 and the PCMCIA and Express Card slots. All it does her by more preferable acquisition as the office work station, if, certainly, the Wi-Fi- presence is optional and Bluetooth-adapters. Another «but» - display at which a maximal grey level is practically equal to such at the models of the series NP-P60 and NP-X60.

Samsung NP-R65

CPU Intel Core Duo T2500 (2,0 GHz)

RAM 512 MB – 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz

Chipset Intel 945PM

Screen 15" SXGA+ (1400×1050)

Brightness of screen, max/min 80–20 кд/м²

Hard drive 60–120 GB

Optical drive DVD/RW Multi

Graphic adapter NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 (HM)

Control unit touchpad

External sockets USB 2.0 (4), FireWire, PCMCIA, PCI Express Card, RJ11, RJ45, S-Video-out, IrDA, COM, D-sub

Cardreader MS, MS Pro, SD, MMC, High Speed MMC, XD

Network possibilities 100 Mb LAN, Wi-Fi 3945ABG, IrDA, modem 56K

Battery lithium-ion, 5200 mА·h (11,1 V)

Time of work from a battery ~ 2,7 h

Mass 2,7 kg (with battery)

Size (W×T×H) 33×27,2×3,1 cm

Set OS Windows XP Home

Samsung NP-X11

CPU Intel Core Duo T2300 (1,66 GHz)

RAM 512 MB – 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz

Chipset Intel 945PM

Screen 15" WXGA (1280×800)

Brightness of screen, max/min 130–35 кд/м²

Hard drive 60–120 GB

Optical drive DVD/RW Multi

Graphic adapter Intel GMA 950

Control unit touchpad

External sockets USB 2.0 (3), FireWire, PCMCIA, RJ11, RJ45, S-Video-out, D-sub

Cardreader MS, MS Pro, SD, MMC, XD

Network possibilities 100 Mb LAN, Wi-Fi 3945ABG, modem 56K

Battery lithium-ion, 2600 mА·h (14,8 V)

Time of work from a battery ~ 2,7 h

Mass 2,7 kg (with battery)

Size (W×T×H) 33×27,2×3,1 cm

Set OS Windows XP Home

Samsung NP-R65. Analogue of the model NP-P50, oriented on those, who ordinary office functionality is not enough to. Powerful CPU is here complemented by the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 videoaccelerator, there is multiformat card-reader and, most important, - a 15" SXGA+ matrix (1400*1050), which differs by the good value of picture, quite good fast-acting and large horizontal corners of review. It is interesting circumstance that at a low grey (80 kd/mІ) level comparable with previous models to work with him where more comfort. Beginning to bustle a little ahead, say, that NP-R65 made most favorable impression among the represented devices: the good balanced, carefully thought out ergonomics and quite good equipment certainly will please to those, who chooses itself an universal notebook.

Samsung NP-X11. Representative of lately popular office models with wide screen WXGA-displays, by a diagonal 14,1 inches, with the characteristic set of dignities and failings inherent to this category of devices. To dignities it is possible to deliver good mass/size descriptions, comfortable keyboard, a display basic minus of which is superfluously grainy antispeck coverage of light. Failing, on the large account, one - «half» battery. However, if to look at the indexes of autonomous work, it is visible, that a notebook uses its possibilities on a maximum.

Results of testing

If to speak about time of autonomous work, here is at what to look. All notebooks showed good correlation of productivity and time of autonomous work (even taking into account the batteries of the promoted capacity) - at the level of devices with the processors of the Dothan family. How we assumed, all those problems which showed up during testing of a new platform have been only temporal. So it is now possible fully grounded to declare, whatever an user loses nothing from transition on a new platform, and vice versa - gets row of new possibilities inaccessible to the devices of previous generation.

The impressions from the acquaintance with the represented models are very interesting. There is one remark to NP-X60, NP-P60 and NP-P50: from Samsung we expected a few more high quality of matrices, is special if to reminisce that a company is fine able to do high-quality displays. To us, is equal as well as users, remains only to hope that it will be improved in the serial devices of company. And to NP-X11 and NP-R65 claims are not practically present are fully deserving devices which must find the user.

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