This detailed hardware review captures a pivotal moment in laptop design when Samsung challenged Apple's dominance in the ultrabook market with their Series 9 notebook. Marc Angeli provides an in-depth analysis of Samsung's first serious competitor to the MacBook Air, examining both the technical specifications and real-world performance of this aluminum-bodied Windows alternative.
The review skillfully places the Series 9 in historical context, explaining how Apple's 2008 MacBook Air had essentially created the modern ultrabook category but left room for improvement. Angeli's technical deep dive includes detailed teardown photography showing the Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB SSD, and 6-cell lithium-polymer battery, giving readers a comprehensive understanding of what makes these thin-and-light machines possible.
What makes this review particularly valuable is its honest comparative analysis between the Series 9 and MacBook Air. Rather than declaring an outright winner, Angeli acknowledges the strengths of each machine while noting practical differences like boot times (20 seconds for the Samsung versus 13-16 seconds for the MacBook Air) and touchpad responsiveness issues with Windows 7's multi-touch implementation.
The review's technical photography deserves special recognition, featuring high-quality teardown images that showcase internal components in detail. These images, combined with clear explanations of specifications like the duralumin aluminum construction and recessed port design, make complex hardware concepts accessible to general readers while providing enough detail for tech enthusiasts.
Looking back, this review documents an important transition in the PC industry when manufacturers began taking Apple's design philosophy seriously and applying it to Windows machines. The Series 9 helped establish the ultrabook category that would become standard across the industry, making this review a snapshot of when premium thin-and-light laptops evolved from Apple exclusives to mainstream options.
This summary was created by Dave Rogers. The original post was written by Marc Angeli and published on August 23, 2011.
If you'd like to view the original post, you can find it here.