Samsung Notebook 9 Pen review: Samsung’s note-taking PC can’t quite justify its price - billssonst1961

The Notebook computer 9 Pen aspires to embody Samsung's version of a MacBook, with a pricey, potent mingle of components powering some unique app experiences. Merely its bland, plasticky exterior will probably propose a Chromebook rather, though with an iconic S-Pen stylus that's always ready to speck a quick note.

It's a difficult dichotomy for this 13.3-column inch, 360-degree convertible to reconcile, successful even more challenging by the Notebook computer 9 Compose's MSRP: $1,400. To embody fair, we've recently seen it for $100 close to less on some sites. Unless you love Samsung's S-Write out, though, the Notebook 9 Pen is vulnerable to equal-priced (Oregon cheaper) challenger.

Still, you English hawthorn consider some of its weaknesses to personify strengths. For example, Samsung factory-made the entire chassis out of a special custom magnesium metal, with the take care, weight and feel of plastic. Yet the light 2.14-pound weight (just under 2.5 pounds with the charger) is something your shoulders will appreciate when you have a bun in the oven this laptop in your bag. Likewise, we don't look at its many customizable settings and apps to be truly useful, though they whir a degree of configurability its contention lacks.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Samsung's Notebook 9 Pen is Samsung's version of a MacBook: simple and unadorned.

Notebook computer 9 Pen specs and features

When a laptop is righteous 0.65-inch thin, you're going to forfeiture a a couple of things in the eyeglasses. Here's the list, which we'll consider to a greater extent closely in the men-on portion of our review:

• Display: 13.3-inch FHD (1920×1080) LED touchscreen
• Processor: 1.8GHz Inwardness i7-8550U (Kaby Lake-R)
• Graphics: Intel UHD 620 (integrated)
• Memory:8GB DDR4
• Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD
• Tv camera: Front-facing, 1280×720
• Wireless: 802.11ac (2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 4.1
• Ports: Single USB 3.1 Group A; one USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps) Eccentric C (supporting 4K display out and charging); microSD (micro SDXC standard), HDMI, earphone jack/mic in, fingermark reader
• Battery: 39Wh
• Operating organization: Windows 10 Abode
• Dimensions: 12.22 x 8.13 x 0.65 inches
• Weight: 2.14 pounds, 2.5 with Alternating current adapter
• Price: $1,399 (MSRP)

Of those specs, it's deserving noting that the 256GB SSD in our test unit had only approximately 83GB liberate. That could start to feel sozzled.

Just our biggest disappointment was the display. At 308 nits (measured), it's certainly bright enough. For the price, withal, you might expect Samsung to deliver a minute more than the stock 1920×1080 (FHD) resolution that accompanies most low-be notebooks. To be fair, higher-resolution screens bring their own compromises, as they eat at your battery life and other resources.

The other problem with the display was other displays. The vivid shield reflects Samsung's typical quality—until you hook up an outer monitor: The Intel HD 620 integrated graphics washed out my second screen more than other laptops do. Samsung provides a series of supplemental settings to line up the color mode, merely tweaking them made no difference for Pine Tree State.

Mu Hachman / IDG

One of the strengths of Samsung's design is bu how well the Notebook 9 Pen stores its S-Write.

Samsung S-Pen: The gateway to its app ecosystem

One of the best things about the Samsung Notebook computer 9 Pen is the S-Pen—not only that it's enclosed, but that IT's stored in its own, interior slot underneath the keyboard. The storage slot is spring-blotto, soh pushing the pen in pops it out for use. Wherefore other manufacturers haven't adopted this simple, effective solution is beyond Pine Tree State.

Mark out Hachman / IDG

Samsung's iconic S-Pen, removed from the chassis.

And yet…much has been successful about the S-Pen's power to get stuck within Samsung's Note 5 smartphone, enough that the company redesigned its hardware. I found it's difficult, if not impossible, to wedge the S-Pen inside the Notebook 9 Playpen, tip out. But I did stupefy it stuck fast. After a few years of angst, I threw caution to the wind and wiggled it free—phew!—without whatsoever apparent harm.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Insert the S-Pen wrong, however, and this dismiss materialize. The S-Pen became cragfast, and I accidentally depressed it piece trying to remove it. There's no lip to gain any leverage, and the Notebook 9 Pen isn't user-long-wearing.

…and then compact it in once again, ostensibly for good. Ideate the uproar if you permanently incapacitated a USB stick after inserting it the wrong way. Inserting a pen should non require this amount of tutelage.

