Few laptops garnered as much virtual ink at CES 2011 as the Samsung Series 9, a slim, slick 13-inch laptop positioned as a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air. Later came an 11-inch version, but both were priced well over $1,000, putting them out of reach for most laptop shoppers. Samsung subsequently developed a more mainstream line, called the Series 3, and the first Series 3 product to hit store shelves is the 11.6-inch model, currently available in the U.S. exclusively at Staples.
Samsung Series 3
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
As a less-expensive version of the snazzy Series 9 (or Samsung's just-announced Series 7 laptops), the Series 3 fills a need for an 11-inch ultraportable that has a sharp design, and also breaks the typical 11-inch AMD E-350 mold. Instead the Series 3 uses an Intel Core i3 processor, but can otherwise be seen as competing with systems such as the Lenovo IdeaPad S205 and HP Pavilion dm1z.
Related links
• HP Pavilion dm1z review
• Samsung Series 9 (11-inch) review
• Samsung's new Series 7 laptops
• Lenovo IdeaPad S205 review
The 11-inch Series 3 is currently $699 (we've seen some $100 discounts come and go already), which is dangerously close to full-featured laptop pricing territory, and more expensive than AMD-powered ultraportables. That said, the performance of the Series 3 beats those other systems (but the battery life does not). For $100 less, we'd be sold; for now, it comes down to a careful calculation of your price/performance/battery needs.