I believe it is Duraluminum. They mentioned it during their keynote. It's twice as hard as aluminum with the same weight. It is the sort of metal used on windows and doors. I got to admit it looks pretty good. Like the MBA's evil brother.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Samsung Series 9: Out MBA-ing the MBA?
- Thread starter fyrefly
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I believe it is Duraluminum. They mentioned it during their keynote. It's twice as hard as aluminum with the same weight. It is the sort of metal used on windows and doors. I got to admit it looks pretty good. Like the MBA's evil brother.
That is a stunning laptop. And it probably runs a lot faster than an MBA on paper, but unfortunately it doesn't do Mac OS X. Which is why I purchased my MBA. If I wanted a Windows 7 laptop (I love Windows 7 by the way) and had the extra cash, then yes, I'd definitely get one of these.
I'd say the laptops are similar in the sense that they're both trying to be incredibly light, thin, mobile machines, but obviously they trump each other in very different ways. The Samsung is technically superior in nearly every way, but it is also 60% more expensive. Different strokes for different folks, so why bother arguing?
I'd say the laptops are similar in the sense that they're both trying to be incredibly light, thin, mobile machines, but obviously they trump each other in very different ways. The Samsung is technically superior in nearly every way, but it is also 60% more expensive. Different strokes for different folks, so why bother arguing?
But will it work as well as the Mac trackpad? Increasing the size is definitely a step in the right direction in my opinion, but unless it is as responsive and smooth as the Mac trackpad, the increase in size will be meaningless.
I don't know what Apple does to achieve it, but their input mechanisms across the whole spectrum of electronic devices are just better. I'm personally an Android guy, but you'll never catch me trying to argue that the touch screen on my phone works as well as the iPhone. It's the same thing with the trackpads (maybe this will change with the new Samsung), and for a user like me it renders most of the other perceived or real H/W inadequacies moot.
Yeah, I'm an Android guy too, but it's getting there. Android went a long way in a very short period of time. By the end of this year, I'm confident that Android will be just as smooth.
Regarding the trackpad, it may not be as smooth, but we'll just have to wait and see
Have you studied the pictures? It looks like you are restricted to clicking on the front left and right on the trackpad. There's just no way the trackpad will be as responsive, with multi gestures etc. The trackpad is also what sold a macbook to me.
Apple is the King and Master of multi-touch technology. They've been working on it a long time. Samsung can't hold a finger to Apple.
Actually, they acquired a company that was working on it for a long time - it was founded by 2 engineers that started with a multi-touch keyboard, if my memory serves me right.
So, I wouldn't give them that much credit. Others will catch up soon...
an honest question:
what is the point of a backlit keyboard. touch-typing should be done without reference to the keys (you can buy blank keyboards). What advantage does the key backlight give you?
j
I have a MacBook pro and sometimes Ill read something in pitch black...no the screen on full brightness will not illuminate the keys even from the perfect angle and yes I am typing right now without looking at the keys. My hands wont be in the home position sometimes and ill just need to type a quick word or something and thats when the guessing game of where the g and the f and the h are is no fun...maybe Im the only one who uses my macbook in bed though..?..
omg don't ask questions like this on this forum. There are 1000 threads on it. People say they can type but need to see the keys, for one reason or another, and the backlit keyboard is super important to them. Basically, most of them, aren't great typists. Every key on the keyboard is easy to get to with the reference of the homerow nubs or the side of the laptop IF you are a good typist. Some people never get there and will never admit it. They are apparently awesome typists that need to look at the keys and make thousand dollar decisions based on whether a keybaord lights up. Its a small thing at the very most.
Backlit keys are great for children though. As long as they eventually learn how to type.
ahh...
back when I was a hunt-and-peck typist I was so ashamed that I learned dvorak (on a qwerty) - so looking at the keyboard is kind of non-sensical to me. It seems an awful waste of battery and engineering to encourage consumer's bad typing habits - but hey: the customer is always right!
(if it were up to me, all keyboards would be blank)
j
What's the point of putting any letters on the keys, then? Also, if it's so unimportant, then why do the Pro models have it? The point is that the MacBook Air used to have it, and now it doesn't. Now a competitor is out with a very similar product that has it.
Children, moms, old people, college girls that are better at texting than typing. A LARGE portion of the population cannot type without looking at the keys. MBA is an ultra-portable and might be aimed at a different crowd.
