New Samsung M60 (17" widescreen)

I'm surprised no one has started a thread for this...

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3573

Is this perhaps *the* perfect gaming laptop? 1920x1200 17" Widescreen, nVidia MXM GF8000 graphics, AND Blu-Ray? Have I died and gone to heaven? Should I chuck my T60 WS already? lol

 

It's not the M80 but the M60 (how can I change the thread name?) and it got given a passing mention here, along with some other new models. However, I take your point that it would be useful to have a thread, maybe a sticky, for the Samsung news.

The big question for the people west of the "pond" is whether Samsung's non-competion agreement with Dell is about to expire.

John

 

I can't change the topic name either =[ I went by the title... if you click the link the header says M80, while the title says M60.

 

I can't change the thread name either. I plan to start a new thread for Samsung news and then I can merge this into the other thread. That should fix the problem by going around it.

Anyway, thanks for the info. There are also some other new Samsung models announced at Cebit.

John

 

I know that the m60 will offer a Blu-Ray Drive, however, I wonder if Samsung will offer the m60 without the Blu-Ray drive because for me that's a useless feature that just makes the laptop cost more.

 

You might want to check the price before doing so...Or the issues it might have...
That way you might feel yourself returning to the ground with a rather unpleasant bump.
Even the highest rated laptops have their own problems, which might prevent people from buying them...

 

I hope I can rename the M80 thread by creating a new one with the right name and then merging the threads.

John

PS: That worked!

 

Additional information on the M60 is starting to emerge. Drivers and software are now posted on the Samsung download site. The files include a 100MB multi-language User Manual package.

I attach the specifications and the overview from the User Manual.

The M60 is clearly a refresh of the M55 with the addition of an HDMI port. The weight remains at 3kg. The specs list 3 display resolutions. It remains to be seen what hardware configuration will be offered in individual countries.

John

 

this is the one you told me before rite john. when i was asking about the M55. So is this model is already in UK market? or anywhere in the world?

note: to change the thread name, you need to be moderator/admin n choose the thread on the list from the sub forum, n go to edit function, but if the admin set the moderator to have no right to change the thread name, then you can't... because I'm running vbulletin board too for my website. So it shouldnt be that complicated actually... just some info...

 

Yes. This is the refresh of the M55. I think it is a month or more away because there isn't yet a BIOS posted for this and the other files were only posted this week.

That discussion about renaming is from March. I have, in fact, just renamed it again by starting a new thread and then merging in the old one. I don't see a way to rename directly.

John

 

okay... thats cool enough... cause if i want to recommend this to my friend... then i need to tell when he can buy it too... thank for the info...

if you cant rename it directly... i suppose you dont have the right to do that, maybe you can ask the admin to give the right for you to rename the topic. Cause i'm sure the function is there, only thing is, if you are given the right to do that or not... your way worked... but take too much work... why do we need to go thru long way if the easier way already made rite...

just want to give the idea so that you dont have to do that way everytime...

 

The M60 is now listed at DigiUK.

T7500 CPU
2GB RAM
200GB HDD
1680 x 1050 display
8600M GPU
And a price about the same as the M55 it replaces

Very attractive for a lightweight 17" machine.

It's not yet in stock but the fact that it is now listed by DigiUK usually means it is very close.

John

 

nice... i wonder how it will cost here in germany... cause digiuk wrote £1340... i wonder if the price different will be so big like Q45.... but thats really nice spec with weight just 2.92kgs.... my friend sure will like it...

but they didnt write anything about the battery life is it... or is it normal for 17" notebook they didnt write such thing?... but 9 cell battery should give around 2-3hours battery life rite?

 

M60 now also listed in Germany:

http://www.heise.de/preisvergleich/a265635.html

Samsung M60 Aura T7500 Bikilu (NP-M60A002)
Core 2 Duo T7500 2x 2.20GHz • 2048MB (2x 1024MB) • 200GB • DVD+/-RW DL • NVidia GeForce Go 8600M GS 256MB • USB 2.0/FireWire/Modem/Gb LAN/WLAN 802.11agn/Bluetooth • HDMI • 3in1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS) • 17" WSXGA+ TFT (1680x1050) • Windows Vista Business • Li-Ionen-Akku (9 Zellen) • 2.90kg • 24 Monate Herstellergarantie

 

It's on sale in Korea here, but it only has a 8600M gs, not a GT.

