Samsung RF711-S02 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Several weeks ago I purchased a Samsung RF-711 while overseas. Over the years, I've been impressed with the reliability and functionality of the Samsung R60 series notebook computers, so I decided to get the next generation(RF series). Understand that the RF series laptops come in a variety of configurations. To be brief - An RF-711 sold in Singapore is configured differently from an RF-711 sold in the states. The same can be said for almost every country(continent), as to where the Samsung RF-711 will have variations of components. They will differ in HDD, ODD, video card, RAM, even processor.
As I researched the RF series, one thing became clear to me. You cannot expect there to be any consistency whatsoever in the configuration of each 'specific'(S01,S02,...) model number. I've seen the RF-710-S01's w/ or w/o Blu-Ray, w/ or w/o an Intel i7, etc.. Same thing with the RF- 711. Some have Blu-Ray, some don't. Some have an i7, some don't. Some have 4GB ddr3, some have 6GB. It's important to note that the RF laptops will have a two-letter extension according to which country the laptop is being sold, i.e. Samsung RF-710-S04RU is for Russian markets.
My point being that you may encounter some discrepancy in the configuration of these laptops according to model #. Don't expect an online retailer to be accurate with the technical description of components. I've contacted several different retailers(including Amazon) and I've encountered countless contradictions from what they had listed online to what a customer service rep. actually confirmed. I've never encountered such a situation while purchasing a laptop, and I've bought quite a few over the the last 15 years.(or maybe never realized)
I for one, did not let this discourage me, as I'm willing to sort through the confusion because Samsung makes GREAT machines. I've owned an Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell,hp, Samsung, and Toshiba - several actually. I prefer the Samsung because they have had the least amount of problems and they perform VERY well. My only gripe is that they don't offer an extreme high end configuration, but for the rate of performance they always seem to run nice and cool.
Last week, when I arrived back in the states I bought another RF-711 from amazon_ see below
NP-RF711-S02US:
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium(64GB)
CPU: Intel Core i7 2630QM
LCD: 17.3" LED HD+ (280 nit Gloss)
VRAM: NVIDIA GT540M gDDR3 1 GB Hybrid
Memory: 4 GB
HDD: 750 GB
ODD: Super Multi Dual Layer (SATA)
WIRED: 1 GB LAN
COMMUNIC: 802.11bgn + BT3. OHS
COLOR: Black
Overall, this laptop has extraordinary value. It does have its drawbacks however. The lack of a Full HD screen being the main gripe. The screen on this model is average at best, be that as it may this machine performs like a champ. I rely on this laptop to run CS5 and other similar apps that push the Open GL performance of your video card- and I am very impressed! If your primary use is to play games, this laptop may or may not suit your needs. I'd do some research on the 'hybrid' Optimus line of NVIDIA VRAM.
PROS:
1. Intel i7 2630QM
2. Large HDD - 750GB (5400rpm)
3. USB 3.0 [( 2 ports)4 total]
4. Bluetooth V3.0
5. 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce GT540M (Optimus) Graphics Processor ... see below
6. easily upgradeable to 8GB DDR3
7. battery life
8. ~~~Runs Cool! ~~~
9. Fast Start
10. Samsung software... ALL of it .
CONS:
1. Resolution 1600 x 900 (Not Full HD)
2. Screen - Average at best
3. NVIDIA control panel
When factoring all the pros and cons of this laptop and making a comparison to other machines, let me say this: Samsung software is incredible. By incredible I mean that I actually want it, it is actually useful, and it actually works. I can't say that about other notebook computer's pre-loaded software(with maybe 1 exception). Upgrade to a SSHD(2 bays) and off you go...
For me, this is the best deal available in a 17" laptop that fulfills my needs. I've bought 2 in 6 weeks and they've performed beyond my expectations.

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Go from a spreadsheet to the far reaches of the galaxy without missing a beat with the Samsung RF711 notebook (model NP-RF711-S02US), which is designed to satisfy both gamers and photo/video professionals. The super-bright 17.3-inch LED-backlit display brings games and videos to clear and colorful life, while the NVIDIA Optimus GeForce GT540M chipset with 1 GB DDR3 memory provides amazing graphics power.
Run demanding applications with the Intel Core i7 quad-core processor (see larger image).

