Computers
Samsung X360 Laptop is Skinny, Marches into MacBook Air, Lenovo X300 Territory
Posted by Kit Eaton at 7:09 PM on August 29, 2008
It's pretty clear where Samsung is going with the X360 laptop when you notice it's branded it as "lighter than air" and say it's the "lightest notebook in its 13.3 inch class" since it weighs just 1.27 kg. Inside there's a 45nm Core 2 Duo mobile processor, mated to a 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit screen, and the machine has no internal DVD drive: instead it comes with an external one. Sounds a little familiar, no? But the battery life is claimed to be 10 hours, by Samsung, and it's got a full array of ports, including an RJ45 socket for wired LAN, a mic-in, three USB 2.0 sockets, a PCI express card slot and a HDMI socket. Somewhat strangely it's also been "sprinkled" with nano silver ion powder to keep the keyboard bacteria-free. It'll be available in September in some European countries, and Russia, China and Hong Kong, but there's no info on the US release or pricing. Extensive press release below.
Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2008 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a
market leader in consumer electronics and world leader in IT
technology, today lifted the lid on the most innovative addition to
its ever expanding notebook range - the ultra-lightweight Samsung
X360. Capable of meeting the extreme performance and connectivity
needs of the new aristocrats of the mobile world, the X360 sets a
completely new standard in mobile computing - offering a comprehensive
set of features unlike anything of its kind on the market.Even though it is the lightest notebook in its 13.3 inch class,
weighing a miniscule 1.27 kg*,the Samsung X360 incorporates all of the extensive functionality
demanded by ultra mobile and results-driven professionals. Unlike the
claims of some other "light" notebooks, the X360 is fully featured
without compromise, including 3 USB ports, a built-in HDMI (High
Definition Multimedia Interface) connection, a 34mm express card slot
and VGA output. For fast and easy transfer of documents, images, video
or music it incorporates a highly flexible 7 in 1 memory card reader,
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR* (Enhanced Data Rate) and super-fast 802.11n
wireless technology. It also boasts an integrated digital motion
camera, so it's easy to stay in touch with colleagues or friends using
video-conferencing or live messaging. But there is more, for business
and home office users the X360 incorporates a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN
connection and support for Samsung P-Dock, docking station - which
simplifies cabling and provides a 'single click' connection and easy
access to a wide variety of ports.."The X360 pushes back the boundaries of form and function to deliver
real style with substance," said HS Kim, Executive Vice President of
Samsung Computer Systems Division. "It offers a tremendous reduction
in size and weight but without compromising on functionality, so users
have everything they need for life on the move," Mr. Kim added.The X360 will be available from September this year in European
countries including UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, and also in
Russia, China and Hong Kong.For non stop productivity on the move, the X360 incorporates a
removable 6 cell battery that enables up to 10 hours continuous use -
making all day mobile computing a practical reality. Its efficient
power consumption is supported by the use of Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2
Ultra Low Voltage processor technology and an innovative 13.3" WXGA
(1280x800) LED screen, whose backlight technology consumes
significantly less power but delivers around 33 percent improved
brightness over a traditional LCD screen, so it is easier to work in a
range of conditions. And with security at a premium, it even has a
secure biometric fingerprint and trusted platform module
authentication system to ensure that your data is always fully
protected.With its captivating craftsmanship, the X360's Protect-O-Edge casing
is built using durable magnesium alloy to provide amazing strength and
superior reliability coupled with enhanced ergonomics and premium
styling. And, wherever possible, Samsung uses its own components from
memory, batteries and screens. This focus on manufacturing excellence
means Samsung mobile computers have one of the best reliability
records in the industry, lowering the total cost ownership.The X360 also features the option of an ultra-fast and reliable 128GB
Solid State Drive (SSD)*, which significantly enhances performance
compared to a typical hard disk drive (HDD), with a boot time that is
25-50 percent faster and data access times that are 300 percent faster
(53 MB/s) for reading and 150 percent faster (28 MB/s) for writing.
