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Samsung X10 Plus slimline notebook

Samsung tackles Sony, Toshiba on style

The screen is a 14.1in affair and is a very fine example of a good TFT display. Unfortunately, the resolution is limited to 1024 x 768, which is a little disappointing considering the physical size. I know that this resolution is the norm for slim and light notebooks, but when you're getting a 14.1in screen, you might as well get a high enough resolution to make the most of it. I don't mind being limited to 1024 x 768 if I'm working on a device the size of the IBM X40 or the Sony X505, but the X10 Plus really needs more desktop real estate to make the most of it's dimensions.

Of course what's inside a notebook is also important, and Samsung has put together a pretty decent specification for the X10 Plus. Being Centrino branded, it comes as no surprise to find an Intel Pentium M CPU inside, clocked at a respectable 1.8GHz. Supporting the CPU is 512MB of RAM and a capacious 80GB hard disk. Despite the slim chassis, there's also a DVD/CD-RW combo drive in evidence. The drive will burn CD-R and CD-RW media at 24x, while also reading CD-ROM discs at 24x and DVD-ROM discs at 8x.

Samsung X10 Plus

The other half of the Centrino story is, of course, the wireless networking. Taking care of this is an Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG adaptor that supports both 802.11b and 802.11g standards. Talking of communication, there's also a wired 10/100Mbps Ethernet adaptor and a 56Kbps modem included. Conspicuous by its absence is Bluetooth, which is a shame. It is useful to be able to link-up to your mobile phone for Internet connectivity when you can't find a hotspot.

On the right of the casing you'll find the combo drive, a USB 2.0 port, a microphone socket and a headphone socket. On the left there's a single Type II PC Card slot, another USB 2.0 port, a D-SUB connector, a six-pin FireWire port, the modem socket and an Ethernet port.

Samsung X10 Plus

At the rear of the chassis the battery extends slightly outward from the main body. Next to the battery is the power socket, an optical S/PDIF output and an S-Video output. Finally, at the front there's a MemoryStick slot, which will be handy if you have a MemoryStick based digital camera or music player.

Next page: Verdict

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