Putting letters are keys is easier than spending the money to put LEDs under keys. There are keyboards without letters. But the cost to put letters on keys is almost 0.
Apple could have redesigned their keyboard, added thickness, and sacrificed other things to cut the cost to add it, or do it half-assed and add a bit to the cost. But both are more of a dell thing.
Last edited:
ah, another company trying to copy another Apple product, lol.
I haven't seen a copy or knock off out do an original Apple product yet, this will likely go the same direction.
They'll blow it with the screen, battery life or something, they always do.
I haven't seen a copy or knock off out do an original Apple product yet, this will likely go the same direction.
They'll blow it with the screen, battery life or something, they always do.
I was seriously considering getting the MBA as my very first Mac computer, but now I'm not so sure. This Samsung ZX310 is pretty tempting. I'm torn.
I agree.
The honest answer is that I don't know how to touch-type, and I'm too old to wanna learn at this point. The fact that Apple offers a backlit-keyboard on some of their laptops (including the old MBA, by the way) proves that some customers want this feature. The reason why they want it isn't really all that important. Count me in as one consumer that would rather have it.
You know Instant on is just a marketing term for a fast SSD, right? That most any computer with an SSD(of similar specs) would be just as instant, like say a 15in MBP, or the Series 9 Samsung listed here.
I thought kept reading that SB's IGP is suppose to be faster than the nvidia 310m, no? http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-3000.37948.0.html
It wasn't lazy and wasn't stupid. They have to make sacrifices to put in a backlit keyboard. Is it worth extra price to you? Less battery life? Thicker? Is it worth any of these to you? If they could magically put in a backlit keyboard for no cost and no space they probably would magically stick in a bunch of other things too.
No. The CPU blows the C2D out of the water though. Which will help with low resolutions.
The Samsung has similar battery life and similar thickness. No sacrifices.
On another note, I just found a close-up picture of the trackpad on this Samsung. Check it out:
Note true, Here is when the chips in the new MacBook Airs were launched
2.13 C2D - Launchad Q1, 2009 - http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=37262
1.86 C2D - Launched Q3, 2008 - http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=36689
1.4 C2D - Launched Q3, 2008 - http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=36697
1.6 C2D - Launched Q1, 2009 - http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=37264
There are always sacrifices. Its not magic. They are not the same laptop or company. If it was magic, apple would have added it to the mba to help the poor typists.
Last edited:
It would have been correct for him to mention the architecture of the chip not the chip itself. They have made minor changes to the architecture and released new chips, but basically kept it the same for years after its initial release.
Nah. The i5 chip the Samsung is using costs OEMs about the same (~$315) as the SL9600 2.13Ghz Chip in the Ultimate MBA. Now, it all depends on what Apple tax El Jobso wants your to pay for i5.
WOW. Patronizing much? And you tell the poster before you not to bring up the Bl Keyboard stuff, and then you proceed to make two posts slamming those that perfer the BL keyboard?
Just 'cause people like the backlit keyboard, and in your opinion are crap typists... that makes us all idiot college girls or children who are "better at texting then typing"?
Whether or not I'm a "good" typist ("Good" being in your mind defined as not having to look at the keyboard 100% of the time while using a computer, as far as I can tell), the fact that I have enjoyed the Backlit Keyboard as a feature of my MBA for 3+ years and am ticked that Apple removed it, shouldn't make me equivalent to a child?
Not everyone needs to be a 80 WPM typist. Some of us think before we write stuff down and don't need to only stare at the screen and type mindlessly. Why the need to constantly belittle those that want/enjoy the BL keyboard?
Oh, and Apple *did* redesign the keyboard for the new MBA. They made the Top and bottom row smaller on the 11" and added the Power Button where the Eject button was, pushing all the other Fn keys out of alignment from the rest of the Mac Keyboard lineup.
They also *removed* the Backlighting, which was available on the old MBA, and is on the entire MacBook lineup (sans the white model), making it very much an "Apple" thing, not a "Dell" thing, thanks.
Whew. I feel good to get that off my chest.
Now, to bring the Thread back on track - Engadget had some more pics of the Series 9 today:
Looks like Sammy stole the old "flip down doors" idea from Apple's older MacBook Airs... only they put the doors on BOTH sides:
