Design-wise the Series 9 sticks to a simple yet sophisticated design formula that uses duralumin alloy (which is what is used in jet fighters) and a black finish for a stealth fighter-like feel.
All extraneous distractions such as ports are cleverly hidden away by pull-down panels. In short, the Series 9's incredibly thin and streamlined 16.3mm body mixes incredible portability with great looks.
Jenny Craig may have worked some serious magic with the Series 9, but expandability and connectivity is thankfully largely uncompromised. The pull-down expansion panel on its left-hand side features USB, ethernet and mini HDMI ports. On the right hand side, there's a pull-down panel with a combination headphone/mic socket, a USB and microSD card slot.
One peripheral that hasn't been included is a DVD drive. This isn't all that uncommon on ultra-portable notebook PCs where the bulk of an optical drive mechanism add some serious heft to an already wafer thin waistline.
The Series 9's Samsung DNA comes to the fore in the form of its gorgeous 13" LED-backlit LCD screen which is easily a standout feature, sporting a crispy 1366x768 resolution with eye popping brightness and contrast levels.
Under the hood
You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Series 9's slinky design would involve sacrificing size for power. Under the hood is an Intel Core i5 1.4GHz processor, along with 4GB of RAM to keep things running smoothly.
Another trick used by Samsung to keep things slim and to maximise battery life, is the use of a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). Being solid state (e.g. it uses non-volatile memory rather than a mechanical spinning platter), it is considerably quieter, but it is also blisteringly fast to boot, and able to enter fully functional 'work' state from being powered down in under 30 seconds.
Battery life also impressed - for everyday use away from the power socket I managed to wring a solid five and a half hours of use (e.g. surfing web and email etc) before Windows 7 began to demand more juice. With the power management settings suitably tweaked, battery life could theoretically extend upwards of seven hours, however this would also vary depending on what sort of tasks it was being used for.
The Intel i5 powering the Series 9 is stunning silicon and it gave it more than enough grunt to handle nearly any app I threw at it. This said, the use of an integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 controller did limit its potential as a gaming rig, with most first person shooters delivering a slo-mo slide show experience.
Verdict
Comparisons with Apples Macbook Air are inevitable and Samsung does seem to have taken several design cues from Apple. Because of this I do wonder if the Series 9 will add to any angst to the existing grief between the two tech giants.
The Samsung Series 9's $2909(inc GST) sticker price may seem a tad steep especially as most notebook PCs can be had for around the $1999 mark, but given the ultra-portability and spec on offer, this price is actually pretty decent. If you're looking for a tasty-looking, travel-friendly notebook PC that isn't a Mac, the Samsung Series 9 is a wee stunner.
SPECS
Samsung Series 9 laptop
$2909
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core i5 Processor 2537M
Display: LED backlit, HD capable 13" 16:9 Screen
Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 3000
Memory: 4GB DDR3 System Memory (8 GB Max)
Storage: 128GB Solid State Drive
Networking: 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, ethernet
Connectivity: Micro HDMI Input, Headphone Jack, mic-in, MicroSD Slot, 2 USB Ports, 1.3mp webcam
Battery: 6-Cell Lithium, 6300 mAh, (up to 7 hours claimed)
Size: 327.6mm x 226.06 x 16.3 (w/e/h)
Weight: 1.306kg
