Samsung Slate PC Review

The Samsung Slate PC. Is it a tablet? Is it a desktop or is it a laptop, well I’m going to find out and see just what can be made of such a product. Powered by Windows 7 the Slate PC should be an interesting item to review. As always, let’s take a look at what’s under the tiny hood of one of these units, and with this, it’s a fairly large list! · OS: Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit · Processor: Intel Core i5 Processor 2467M (1.60 GHz, 2.30 GHz Turbo, 3 MB L3 Cache) · Memory: 4GB (DDR3) · Display: 11.6" HD LED Display (1366 x 768), with Gorilla Glass & Wacom Digitizer · Graphic Processor: Intel HD Graphics 3000 · Speaker: 1.6W Stereo Speaker (0.8W x 2) · Integrated Camera: 2.0mp Web Camera · HDD: 64GB (SSD) · Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n (up to 300Mbps, WiDi Support) · Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0 · HDMI: Yes (Micro HDMI) · Internal Mic: Yes · USB: 1 x USB 2.0 · Multi Card Slot: Micro SD · X-Dock Port: Yes · Keyboard Type: Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard (Aluminium, 81Key) Slate PC Dock Cradle (LAN, HDMI, 1x USB2.0, Headphone Jack, DC-in) Loaded up with Windows 7 this device is marketed as being a Slate PC which is kind of a place in between regular desktops and tablets. With the dock and keyboard it becomes a touch PC and on its own it becomes the tablet. Don’t be fooled though, the tablet isn’t what you’d normally be used to in regards to tablets. At 11.6” it is fairly large compared with others and fairly pricey coming in at $1349 at time of writing this review. With Windows 7 loaded onto the device users will find it pretty easy to get used to. It acts like any other laptop or desktop you have, simply load it up and install all your programs as you normally would. It definitely adds a completely different perspective to how you use your computer. Being able to touch the apps you have gotten used to over the use with a mouse definitely refreshes your computing experience. On the subject of touching, the display is pretty decent in terms of touch sensitivity however I did notice at times it wasn’t precise as other tablets I’ve used. This is where the stylus comes into play. Touching is fun and all but sometimes when you need quick work done, the stylus is the way to go. Performance wise the unit is relatively fast. With a Core i5 and a 64GB SSD the unit boots in under 10 seconds and is very responsive with program usage. One of the let downs is video performance. With only the on board graphics processor I found the unit stuttering and lagging while playing a full-HD MKV file. This was a bit concerning as this tablet really is like a multimedia device to hook up to a larger TV or device and for it to slightly under perform with the simplest of tasks like video playback, is a bit concerning. The unit gets recharged while sitting in its dock which also features additional IO’s like an Ethernet port, HDMI and a USB port. The unit does look strikingly elegant sitting in the dock and would suit almost any study room or modern living space. Just take it off its dock and you’ll have yourself a tablet running Windows 7! As I mentioned earlier, graphical power isn’t the greatest in this unit so gaming performance won’t be too hot shot. It has enough power to run some basic games like Diablo III or even Counter Strike, just be informed that FPS gaming and touch screens don’t work at all. The Samsung Series 7 Slate PC is a feature packed hi-tech piece of equipment. My problem with it is that it has a very niche market. It’s not a tablet and it’s not a laptop which makes it sit awkwardly in between two market leaders. The issue is that it is loaded with Windows 7, which can complicate things. You see with a tablet, it’s pretty easy to just download apps, and they’re ready to go, with this you need to manually install everything like you would with a normal computer. When you’re on the go and on the run, downloading apps seems much easier than installing software.  If you’re a businessman or businesswomen constantly on the go and need a device to present to clients and aren’t happy with tablet offerings and the unsupported program on tablets, then this is what you could need. sahin.s@centrecom.com.au