 

These are listed in quite a few places now.... has no-one got one yet? For a 17in its not that big (somewhat smaller in many ways than the Asus G1S I was considering), and comes with Vista Home (unlike the X65). But like all forum junkies, I need a review!

 

There's some more info on the M60 in this thread.

John

 

From speaking to Samsung UK, this above spec will be released in UK soon. The current UK model is NP-M60A001/SUK. Only difference - hard drive size. 160Gb to 200Gb.

 

I was considering this but i opted for the X65 instead, main reason being that if i was going to pay the extra money and have to carry the extra weight around i would have wanted at least an 8600GT.

An 8600GS seems a bit limp for a laptop of this price and if they can fit an 8600GS in a 15.4 surely they have room to play with on a 17" model to get a GT in there.

 

I have attached some pictures so you can see what the unit is like as the Samsung website aren't very good.

3dMark06 score @ 1280x800 2955
3dMark06 score @ 1280x1024 2816
3dMark06 score @ 1680x1050 2201

The battery lasts about 2.5 hours, depending on the brightness of the screen. There is a handy speed select switch with basically sets the CPu from 2.2Ghz fixed to 2.2 -1.6Ghz variable or 1.6Ghz fixed. This can quieten down the notebook which isn't really noisy anyway down to silent.

I have updated the graphics drivers with NVidia latest drivers and a modified inf file. This seems to have sped up the unit in games a little.

Watching 720p movies/TV on the unit looks brilliant and sounds good too. Only 2 speakers, but they do a good job. With the 17.1" screen sitting in bed, at about arms length is like watching a 40" TV from the sofa.

The unit feels solidly built and the screen hinges are a little stiff, but this is good as the screen is so big and probably weighs a bit on its own.

Vista - well what do I say. I looks pretty - erm, erm, it looks pretty.
I'd rather it had XP Pro on it personally, but then DX10 goes out the Window. I might dual boot it when I can be bothered as some of the XP software I used to use won't work on Vista.

What else do you want to know about it?

 

To be honest, there is no reason at all. The cards should be interchangeable as well. The reason I never went with 15.4 SXGA+ is that I wouldn't be able to work with it. Text is too small. I know Vista is supposed to sort that out, but it doesn't work on everything, I've tried on my media centre to run 1920x1080 on my 40" TV, be internet is too small to read.

The HP 8710p would have been nice, but I got a Samsung reseller discount so that sold it to me.

 

I'm eager to buy this notebook and have been watching it closely for some months.

Lately, a new UK model has appeared, part number NP-M60A002/SUK instead of the old NP-M60A001/SUK. The Samsung UK website didnt have it listed, and retailers had scarce details if any.

I gather that it has a 250Mb HDD instead of the 200Gb one, but retailers are listing it as being cheaper than the 001/SUK! Hence there must be a tradeoff of some sort.

Anyone knows what this is about?

 

The HDD seems to be the only change I can see. DigiUK usually take care to ensure that their published specs are correct. The M60 was overpriced so a price reduction should not be seen as as meaning any reduction in spec. In fact, the M60 is still overprices in comparison with the X65 which has a very similar spec except for the size.

John

 

Thanks John.

I feel that the M60 is still overpriced for what it offers, but if you want a lightweight 17" with decent performance and battery life there isn't much to look at. The closest I see is the HP DV9667EA - inferior in some aspects, but the price is so tempting.

Meanwhile, I've searched high and low for a 'user' review. Anyone with direct experience of this laptop please fill us in!

 

There's a few comments about the M60 in this thread and a few comments at PC Advisor. You may also find some reviews of the M55, which has the same chassis.

John

 

The Samsung M60 is an underestimated piece of kit.

I was reading an expert review of the Apple Macbook Pro stating that at 3kg, it was the lightest 17" available. Well, the 6-cell version of the Samsung M60 weighs in at 2.9 kg, making IT the lightest 17" laptop around, and at less than half the price. It is lighter than some 15" laptops. (You'll probably find lighter, but perhaps not with a dedicated graphic card)

It is also rare. From what I gather, it has been released only in the UK, Germany and Austria. I wonder if it is because of the Dell issue.

