Samsung are launching, as I type, the Samsung ATIV Book Q…

A hybrid with another completely new design, QuadHD+ (3200×1800) and weighing 1.2KG. Based on Haswell (Core i5 4200U with HD 4400 is confirmed as one of the options.)

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The Samsung Series 7 is, in my eyes, one of the best Ultrabooks out there right now. It combines some of the best elements of Ultrabooks in one tidy package. I had a chance to check it out at CeBIT last week and I’m now sure it will be high on the list of many readers over the next 6 months.

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I’ve just got back from CeBIT but there are a number of experiences I still have to tell you about. Most are already in my YouTube channel so check that out. Here’s one that I think many of you will be looking at if you’re considering mobility and flexibility. The hybrid laptop, dockable Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro is effectively an Ultrabook crammed into a tablet and a docking station with keyboard and USB ports.

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I must be nuts. I’ve just paid 900 Euro for an Atom-based notebook. Or am I?

A few days ago I bought the Samsung ATIV 500T after a disappointing time with the Lenovo Lynx keyboard (of all things Lenovo!) The unboxing went well until I spotted a connectivity problem between the dock and the tablet. I really wasn’t very happy. Today I swapped it out for a new one. I also spotted the 3G version in stock so I end up paying 899 Euro. It’s more expensive than at other retailers too although, for you US people, it’s a business sale which is 19% tax-free here in Germany.

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I took the Lenovo Lynx back to my retailer today (because of this keyboard issue) and came away with a Samsung ATIV 500T and docking keyboard. I’m desperately looking for a good, long-battery life Windows 8 Touch writing / blogging laptop and even though the Samsung ATIV 500T is expensive and doesn’t come with an additional battery in the keyboard dock I decided to give it a try. I’ve unboxed it, presented it and tested the keyboard in the video below. I’ve also hit a deal-breaker. The connector between the keyboard and the tablet isn’t working properly and the keyboard disconnects if you move the tablet. You have no idea how annoyed I am at Samsung. The rest of the device was looking near perfect (Note:for me.) Sigh!

At this stage I’ve simply pushed the ATIV to the side of my desk. Clearly it needs to go back to the retailer again but I just can’t face going back-and-forth because of  poor quality control on an 800 EURO ATOM-BASED convertible. Why should I waste my time? You’ll see my frustration on the video.

I’ll continue to try and get hold of test models for UMPCPortal but I’m pulling out my 800 Euros investment until I can be 100% sure of a good product.

A big thank-you to Hector Gomez for writing up this excellent and detailed owner-review of the dockable Samsung Series 7 Tablet / Smart PC Pro ATIV 700T. Hector has owned many other mobile devices in the past and recently reviewed the Smart PC ATIV 500T for us over at UMPCPortal. The 700T review paints a very positive picture of this Ultrabook Convertible and Surface Pro alternative.  Pay attention!

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The Dell Inspiron 15Z Touch is here for a review (with an Nvidia GT630M GPU) and out of the blue, a Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch (with SSD) turned up today too so as is the law around these parts, I unboxed them for you. Actually I took 15 minutes to take a good look at both and, ahem, dropped the Samsung Series 5 in the process!

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The Samsung Series 7 Ultra isn’t an Ultrabook convertible which means it’s not getting the best of media attention right now but please, take a closer look because the specs are spot-on for many of you that could be looking for a ‘pro’ Ultrabook. Full HD, Discreet graphics, full SSD and a touch option. In out opinion this could be one of the best Ultrabooks yet. It’s available for pre-order now in Germany so here’s the detail, pricing and an idea of availability. I will be checking this out at CeBIT in about 4 weeks.

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