Samsung is really doing some good stuff with notebooks lately. I'm the proud owner of a Samsung P28, and I must say for the £499 I paid for it, it was a bargain and a half. Sturdy, and far less ugly than other sub-£500 notebooks, the P28 has been a dream to use and a dream to upgrade. But, of course, it soon becomes time to investigate a possible replacement.
So pleased was I with the P28, I immediately considered another Samsung as well. That's why I was pleased to hear that Samsung have released several new notebooks, the Q30, X20, X50 and P40.
The Q30 is an ultraslim model that weighs 1.09kg and has dimensions of 287.7 x 197.5 x 18.3mm. Specs are Intel Pentium M 753 processor (1.2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 400MHz frontside bus), 512MB RAM and a 40GB hard disk, 12.1in WXGA screen (1,280 x 768pixels), a full-sized keyboard, wireless connectivity (LAN 802.11b/g), a five-in-one Flash memory card reader and a 3D sound system.
The 2.41kg X50 is the higher-end model which comes equipped with an Intel Pentium M 740 processor (1.73GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 533MHz frontside bus), 60GB hard disk, 15.4in WXGA SuperBright screen (1,280 x 800pixels), 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics card and Samsung's Trusted Platform Module to protect important files and folders.
The X20 comes with an Intel Pentium M 730 processor (1.6GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 533MHz frontside bus), 40GB hard disk, 15in XGA SuperBright screen (1,024 x 768pixels) and a built-in Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 graphics card.
The P40 is a business notebook model, which features an Intel Pentium M 730 processor (1.6GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 533MHz frontside bus), 512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 40GB hard disk, DVD/CD-RW combo drive and a 15in SXGA display (1,400 x 1,050pixels).
The model that really caught my eye was the Q30, since it looked so ultra-portable and cool. Weighing 1.1kg, with dimensions of 287 x 197 x 24mm (WxDxH), the Q30 has managed great portability without compromising on features. Its hardly a budget laptop, but certainly worth considering if (like me) you are becoming more laptop-centric.
Samsung has put a stake in the ground and decided that it is going to base its notebook range on the slim and stylish market, and with products like the Q30 on offer, the future is looking good. With an estimated retail price of £1,775 the Q30 is far from cheap, but you are getting two batteries and the super-slim optical drive thrown in. When you consider the overall design, weight and the amount of features that Samsung has squeezed into such a tiny chassis, the price seems relatively modest - especially when you consider that even now the Sony VAIO X505 will still cost you as much on the street.