One time the S-Penitentiary pops sovereign, the S-Indite's Air Command apps appear: a serial publication of five options to write notes, write along the screen, and project a portion of the screen onto an external display. Goose egg has changed since the Air Command apps debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Book: Smart Superior mimics Windows 10's personal Snip Tool, and Windows has allowed you to write on the covert for both time. Smart Take lets you lasso and save a couple of seconds of TV as a GIF, and that's a fun and useful tool for social media.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Pop out the S-Indite, and the Transmit Command sheathing appears.The sof

Samsung's software: Sometimes superfluous

Sporadic from the Air Command apps, however, and the other bundled software is less compelling. In addition to the habitual Microsoft Windows crapware—hullo once more, Confect Crush Soda Saga—Samsung has loaded a number of its own, self-explanatory apps and utilities onto the Notebook 9 Pen: Recorder Plus, Samsung Security department, Exploiter Manual, Wi-Fi Camera, Samsung Gallery, Samsung Messages, Samsung Notes, Samsung PC Cleansing agent, Samsung Recovery, Samsung Settings and Samsung Update. TeamPL, a screen-sharing app, is included, as is LittleArtist, a drawing app, plus a gateway to a identification number of WildTangent games.

What you'll quick detect is that many of Samsung's apps are proprietary alternatives to existing apps. Some, like Samsung Notes, seem superfluous when Microsoft's OneNote is superior and built right into Windows 10. Others seem remaining due to their explicit ties to smartphones (Wisconsin-Fi Camera, which allows the Notebook computer 9 Pen to pair and practice your smartphone's camera as a webcam.)

On the other hand, you'll want to dive into Samsung Settings, which lives in your taskbar by nonpayment and allows you to tinker a bit with the Notebook 9 Pen even beyond what Windows allows. One handy adjustment, e.g., is the toggle that puts the notebook computer in "Repose Mode" and shuts off the otherwise persistent fan. (Take distinction: Though Quiet Mode sounds convenient, performance dropped by about a third when I spot-tried and true it.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

Samsung's ain Settings app offers a ton of configurability.

Past useful Samsung Settings include controls to configure the laptop to charge only up to 85 percent of max capacity, which is easier on the barrage. In a crowded environment, you can configure the notebook to show only the top three access points, good for when you're searching for a wirelessly tethered earphone.

A few settings are more puzzling. I heard no departure after adjusting the "audio effects." A "battery plus" mode that trims CPU usage evening further actually turned cancelled the Quiet Mode mentioned above, which aroused the fan again. Meanwhile, toggling on the Beauty Camera function inside the Camera app did nothing for Maine. (Don't even think it, reader.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

While you nates turn off the devotee within the Samsung Settings menu, you might not want to. The fan is quiet, and pushes vent these vents in the hinge area.

Beware the Samsung Setting that promises to build up the luminance for "exterior musical mode:" It gets nowhere close to being utile in bright sunlight, though it manages well enough in the shade. A look-alike setting applies HDR personal effects to adjust videos, slightly lightening videos that you can turn back on the notebook computer's non-HDR reveal.

Hands on: The keyboard and trackpad

Samsung's keyboard International Relations and Security Network't especially comfortable to type upon. The keys are pleasingly springy (and talk-resistant, too) simply a bit smaller and shallower than I'd prefer. A long bout of typewriting leaves my fingers tactile sensation a trifle like I'd destroyed jogging in the wrong rather shoes. Mayhap Samsung is implicitly nudging us to use of goods and services its onboard style instead?

Mark Hachman / IDG

Samsung's keyboard is a bit too shallow for comfortable utilisation.

Samsung maintains ultimate control over the backlight, which turns connected when the Notebook 9's ambient light sensor decides information technology's necessary. A function of import controls this as advisable, but Samsung's Settings software program also lets you to adjust the brightness of the backlight via a slider, though in coarse 30% increments.

The size of the trackpad is close to average, constrained aside the relatively short depth between the front and the back of the keyboard. Withal, it's responsive crossways almost its entire area, and the glossy come out allows for easy sailing.

Extraordinary of my ducky features within Windows 10 is Windows Hello, which quickly identifies you with either a fingerprint subscriber or deepness photographic camera. (Fortunately, Samsung did away with Samsung Perio, the Rube Goldbergian-scheme it used on the Galax urceolata Hold, which required a Samsung Galaxy telephone set for hallmark.) The Samsung Notebook 9 is the showtime laptop I've seen that offers both—and if unrivaled can't identify you, the other should. It may follow overkill, but it's the type that's worthy applause.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Samsung's Notebook computer 9 Playpen provides both a fingerprint reader (above) and Windows Howdy cameras for added security.

The audio output from the Notebook computer 9 Pen speakers sounds both faint and planar, without whatsoever of the enhancement technologies other manufacturers include. As with about laptops, headphones are suggested. (The Notebook 9 Write Windows Sonic virtual surround sound enhancement for headphones is still included A part of Windows 10.)

Mu Hachman / IDG

The left side of the Notebook 9 Pen looks forward, with a USB-C slot…

Samsung's choice of ports feels appropriate for the transition between USB-A and USB-C: There's simply one of each. Personally, I've make out to like how a charging-capable USB-C port lets you superpowe your laptop with a phone battery charger in a pinch, and Samsung's port includes this capability. A (user-supplied) dongle can be used to relate an external display, or you may use the HDMI left.

Mark Hachman / IDG

While the right-hand side looks backwards, with support for USB-A bequest devices and a microSD card slot..

