[Tfug] Netbook with a good screen? y3a6a3a9

[John Gruenenfelder]

Thanks to everybody for their input.  I'm still a bit disappointed
that the particular class of machine I was looking for doesn't seem to
exist.  I was hoping that some of these fancy new screens would wind
their way down to lower-end machines, but I suppose if you have
limited stock then you're better off putting it on a tablet than a
netbook.

That doesn't mean I've stopped looking, though, just that it will cost
more than I was expecting.  Regarding Harry's suggestions, if I just
wanted to replace my Dell laptop, I think the Lenovo models would
definitely fit the bill.  To get a better screen, though, the link to
the Sony model was promising.

There are... a number of reasons why Sony is not my favorite company,
but, having said that, their ultrabooks are very close to what I want
and seem to be, in general, about $200-250 less than their
competitors.  I looked at quite a few Sony models on Newegg.

However, due to a bit of serendipity, I happened to be in BestBuy and
found an "open box" Samsing Series 9 (NP900X3B-A01US).  With the open
box discount it was quite a bit less than what Newegg charges, even
with tax added in.  The tags in BestBuy give little useful
information, but I looked up a bunch of specs and reviews on my phone
and decided to pick it up.

I've only had it a short time, but so far it is extremely nice.  Core
i5 CPU (1.6 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, and a 1600x900 13.3" screen.
The other reason for getting it at BestBuy is that I can return it
anytime in the next 30 days without penalty.

Right now, I'm trying to decide if I should keep it because of three
important caveats.  The first is the RAM.  After checking online
(extensively), Samsung seems to confirm that the memory *can* be
upgraded to 8 GB.  Their web page is not terribly specific, but there
is a Q&A from a Samsung rep I found and she said that it is.
Unfortunately, others on the Net have opened their machines only to
find that the memory modules are soldered to the mainboard and not in
sockets.  A couple of people have posted chat transcripts with mostly
useless customer service reps who give conflicting information.  After
some of my own phone calls, Samsung now says that what they *really*
meant was that the board can theoretically hold 8 GB, should they ever
choose to release such a model.  I was given the number to the service
center, who gave me another number, and I'm trying to contact them now
to see if, while not user-serviceable, maybe the service center can
upgrade the RAM.  Probably not, though.

The second caveat is that this machine is incredibly picky about what
it will boot from.  Surprisingly, a lot of people complaining about
this online returned their notebooks for replacements and booting
worked far better on the replacements.  There wasn't enough
information to understand why, though.  My guess would be differing
BIOS versions, but I'm on the latest version and it's still touchy.
I've still got a few more things to try, though, before I'll have to
return it simply because I cannot boot from any USB device to install
Debian.  :(

The third caveat is less an issue and more of a question.  The next
minor revision of this notebook, the NP900X3C, is the same except it
switches from a 1.6 GHz Sandy Bridge CPU to a 1.7 GHz Ivy Bridge CPU.
The specs are also a little more concrete in that this model now
explicitly states that the RAM cannot be upgraded.  I don't really
need the small-ish bump in CPU power, but the change also means going
from Intel's HD Graphics 3000 to 4000.  Reviews I've seen note that it
is still low end graphics, though it is approximately 30% faster than
the 3000 graphics.  With the newer CPU, this model costs slightly more
than the Sandy Bridge model, and I'm just not sure it's worth it.  I
understand that Linux/X support for the 4000 is still pretty anemic at
this point, but that usually changes quickly with Intel hardware.  And
I plan to keep this notebook (whichever one I end up with) for some
time, so maybe it would be a good idea to get the slightly better
graphics?  Obviously no power gaming here, but every little bit helps.

Does anybody here have personal experience with both the 3000 and 4000
graphics?  What have you noticed?  Are there any special Linux or X
pitfalls other than new hardware needs time?

Thanks again.


--John Gruenenfelder    Systems Manager, MKS Imaging Technology, LLC.
Try Weasel Reader for Palm OS  --  http://weaselreader.org
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