Here are its few weak points which may be of concern:

1. No Expresscard slot (only PCCard slot)
2. No inbuilt camera
3. No firewire port
4. No numeric keypad

 

And it needs a 8800M...

 

Meanwhile, my efforts to determine a full list of specs for the M60 with part number NP-M60A002/SUK came to a dead end. Retailers like laptopsdirect suggested I contact Samsung tech support.

Samsung Tech Support on the other hand:

1. first stated that there should'nt be MAJOR differences
2. then they suggested I do a google search with the part number
3. then suggested asking the retailers themselves!

Shame. My confidence in this brand is dipping.

 

I agree that Samsung (at least in UK) could be much better about giving out more detailed specifications. What exactly do you want to know about the M60? A few months ago the Samsung UK website was seriously out of date. They seem to have tried to update it by covering it with flash stuff but the net result is that it is harder to get to the info about computers since the IT section links to monitors and projectors. (Tip - type "notebook" in the search box). Detailed specs about model M60A001/SUK are here.

You can find out all the general info by downloading the M60 manual from the Samsung download site.

To me, the biggest uncertainty in the available info about NP-M60A002/SUK is the 9 cell battery and a weight of 2.92kg. I'm sure one of these is wrong. The M60 at notebook.de is 2.9kg with a 6 cell battery while the M60A001/SUK specs say 2.96kg with 6 cell battery.

I would suggest that you direct your questions to Samsung through the electronic messaging system which you will find in the FAQ section. However, it may take a little while for someone to find the answers - there may need to be a 3-way interaction between the technical support people, the UK sales people (who choose the options for a specific model) and the factory. I think the root problem is that the people in the Samsung UK sales office who order stuff from the factory and send out specs to the retailers don't properly understand the product.

John

 

Thanks John. All I need to know is: what exactly comes with the NP-M60A00 2/SUK part number. The samsung website only lists the NP-M60A00 1/SUK. At the moment, it seems retailers and Samsung only know the details of the NP-M60A00 1/SUK part number.

For the benefit of anyone reading this, one correction: the M60A00 1/SUK, from laptopsdirect, is advertised as 3.2kg with 9-cell battery.

 

OK. I sent a message yesterday to Samsung support and have just received the following reply:

I'm not convinced about the weights. Normally, one cell of the lithium batteries weighs about 50 grams, so a 6 cell battery usually weighs around 300 grams and a 9 cell would be 450 grams. It would appear that the 9 cell battery for the M60 has a heavy casing, also 3.2kg is still light compared to most 17" notebooks.

John

 

Anybody knows what happened to the 1920x1200 version of the M60?

There are not many WUXGA laptops around and, even less, at 2.9 kg so I was really keen to consider one of these.

 

WUXGA is a factory option but it needs someone in the Samsung UK sales office to think they would sell enough to merit ordering a batch from the factory. Even Samsung Germany, who offer a wider range of models, offer only the 1680 x 1050 display.

The M60's predecessor in UK, the M55, had a 1440 x 900 display so they probably think that 1680 x 1050 is a big step. The new Samsung R700 (at about half the price of the M60), has 1440 x 900 @ 17".

John

 

Thanks very much for the prompt reply.

I wonder how can it be that I am the only one who would be interested in such a beast (17" WUXGA for less than 3 kg!).

I used to have a Sony-Vaio XP497 (before they stole it from the boot of my car) and it was just great, albeit too heavy (more than 4 kg) and far more expensive.

Also noticed that Toshiba does not do WUXGA on anything but QUOSMIO (sorry for wrong spelling), which stands at nearly 5 kg!

Beside I think the technology is there to do even better and do 17" at 2 kilos or less (if they only put those little disk drives, thin screens and thin chassis that they use for ultra-portables into a bigger beast!)

 

Yes, it is interesting how little interest is shown in the M60 and this is demonstrated by the number of views of this thread.

Part of the problem is the price which must cause a lot of people to look no further. If it were £999 then I would anticipate a lot more interest. Same for the X65. Both of these models are priced similar to their predecessors which doesn't reflect the drop in component prices over a year.

John

 

IMHO, it does look nice.. but the gpu "blowed" me away....