NEWS CATEGORIES:

NEWS ARCHIVE >>
SOFTPEDIA REVIEWS >>

Home / News / Technology / Laptops

Laptops

The Truth about Samsung's Q1 Not so impressive after all	By Anca Rusu, Technology Editor 8th of May 2006, 07:57 GMT Adjust text size:


The $1,100 Samsung's Q1, one of the most expected devices to be launched, proved to be not so imposing after some preliminary tests. This is the first product designed to Microsoft's "Ultra-Mobile PC" pattern, being also named "Origami", after the code name Microsoft used before its unveiling in March. The project represents Microsoft's effort in solving two of the most crucial issues: the weight and size of most laptop computers and the insignificance of the company's Windows XP Tablet PC Edition to most consumers. Q1 runs on a 900MHz ultra-low voltage Celeron M processor and an Intel 915GMS chipset, with 512MB of 400MHz DDR 2 SDRAM and a 36GB hard drive, measuring 22.8 x 14 x 2.7 cm and featuring a 7 inch (800 x 480 pixels resolution) LCD display. The device also features an integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and 10/100Mbps Ethernet networking, Bluetooth 2.0 and two USB 2.0 ports. Samsung's Q1 includes SRS' TruSurround sound 3D audio system, operating through the device's twin speakers and Windows Media Player 10. Customers will be happy to know that the device has also a built-in GPS receiver and navigation software. These are some remarkable technical capabilities, but the way they are used is not so notable, as the manufacturer had to give up several features in order to obtain the perfect weight - a CD and DVD drive and the keyboard. And that's just the start. Samsung Q1 runs on the Tablet software, replacing a mouse with a touch-sensitive display, allowing you to enter text by writing on that screen. But, as your handwriting isn't converted to text automatically, you are unable to share it. Another big issue is the fact that Q1 doesn't come with other software applications besides Microsoft Office, last year's version of Norton AntiVirus and a copy of Windows Media Player including an extra "skin" for the program. Q1's screen represents another problem, as the display is far smaller than almost every other laptop's display, its low resolution - 800 x 480 pixels - leaving most programs cramped. Web pages required constant scrolling, Microsoft Outlook could only display 14 lines of an e-mail message, and buttons in most dialog boxes were either partially cut off by the bottom of the screen or hidden entirely. A button to the left of the screen can simulate a higher resolution, but at the cost of making text and images look unfocused and blurry. And even then, many Web pages assume a taller display.

Rating:

Good (3.2/5)

7 vote(s) so far

Read by 1,509 user(s) | Add comment | Link to this article

Subscribe to news |

Print article |

Send to friend

© Copyright 2001-2008 Softpedia
Contact:

SEARCH THE NEWS ARCHIVE :

Today's News | Yesterday's News | News Archive

MORE RELATED ARTICLES:

Dell Inspiron 2200

Intel's Supermodel Laptops

Nec Introduces the Laptop Without A Hard Disk

A Laptop's Best Friend

Intel Criticizes MIT's 100 USD Laptop

The UTMS Laptop from Fujitsu Siemens

DigiTimes Thinks Apple Will Roll Out Robson Enabled Laptops

The New 17inch MacBook Pro to Be Launched in June

Samsung's Q1 Is More Expensive Than Expected

Microsoft, Samsung and Intel Executives Mess Up Origami PC Demo

User opinions:

No user comments yet.

Be the first to express your opinion using the form below!

Share your opinion:

SUBMIT PROGRAM \| ADVERTISE \| GET HELP \| SEND US FEEDBACK \| RSS FEEDS \| ENTER NEWS SITE \| ENGLISH BOARD \| ROMANIAN FORUM
© 2001 - 2008 Softpedia. All rights reserved. Softpedia™ and the Softpedia™ logo are registered trademarks of SoftNews NET SRL.	Copyright Information \| Privacy Policy \| Terms of Use \| Update your software \| Archive