Samsung X10 XTC 1600

Author's product rating:   

Speed	Very fast
Look & Feel	Excellent
Comfort & Portability	Excellent
Robustness & Durability	Excellent
Value For Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Stylish, fast, portable
Disadvantages:	Expensive

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have been using the Samsung X10 for almost a year since I started my job. It was bought just before I started, brand new for around £1,500.
Samsung's roots can be traced back to as early as 1938, and today, they are a leader in the field of technology.

I will try to cover all areas, but firstly the stats:

Product Description Samsung X10 XTC 1600 - Weight: 1.8 kg
Width: 31.5 cm
Height: 25.9 cm
Thickness (when closed): 2.8 cm
Screen:14" TFT
Battery Life:4.5 hours
DVD/CDRW drive
Recommended Use: Small business, corporate business.

Manufacturer's product description: The X10 Series from Samsung delivers the ultimate in mobility and communications for mobile professional. Featuring the latest Intel Pentium M mobile processors, Intel 855PM chipset and Intel
Pro Wireless networking solutions, the samsung X10 is the market leading Intel Centrino notebook.

This machine is used as a powerful office tool and ensures that office tasks are completed in the quickest, easiest and least stressful way.
Software and web pages open fast, data is saved quickly and lots of information is stored with out causing any strain.

The Design/Features:

The laptop is light silver in colour and when closed the blue samsung name and logo can be seen, this looks very simple and stylish. Once opened your eyes are drawn to three horizontal sections (excluding screen). Firstly along the top left is one small built in speaker branded with the words 'digital freedom', you are then met with three small buttons which can be pressed for
quick access to the internet, e-mail and calculator, the forth little button is used to turn on or off the wireless connection (which I will explain shortly) this lights up in a bright blue when on. Then there is a black panel which lights up accordingly when certain features have been turned on i.e. Caps Lock. Finally on the right is a slightly larger button which can
be used to turn the laptop on (it is not suggested that this button is used to turn off the lap top, it should be shut down from the start menu).

The second section is of course the 'keyboard'. This is in a faded blackey/grey colour and has white (and occasionally extra green-mainly on
F1, F4 etc) letters printed on. It is a standard modern keyboard with the usual functions but does not have a number pad(which is on the right side of most PC keyboards).
The keys only stand out about half a centimetre so typing feels very different (normal keyboards have keys that stand up about 1cm or more so you have to push the key down further). This also reduces the noise of typing. The keys are very responsive so you won't find yourself shouting at the computer!

In the middle of the bottom section you are faced with the built in 'mouse'.This comprises of a sensor matt which is around 2 and a half
inches by 3. Below the matt are two sections that are pushed down to select and in the middle of those is a scroll. The sensor does not need to be used with a special pen, just a light finger. This took a couple of days to get used to, but now I prefer it to theclassic mouse. There are settings that can be adjusted if you feel that you would like the mouse to respond faster/slower but I have never needed to change this. You do have the option of supplying an external mouse, but I really do love the built in one! Under the mouse is the other release for the built in speaker and finally to the right are three small
stickers. One certifying the 'centrino mobile technology', the second advertising the 'wise view' of the samsung TFT screen and lastly a sticker stating that the laptop is designed for Microsoft Windows XP.

The screen is a little under 14", is TFT and has a very sharp image.

The laptop has one USB port to the back right side and one to the middle left . There are sockets for headphones, microphone and internet. The CD/CDRW drive is to the right and there is a memory key slot to the front.

Memory

The Laptop has 40 G.B's of memory. It currently holds an awful lot of data including, a year of outlook express e-mails for work, (hundreds a day), last few years of Accounts and lots of software. It may not sound like that much but it takes up a lot of memory and the machine hasn't slowed down at all. (I am not very technical, so please excuse me!)

Centrino: Wireless Technology:

My favourite part, the wireless technology. Basically this means that the PC can be in any room in the house (trust me I have 3 floors and
6bedrooms) and will be connected to the in internet without any cables. For this you will need a wireless router which costs around £100. You can even sit in the garden for an hour without anything being plugged in to the laptop-so it is truly portable. Some bars and organisations offer wireless connections so you can relax with your favourite drink, take out your laptop, simply add the name of the connection/search for the connection and there you are-checking your e-mail!

Conclusion

The over all effect is a modern and stylish laptop/notebook with up to the minute functionability. It is a personal users a dream and a Corporate users efficiency tool. The Samsung X10 can be used to replace an existing desktop and has the added bonus of portability.

So does this laptop live up to expectations? Yes and the money is well worth it.