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Toshiba Portege R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had this laptop for nearly three weeks, and think it's great!
Summary:
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Clean and understated design
- Sturdy: most surfaces are made of metal (only the bezel, hinges, and a few bottom panels are plastic). You can easily lift it up by the corner with one hand.
- Battery life is good (7.5+ hours with mixed usage). Also, no "battery bulge" in the back!
- Battery is removable
- Trackpad has a nicely configurable driver (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse > Device Settings > Settings...)
- Value; saves enough money for an SSD compared to a competing system like a Macbook Pro (see below)
Cons:
- Screen isn't great. (It isn't bad, though -- just narrow in vertical viewing angle).
- Black color means you might be tempted to clean the keyboard/trackpad a little obsessively.
- Industrial smell coming from the vent in the first few days of ownership (now gone)
- When closed, the lid depresses a little when you apply pressure to the middle. I suggest keeping the included fabric insert thing to protect the lid from keyboard scratches. (Note that keyboard scratches also occur on other notebooks, including the sturdy Apple Macbooks, so I'm not taking off any points).
Overall:
I'm giving this laptop five stars because it represents a great value. I paid $835 for the system, and replaced the hard drive with an Intel X25-M 120GB SSD ($175). The total cost of my system therefore was $1010, which puts it in entry-level Macbook territory.
(Note that the SSD is very easy to install -- you unscrew two panels in the back, swap the drives, and clean-install your operating system).
Why the SSD? With the SSD plus Sandy Bridge processor, performance is superb -- startup is fast (15 seconds from button to login screen, plus 8 seconds from login to loaded desktop). Programs launch quickly, and shutdown is quick as well. I'd say the stock system with the hard drive is a bit imbalanced (processor is too fast for the 5400 RPM hard drive) but at least it comes with plenty of room and doesn't cost much. With this configuration, program launching and startup are slower, and you are stuck with bloatware, but the computer still operates reasonably fast.
--
Comparisons with other systems:
Compared with the Air, the R835 (with SSD installed) gives you:
- more storage space (120GB SSD on my R835 vs. 64GB for the $999 11" MBA model)
--- with SSD, similar bootup times (23 seconds for R835 vs. 15 seconds *see 6/2/2011 edit* for MBA) and wakeup times (both about 2 seconds)
- a better processor (core i5-2410M vs. a core 2 duo) and more memory
- longer battery life + removable battery
- a DVD drive, USB 3.0 port, eSATA, VGA (no need to carry a dongle around)
- 0.9 or 0.3 pounds more weight (vs. the 11" and 13" MBA models, respectively).
- about 0.25" more thickness
Compared with the Macbook Pro (13" entry-level model), you get:
- $190 in savings (with SSD in the R835) or $365 savings (with stock HDD)
-- With SSD swap, you get performance gains compared to the MB. With the default hard drive, you get twice as much storage (640GB vs. 320GB, both 5400 RPM).
- Removable battery
- Similar metal build quality (Macbook pro feels a little sturdier, but weighs 40% more)
- 1.3 pounds in weight savings (!)
Compared with the plastic Macbook (13" $999 model), you get:
- Metal build quality
- an SSD (for about the same total cost), or $165 in savings + 390GB more hard drive space
- Better processor (two generations ahead) and RAM (4GB vs. 2GB).
- 1.5 pound weight savings (!)
So, I saw no reason to go with the Macbooks when I could get superior performance and save money, weight, and battery flexibility with the R835.
Compared to other PC systems -- It's thinner and slightly less expensive than the Lenovo x220 (but isn't as rugged and has slightly shorter battery life), and is very much cheaper and has a better processor (but has an inferior screen) than the Sony Z series.
In short, the R835 makes its Apple competitors look seriously overpriced (or under-featured, depending on how you look at it) and costs less than its PC competitors.
--
My evaluation of the unit:
I liked the design -- it's quite sturdy (with its metal construction) and light (3.2 pounds). It doesn't feel as "dense" as the Macbook Air, but it's sufficiently sturdy and light enough, such that you can lift it by a corner with one hand. Also, it certainly breaks a threshold in thinness, so it certainly *looks* thin. The CD/DVD drive makes a great "but wait, there's more" parlor trick!
(The design also appeals to me because it's pleasantly different from the Macbooks' design. In my Econ class, it looks stealthy and elegant compared to the sea of glowing Apples. Funny how "Think Different" should now apply to a PC rather than a Mac...)
As noted above, the performance is good, especially with an SSD installed. The weakest point is the integrated graphics, though it's not completely pathetic; I was able to play Portal without too much choppiness.
The battery life is great -- I got 7.5 hours with mixed use (web browsing, spreadsheets, including an hour of Steam running). I estimate you get about 4-5 minutes per percent used (according to the Windows battery icon), or 400-500 minutes total.
There are a few minor drawbacks. For one, the screen is merely average because the vertical viewing angle is not good. Also, a downside to the black body color is that I obsessively clean it with every fleck of dust. The unit had a distinctly industrial smell when it first came, but now it's gone. Also, its lid depresses a little, which I suspect will lead to the keyboard leaving scratches on the screen (this also happens to Macbooks, which are supposed to be the pinnacle of design, so I guess it's acceptable). To counter this, I use the included piece of fabric between the screen and keyboard when I transport the unit around.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the system overall exudes great quality, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-built, fast, and highly portable notebook. I would strongly recommend replacing the stock hard drive with an SSD to balance the performance, especially given that the relatively low price (for this weight class) leaves some money to acquire an SSD.
EDIT (5/16/2011): PCMark Vantage scores for my system are here: 3dmark.com/pcmv/444144. You can compare with other Core i5-2410M systems here: 3dmark.com/search?resultTypeId=18&cpuModelId=1208
EDIT (6/2/2011): I visited the Apple Store today. The 11-inch MBA started up in about 50 seconds (not sure what took so long), while the Core i7 MacBook Pro ($1500) started up in about 35 seconds (didn't have a chance to try the i5 MBP). If I remember correctly, the default R835 took about 60 seconds to start up. Again, the startup time for my configuration is 23 seconds.

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Do your best work ever with the Portege R835-P56, Toshiba's lightest full-performance ultraportable laptop with a weight of just over 3 pounds. The Portege offers a showcase of technological innovations and premium craftsmanship, as well as excellent mobile computing power. It features an impeccably crafted magnesium alloy casing with an ultradurable honeycomb reinforcement, spill-resistant keyboard, and an advanced AirFlow cooling system--enabling the Portege to perform better, longer, and cooler.
The Toshiba Portege R835 weighs just over 3 pounds and features a 13.3-inch LED backlit display (see larger image).

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