Optical Storage                DVD-RW Dual Layer (External)
Graphics                             Intel GMA X4500
Display                                13.3" Flat LED WXGA (1280 x 800) Gloss
I/Os                                      3x USB2.0, 1x LAN, 1x VGA, 1x ExpressCard, mic/headphones jacks, 1x HDMI
Installed OS                        Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Battery                                 Li-Ion (6-cell)
Dimensions                         311 (W) x 228 (D) x 16.5~30.9 (H) mm  
Weight                                 1.35kg (w/6-cell battery)
Others                                  Webcam, wireless, 7-in-1 card reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, SDHC, MMC, MMC plus, xD)
Warranty                             x-years
Contact                               Samsung Careline
Telephone                         1 800 88 9999
URL                                        www.samsung.com/my

Exceptional X360
By Muzaffar Ismail

The current craze for notebooks is to be ultra-thin and super slim, trying to emulate Apple’s ultra-slim MacBook Air. However, ultra-thin and super-slim don't always mean ultra-light nor do they mean ultra-strong. While Dell's Adamo went one way with an ultra-thin, ultra-strong but also fairly heavy notebook, Samsung have maintained their current design philosophy of ultra-thin and ultra-slim while shaving off weight and making their new notebooks energy efficient. Hot on the heels of the Samsung NP-X460 (HWM March 2009) we have this 13.3” NP-X360.

The NP-X360 follows the ultra-slim and ultra-light design philosophy and while it isn't thinner than the MacBook Air, it is lighter or at least marginally so. In terms of looks, the NP-X360 looks a lot like the larger NP-X460 with two thirds of the cover in brushed matte black and the rest in a piano black glossy finish. The glossy surface is a fingerprint magnet just like its higher-end sibling and something you should expect as you'll no doubt touch it when opening the cover. The 13.3” screen is just as good as the X460's screen but thanks to the slightly smaller dimensions, doesn't flex as much as a larger ultra-slim screen. The keyboard keys have been spaced mirroring the MacBook Air for a comfortable typing session. The trackpad below the keyboard works well while the fingerprint sensor on the right allows for some measure of biometric security if you require it.

The NP-X360 actually comes in two variations: with the lower-end version featuring a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and the higher-end version using a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The lower-end version uses a SATA hard disk drive while the more expensive version uses an SSD hard disk drive. Connectivity-wise, the NP-X360 offers a HDMI port, three USB ports, a network port, a VGA port, an ExpressCard slot and a 7-in-1 flash memory card reader. The NP-X360 runs on a 6-cell Li-Ion battery which does make the rear jut out a little. Thankfully, the NP-X360 comes bundled with an ultra-slim external optical disc drive.

The NP-X360 delivers a PCMark05 score of 2986 which is slightly above average, no doubt in part due to its SATA hard disk drive and onboard graphics. This means that while you can run officeware and normal applications well, you should probably avoid intensive 3D graphics apps. This is further proven with a Quake 4 score of only 3 FPS although casual games should run just fine. This notebook seems to have been optimized for energy efficiency as it ran for an awesome six hours in our battery test. The smaller screen is just as adept for viewing HD movies, while speakers are above average.

Movie Playback Test
Movie Battery life rating: 300 minutes

HWM’s Verdict
Physique                      9.0 / 10           
Features                       8.5 / 10
Performance                8.5 / 10
Value                           8.5 / 10

An ultra-light and super-slim 13” notebook with a six hour battery life

Overall:                      8.5 Out of 10