With no moving parts SSDs also weigh less, uses significantly less
power and are less prone to errors and damage - in fact, the X360 is
equipped to withstand twice the impact of the hard-drive-enabled
model. So, the notebook will perform faster and last even longer.Finally, the X360 features an amazing Samsung innovation - Silver Nano
Technology. By sprinkling incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion
powder on the keyboard your system will remain "bacteria free" for
even longer.FEATURES:
World class mobile performanceFeaturing state of the art Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2 Ultra Low Voltage
processor technology, which delivers unrivalled performance, energy
efficiency and connectivity too keep you working longer. The X360
comes with the all new 45 nano-meter sized Intel(R) Core™2 Duo mobile
processor, which literally puts the power of two processors into one,
so you can open up all of your favourite applications with no
compromise on performance.Sharper display
Its 13.3" wide display provides up to 30% more viewing area than
traditional screens and allows you to enjoy photo-like image quality,
greater viewing angles and better text legibility, reducing eye strain
and therefore increasing productivity. Using LED technology also means
that the screen is thinner, up to 33% brightness, and uses much less
power than traditional LCD screen. Even the durability of the system
is better, because there are fewer breakable parts.Light Weight and Durable
Despite being ultra lightweight and slim at just 1.27kg, the X360 is
built to last. It's durable Protect-o-Edge(c) casing provides amazing
strength and superior reliability. As a result, the X360 is more than
capable of withstanding the inevitable hardships of life on the move,
which all translates into a measurably lower Total Cost of Ownership.Simple data sharing
Incorporating a 7 in 1 memory card reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, SDHC, MMC,
MMC plus, xD) and 3 x USB ports, it lets you to seamlessly move data
from your digital camera, camcorder, MP3 player or PDA straight to the
notebook. Alternatively you can use the Bluetooth 2.0+EDR* (Enhanced
Data Rate) capability to quickly connect to other Bluetooth devices at
speeds that are 3x faster than previous generations.Wireless World
Featuring the super fast 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, delivering up to five
times the performance and up to twice the range of previous-generation
technologies.**Based on Factory specification
Your connection to the Digital World
For the ultimate in viewing experiences simply connect it to your HD
monitor, Television (HDTV) or home theatre system using the X360's
built-in HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connection, which
allows 100% transmission of visual and audio digital signals, and
experience richer colours, beautiful rendering and perfect image and
sound reproduction.Smile, you are on camera*
Featuring an integrated 1.3 mega pixel digital motion camera, it
offers a simple way to keep in touch with friends or family, using
video-conferencing or live messaging.Optimised graphics, premium experience
Featuring the new Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 graphics
core, which dynamically allocates system memory to provide incredible
visual quality, faster graphics performance and flexible display
options.Revolutionary Battery Life
The battery life is vastly improved. It can deliver battery powered
performance of up to 6-10 hours based on usage scenario. The longer
battery life is guaranteed by the LED display and the flash-based SSD
which require less power to run.Huge 128GB Solid State drive
Its Solid State Drive (SSD) has a boot time that is 25-50 percent
faster than systems that employ a traditional, rotational hard disk
drive (HDD). Overall system performance is also significantly
enhanced, as the SSD is capable of reading 300 times faster (53 MB/s)
and writes 150 percent faster (28 MB/s) than typical HDDs, and the
seek time (the amount of time required to find information in the
system memory) is also greatly reduced. Having no moving parts means
that power consumption is reduced dramatically, extending battery
life, and it is capable of withstanding much greater impacts, so there
is no loss of data.Bacteria free
By sprinkling incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion powder on the
keyboard your system will remain "bacteria free" - for even longer.Total security
For complete peace of mind, the X360 incorporates a secure biometric
fingerprint authentication system and a trusted platform module, so
your valuable information will always remain safe from prying eyes -
and you may never need to remember another password!Fast docking
Is compatible with Samsung's P-Dock docking station, which simplifies
cabling and provides a 'single click' connection and easy access to a
wide variety of ports, including Serial, 5 x USB, LAN, HDMI, SIO,
e-SATA and DVI (Digital Video Interface) to deliver outstanding
digital image quality on large displays and projectors.ECO friendly
Samsung's own certification mark (ECO), which guarantees ECO-friendly
features, including removal of hazardous substances and material,
optimised energy efficiency and effective material usage for a more
environmentally friendly product.Warranty, On Time, On Us
All this is backed up with the peace of mind that your notebook is
protected by Samsung's class leading warranty service. In the unlikely
event that something goes wrong with your notebook, the Samsung
International warranty infrastructure will provide you with a fast
track collection repair and return service for your notebook in order
to minimise disruption and get you back working as quickly as
possible.X360 Specifications
* based on factory specification, Subject to change. Errors and
omissions accepted. Battery life based on mobile Mark test scores that
will vary based on configurationProcessor
Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2 ULV Processor Technology (FSB 800MHz)Operating System
- Genuine Microsoft Windows(R) Vista(R) Home Basic
- Genuine Microsoft Windows(R) Vista(R) Home Premium
- Genuine Microsoft Windows(R) Vista(R) BusinessMemory
- DDR3 1066MHz 1GB ~ 4GBLCD
- 13.3" WXGA (1280 x 800) SuperBright(c) LED backlitHDD
- 64/ 128 GB Solid State Drive
- 120 GB (5400 rpm S-ATA)Optical Drive
- External DVD Super Multi Dual Layer WriterGraphics Processor
- Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 graphics coreWireless LAN
- Intel 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate*LAN
10/100/1000 EthernetI / O Ports
- 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, SDHC, MMC, MMC plus, xD)
- 3 x USB 2.0
- 1 x PCI Express Card Slot (34 mm)
- 1 x HDMI
- 1 x Headphone-out
- 1 x Mic in
- 1 x Integrated Mic
- 1 x VGA Port
- 1 x RJ45 (LAN)
- 1 x Docking PortMultimedia
1.3 Mega Pixel Web Camera*Battery Life
Up to 10 hours

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
sarwatmj
Posted 8:24 PM 29/8/08
love it, but the "no optical drive thing" is simply a deal breaker!
