MacBook Air gets competition: $1,649 Samsung Series 9 debuts tomorrow, 11-incher coming soon
One of the sleekest laptops at CES 2011 is about to go on sale. Alas, it isn't cheap, but it's certainly attractive.
Samsung Series 9: call it the Windows Air.
(Credit: Samsung)If we can recall one laptop that turned heads more than any other from this year's CES 2011, it might be the Samsung Series 9. Thin, curved, and very reminiscent of a Windows version of the MacBook Air, the Series 9 has finally been given a release date--and that date is tomorrow.
Now, here's the not-so-great news: the price is $1,649. We knew the Series 9 was that expensive back when we first covered the laptop during CES, but we held out a little hope that the well-designed 13-incher might get more aggressively priced. $1,699 makes Apple's MacBook Air seem like a bargain.
The specs are admittedly impressive: Windows 7 Home Premium, second-generation Intel Core i5-2537M CPU, 128GB SSD, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 1,366x768-pixel resolution display, and a weight of 2.89 pounds. The $1,599 13-inch MacBook Air has double the SSD storage, a higher-resolution display, and a nearly identical weight, but half the RAM and an older CPU.
Meanwhile, an 11-inch Series 9 is on its way for April. Specs are, not surprisingly, akin to those on the 11-inch MacBook Air: a 64GB SSD, Core i3-380UM CPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 1,366x768 resolution display, and a price that's TBD.
Is it worth its premium price? We'll let you know when we review ours--which should hopefully be soon.
