Samsung expands netbook, notebook line-up...

MANILA, Philippines - Samsung refreshed its line of netbooks and notebook computers last week with new models that improve on those introduced a few months ago.

The Samsung N150 Plus netbook features a 10.1-inch anti-reflective LED display with a scratch-resistant lid casing.

This model boasts of 11 hours of battery, runs on Intel Atom N450 processor and Windows 7 Starter, with a 250 GB hard disk space and 1 GB memory, plus an Intel integrated graphic processor. It also features a webcam and a slew of I/O (input/output) ports and connectivity options to serve mobile users better.

A more powerful model, the Samsung N220 Plus netbook, offers many of the N150’s features but with an Intel Atom N470 processor and longer battery life of 14 hours.

Samsung also introduced the latest additions to its R-series notebooks that include the value-line R440 and two models of the high-end R480.

The R480-JT02Ph is based on Intel Core i3 processor and Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit). It has 2 GB DDR2 memory, 1 GB video memory and 500 GB hard disk capacity.

The more premium model, the R480-JT03Ph, is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, runs on Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and offers a 4 GB DDR3 memory.

Samsung loaded the R440 with an Intel Core i3 processor and a Windows Home Basic (32-bit). This particular model features a 2 GB DDR3 memory, only 512 MB of DDR3 video memory, and a 320 GB hard disk.

All three notebooks use a 14-inch LED HD display with 16:9 aspect ratio and LED touchpad lighting. They also have low-profile keyboard for easier typing, scratch-resistant lid casings, built-in super multi-drive, and six-cell battery that offers up to 3.5 hours of charge. All I/O ports and connectivity options expected in today’s notebooks are also present in these models.

All the latest Samsung computers also have built-in software tools such as the AnyPC for secure one-click connection to another PC, and FailSafe which offers online tracking of lost or missing computers so that all data they have could be remotely encrypted if not deleted.

There are also features unique to a particular model such as the Instant On tool found in the N220 Plus netbook that allows instantaneous boot-up in seconds, and the USB sleep-and-charge port in the R480 notebook where users can charge other portable devices even when the notebook itself is off. The R440, on the other hand, offers three operating modes – silent, normal and speed.

The Samsung N150 Plus is priced at P21,900 and will be available in black, red, pink and yellow. The N220 Plus will sell for P24,900 and it comes in green and red.

The R440, selling for P38,900, features Samsung’s so-called “hairline wave pattern” and is essentially in black. The R480 series sports Samsung’s “crystal S pattern” mainly in red with the edges in black. The Intel Core i3 model retails for P44,900, while the Intel Core i5 unit costs P54,900.