The first AMD E-450 laptop to hit Philippine shores - Samsung Series 3 NP305U1A

The Samsung Series 3 NP305U1A, a 11.6-inch ultra-portable weighing in at an amazingly light 2.71 pounds is now available at Asianic.

 

Weight. The 2.71 pound weight makes it much lighter than its main competitors, the 3.5 pound HP DM1z and the 3.2 pound Sony Vaio YB. Part of the weight reduction is the smaller capacity 4-cell battery, while the heavier HP DM1z has a 6-cell battery. But the weight reduction is not due to the battery alone, after all the heavier Sony Vaio YB also has a four cell battery. 

Smaller package. While the Samsung NP305U1A is just a bit thinner than the HP DM1z and Sony Vaio YB, but it is much smaller overall. The Samsung NP305U1A is 10.9-inches wide and 7.7-inches deep. The HP is a bigger 11.4 x 8.4-inches which is similar to the size of the Sony Vaio YB at 11.4 x 8 inches. The smaller size accounts for the rest of the weight reduction, but you also have to contend with a more cramped keyboard than the one on the HP DM1z.

Power. What the Samsung NP305U1A also has going for it against 3.5 pound HP DM1z and the 3.2 pound Sony Vaio YB is that while the HP and Sony units have an AMD E-350 inside, the Samsung sports the newer and faster  E-450. 

The AMD E-450 with a dual core 1.65GHz processor is only marginally faster than the AMD E-450 at 1.60GHz. But the faster processor speed is not the reason to get excited about the AMD E-450. With the E-450 you get the faster HD6320 graphics and support for DDR3 1333Mhz memory too. 

Colorful. The Sony Vaio YB came out in three colors. Color options seem to be mandatory these days for consumer laptops. The Samsung NP305U1A has five color options (Grey/Black, Silver, Blue, Purple and Pink).

Price. Priced at Php23,900 it is priced a bit higher than the HP DM1 by 1-2K depending on where you buy it. But Samsung did not scrimp on the rest of the kit. You get the Samsung NP305U1A with Windows Home 7 Premium Basic, 2GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, HDMI out and the other typical laptop connectivity options. I am a bit disappointed about the absence of a USB 3.0 port, that kind of this should be standard these days. A 6-cell battery would have been nice to have too. With the 4-cell battery, you can expect about 3 hours of use.]

Clearly, it is a better choice than the more expensive (Php26,990) Sony Vaio YB. The longer battery life makes the HP DM1, still a viable choice. Buyers simple have to decide whether to prioritize light weight and a bit more power versus endurance and a larger keyboard.