sarwatmj
MrThunderfield
Posted 9:10 PM 29/8/08
No CF card space?? This is not going to appeal to serious amateur/professional photographers!
Otherwise it's looking quite good! Hopefully it has a better price than the Lenovo or the MB Air... I don't use optical drives very much, and have never required one on the go, so that's not a biggie.
It's good IMO that computers are moving away from the big and clumsy CD's and DVD's. Flash memory and internet downloads offer more space and versatility!! :D
MrThunderfield
rudeadly
Posted 9:44 PM 29/8/08
price?
rudeadly
yasudevil
Posted 10:08 PM 29/8/08
Better than Air but i'm not that keen about those skinny laptops, with just a little more width i can have an optical drive onboard, i do prefer with an optical drive on that price range.
yasudevil
Makkuro
Posted 9:55 PM 29/8/08
Is it just me or this thing look totally like a clone of the Sony Vaio TZ, except bulkier AND without the optical drive!!??
Makkuro
regnez
Posted 9:55 PM 29/8/08
@rudeadly: According to TR, the price is going to be £1,499. Which should be about $2,800, but if it does see release on US shores, expect that to be much lower.
regnez
strider_mt2k
Posted 10:40 PM 29/8/08
Bacteria used to be a problem, but no more, thanks to nano silver ion powder!
Yes nano silver ion powder, for all of your anti-bacterial sprinkling needs be sure to ask for the right one, the only one with nano silver ion powder POWER, nano silver ion powder!
strider_mt2k
mricyfire
Posted 10:31 PM 29/8/08
@Makkuro:
bulkier...this is smaller than the TZ
mricyfire
Crescent
Posted 12:09 AM 30/8/08
I love it when a laptop is ultra thin, but still looks like a laptop, not a wanna-be toy
Crescent
Eruanno
Posted 1:23 AM 30/8/08
With all the ports and stuff on the Lenovo and this one, I wonder what the hell happened over at Apple. Gief more ports on the Air, plxz.
Eruanno
Chorizotarian
Posted 3:27 AM 30/8/08
@strider_mt2k: "Silver Nano" technology is actually a really bad idea. 1) It hasn't been proven to work. 2) Nanoparticles are potentially extremely carcinogenic in humans. I think this laptop looks great, but there is no way I would buy one with this feature. Just wipe the keyboard off every now and then!
Chorizotarian
StealthNinja
Posted 6:34 AM 30/8/08
Plus, I would love to see Samsung have a larger screen options for their lap tops and have one that's larger than HP's 22 inch widescreen laptop with 200 gb or more!
StealthNinja
StealthNinja
Posted 6:33 AM 30/8/08
Now, all they could do is add a Blue ray disc player and recorder into the dvd/dvdrw/cd/ cdrw disc drive; and have it be a touch screen tablet with a web cam built into the frame like their UMPC! And maybe add a stand on the back like their UMPC, so that it can stand up, and then have it being capable of watching tv on it too! But, I really like the tablets; unlike Panasonic's Toughbook tablet that has like only 80 gb, it should have at least a 250 + gigabyt hard drive etc... That would be so great, and have a hard metal casing like NASA's Liquid Metal Inc. Trinium casing so it won't crack if bumped into or break like a plastic casing can!