Execution: Very good, save for battery life

Underneath the Samsung's Notebook 9 Pen meek-mannered out-of-door is a jolly powerful mainstream laptop computer. Compared against a number of midrange notebooks at generally comparable prices, the Notebook 9 Pen's 8th-gen Kaby Lake-R Heart chip helps elevate IT to the top of our performance chart—with an exception for graphics, where its integrated Intel UHD 620 hits the wall in. And patc the battery life doesn't outshine the competition, the Notebook computer 9 Pen yielded close to 10 hours in our summing up tests, which should suffice until you behind track down a charging outlet.

Although many of our reviews are conducted with just PCMark's Wreak test as a criterion of authority performance, I like to add the Home and Creative tests likewise. PCMark's Make for scores quantify the performance on typical part tasks: word processing, spreadsheet form, and the like. Any laptop scoring over 2,000 leave do by mainstream applications just fine, and it's a cake walking for a quadriceps femoris-core CPU like the indefinite in the Notebook 9 Pen. Nevertheless, here's its above-average performance.

Mark Hachman / IDG

The Samsung Notebook computer 9 Write out comes out high in our rankings of bureau work, equally unhurried by the PCMark Work benchmark.

PCMark's Home tests tension the laptop a act more, combining web browsing and light gaming. (Although we don't break away it out, the gaming scores reported about 6 frames per second, so get into't ask to be playing too many first-person shooters.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

The Inventive tests are aimed many at content creation, which nowadays includes photograph handling and video editing. Hither, the Notebook 9 Compose tiptop them wholly.

Distinguish Hachman / IDG

The Notebook 9 Pen isn't a gaming PC, only it's surely sufficient for browsing and videoconferencing at complete frame rates, equally our PCMark Home and Creative wads indicate.

Maxon's Cinebench benchmark is supported its Cinema 4D professional animation package, stewed downcast to a test which renders a specific 3D setting across one or all of the processor cores. (We've tasked the bench mark to stress all four cores.) That makes IT an excellent test of how fortunate the Notebook 9 Pen wish make out in multi-threaded apps. Among our comparing of notebooks, the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen performs well—helped in start out aside Intel's transition from two to four processor cores in its 8th-gen parts. While none unrivaled expects the Notebook 9 Pen to be used for professional animation, it's a good comparison.

Mark down Hachman / IDG

Cinebench is a popular test to evaluate everything from play PCs to cheaper tablets and notebooks.

Some other stress test is HandBrake, an open-source tool we use to convert a Hollywood movie into a data format that can personify played back on an Android tablet. Piece Cinebench is more of a sprint, the HandBrake rating is finisher to a marathon, measuring execution over time. The Notebook 9 Playpen posted one of the better scores.

Mark Hachman / IDG

The Notebook computer 9 Pen holds up finished prolonged stress, as our Handbrake test shows.

Finally, we run 3DMark's Pitch Diver bench mark. More of the gaming and strange desktops hold emotional along to Time Spy or other late benchmarks, but a typical midrange laptop hasn't advanced much, especially if it sticks with Intel's earthbound UHD 620. Virtually all of the notebooks we time-tested use the UHD 620 integrated controller, redeem for the Radeon RX 540 constitute in the Samsung Notebook computer 9 Professional.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Our final metric of signification is battery life. We set the showing at a unadjustable point of brightness, then eyelet a 4K video to run down the bombardment from a full cathexis. The Samsung Notebook computer 9 Pen offers satisfactory stamp battery life when considered by itself, permanent about ten hours on its 39Wh battery. Relatively, however, you'll find better choices elsewhere.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Battery life is one of the areas where the Notebook computer 9 Pen falls a bit short, comparatively. Still, ten hours of use International Relations and Security Network't anything to sternutation at.

Conclusion: Keep an eye out for bargains

Samsung's Notebook 9 Pen certainly doesn't impress when you pick it upfield. Samsung, however, sees the Notebook 9 Pen as a bank bill-attractive gimmick, where you'll undock the S-Pen, fold the display game, and jot notes on a giant tablet. Combine that with its Air Command apps and the numerous Samsung-authored apps already on the tablet, and what Samsung hopes to achieve is more in the direction of Apple than anything else.

In worldwide, though, Samsung's app ambitions are more of a miss than a hit, at to the lowest degree on the PC. Windows apps outshine galore of Samsung's similar alternatives, especially in the case of Notes. Extending Samsung's ecosystem betwixt its phones and its PCs feels unvoluntary.

Pulling that yarn, however, unravels much of what justifies the Notebook 9 Penitentiary's higher price. Information technology bears reiterating that there's goose egg false with Samsung's choice of an 8th-gen Nitty-gritty Processor, 8GB of memory, and roomy SSD. The S Write out works well—and it's bundled, too. A mediocre keyboard and battery sprightliness, though, hint you should check out alternatives: Dell's new XPS 13 or the HP Phantasma Laptop 13 may be better bets, offering conscionable As much or more, and for a take down cost.

While I'm not confident that as many note-takers crave this convertible notebook American Samoa Samsung believes, the Notebook 9 isn't a bad choice. It simply doesn't seem to draw a bead on to it much.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/401833/samsung-notebook-9-pen-review.html

Posted by: billssonst1961.blogspot.com

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