StealthNinja
capitalass
Posted 8:08 AM 30/8/08
Depending on the processor, there is little that differentiates it from the x301, which trades the media reader and silver ion cancer dust for an optical drive and thinkpad durability. Still, if it uses a 2.4 ghz proc, that could allow it to stand out for those who do not need the dvd, and the lower resolution might actually be more appropriate for a screen of that size.
capitalass
rimplestultskin
Posted 2:25 PM 30/8/08
methinks it looks(!!!!!!!) noticeably better than its apple rival, and boundlessly better than its IBM rival. the only thing is, a computer this beautiful really should have OS X, but naturally, apple won't license it out.
rimplestultskin
Leonard Nimrod
Posted 12:58 AM 31/8/08
The 10 hour battery life is the typical Samsung exaggeration based on non-real world usage, so by my TDP calculations of you'll probably get 7 hours out of it under regular usage. This completely kills the MBA and the other two ultra-lightweight 13" notebooks that are currently on the market, but we really shouldn't be comparing this future product with ones that came out earlier this year.
The chipsets in the MBA, VooDoo Envy 133 and Lenovo X300 are all using a special Merom CPU on a 22mm^2 package. It was this small die that allowed for these ultra-thin and lightweight 13" notebooks to be made. But there was a downside to this new technology: the TDP of these chips was more than if a standard 35mm^2 package was used with those Merom chips. This is no longer the case as all of Montevina is using Penryn and all their mobile chips are in an efficient 2mm^2 package.
Since Montevina hasn't even launched yet this is nothing buy a chintzy marketing ploy from Samsung. Lenovo, VooDoo and Apple will all update their models using these cheaper chips that offer more performance at a lower TDP. I have to wonder if Intel is still having issues with the X4500 which delay the launch of chips using integrated graphics.
On top of that, Samsung is being pretty hush hush about the processor speeds. The other three ultra-lightweight machines all currently use a decent 1.6 and 1.8GHz processor, but Samsung stated a C2D ULV CPU so that means speeds of 1.2 or 1.4GHz. They only use 10W, compared that to the other machines using 20W and you see where the extra longevity comes from.
Samsung x360
• 1.2GHz (SU9300)
• 1.4GHz (SU9400)
(C2D, Montevina, 45nm, Penryn, 800MHz, 3MB , 10W, 22mm x 22mm)
Envy 133, X300 & MBA (current)
• 1.6GHz
• 1.8GHz
(C2D, SFF Santa Rosa, 65nm, Merom, 800MHz, 4MB, 20W, 22mm x 22mm)
Envy 133, X300 & MBA (projected)
• 1.6GHz
• 1.83GHz
(C2D, Montevina, 45nm, Penryn, 1066MHz, 6MB , 17W, 22mm x 22mm)
Leonard Nimrod
SunetraWhiles
Posted 10:19 PM 29/8/08
How about the core hardware in the Samsung X360? Is it supported under Linux or Solaris 10/ OpenSolaris intel? Look at the chipsets. What does the manufacturer say? Did you ask? Will it come with the fast boot Linux option to do email, skype, IM and web browse? I'm a systems administrator at a major corporation. I require UNIX utilities to perform my job functions. I do NOT find Microsoft XP or Vista suitable for my desktop or laptop. It's a continuing source of frustration that manufacturers and product reviewers DO NOT discuss the hardware specs to identify Linux/Solaris compatibility. This is not helpful. Until I see such a "Linux/Solaris certified" breakdown by laptop manufacturers, Apple MacBook Pro and Dell Ubuntu linux laptops will remain my best options. Buying laptops in the hope that all hardware will run properly under Linux or Solaris is illogical. It's too bad that so many manufacturers seem "captive" to Microsoft and willing to forego sales to people who require a different OS which could readily be accomodated under the currently available hardware options. The success that Asus now enjoys with it's EEE Linux subnotebooks is interesting... Perhaps other manufacturers will eventually get the clue. Here's the deal: Linux and Solaris and OS X are used by many IT pros employed in the Fortune 500. Failing to certify and preload Linux or Solaris on laptops ignores a segment of the business market -- or leaves it to Apple. At the core of the issue is what you can do with the software and not how pretty the package or impressive the laptop's spec sheet. I don't care about gaming or performance of Microsoft Office. For now, I will consider Apple notebooks and the Dell Inspiron equipped with Ubuntu Linux b/c I am assured of OS compatibility and manufacturer support. --Info Tech Guy
SunetraWhiles
Jesus_Diaz
Posted 7:46 PM 29/8/08
NOT LIGHTER THAN AIR.
Just thought ya'll should know.
Jesus_Diaz