Samsung Series 7 Slate Pre-Order Starts. Price Matches Capability.

Posted on 05 October 2011, Last updated on 03 January 2014 by

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Prediction: 9 out of 10 commenters around the web will accuse the Samsung Series 7 Slate as being ridiculously over-priced. Personally I think its the best Tablet PC I’ve ever had my hands on and in my opinion it’s well worth the money that is being asked. Liliputing have details.

In 2012 the Series 7 will mature with Windows 8 into one of the most multi-scenario high dynamic range computers there is. Clearly I’m not disguising the fact that I want one!

I probably don’t need to explain to you all why it’s so good but ill try and summarize anyway. First though I have to raise my hands and say that this isn’t a UMPC, by a long shot, although it’s lighter than many device we’ve covered here on Umpcportal.

5-20x the CPU processing power of an ARM based tablet. (depending on Turbo state)
Around 5x the CPU performance of a single-core netbook.
Dual touch/pen input layers
Hardware video co/dec (it’s bloody fast at file conversion too!)
Dock, Keyboard included
Under 900gm

Most people would have no problem using this as a desktop PC. With Windows 8 I suspect that many will enjoy this as a tablet. Can you imagine how devices like this will mature in 2013. I estimate 700gm for even more processing power than this. We’re getting there, and interestingly, Atom is nowhere to be seen.

I’ll be testing the Series 7 later in the month and am really looking forward to the live review session. I hope you will join me.

http://liliputing.com/2011/10/samsung-series-7-slate-now-available-for-pre-order-for-1349.html

39 Comments For This Post

  1. Elmstrom says:

    Really looking forward to your live session on the Samsung 7 tablet. Maybe its not an UMPC, but it is this year’s most interesting device. I am not sure i need it, but i sure want it :)

  2. fab says:

    …that’s actually incredibly true! maybe you don’t need it, but definitely want it :-)

  3. fab says:

    Steve, if i’ll get it before you should get one (..i actually doubt that :-) ) then i’ll come to germany and you can use mine for the live session :-)

  4. dakon says:

    I’d be more interested if it came with a 10 inch screen with the same specs.

    I never bought a Samsung PC before. Anyone know how good Samsung is with providing updated drivers and software when a new OS comes out? Or even provide updates for the shipped OS?

  5. fab says:

    considering how you’re going to use this slate (maybe as a desktop replacement) and what you’re paying for, it would be a “waste” to give it a 10″ screen.

    i just got my first samsung laptop and since i don’t own it for a long time, i can’t really tell you how the support is. but considering that not much crapware was installed and that the features are well supported – especially compared to a non-existing sony support – i would say, you can’t go wrong with samsung. others with other experiences may tell you more though

  6. dakon says:

    I guess my planned usage scenarios differs from yours. I don’t plan on using it as a desktop replacement. Plus I could connect a larger monitor since I read it has microHDMI (I think a dock too).

    My usage emphasizes portability and a 10 inch screen is a good balance for me. For the software I need to run, an Atom CPU isn’t enough.

  7. nick says:

    Windows 8 or not, I would rather have a netbook form factor with a Core-i5 myself. I need a mouse and a keyboard. Touch is just a supplemental user input for me.

  8. jada says:

    @nick
    A netbook form factor with a Core-i CPU would be great! What’s harder to make: an 11.6 inch slate that’s 0.5 inches thick or a 10 inch nOtebook that’s around 1 inch thick? It would be nice if the latter was easier.

  9. Chippy says:

    10″ with Core i5, hmmm. Possible I think, considering the Ultrabooks are only 18mm thick.

  10. jada says:

    I also agree that, for me, touch input is nothing more than a workaround to no physical input or just a secondary user control.

  11. zeo says:

    Panasonic does make a 10″ with Sandy Bridge, B10, S10, N10 and J10 series with i7-2640M, i5-480M, and i3-380M, but they’re all well north of $1000 and they’re thicker than normal netbooks. Though mainly due to the large battery that provides netbook like run times.

    Perhaps when Ivy Bridge comes out the pricing will go down and they can make them thinner.

  12. aftermath says:

    It is somewhat laughable that you’re so jazzed about this device, as it’s basically a watered down version of the Motion Computing J3500 that’s been around for a while by now. Yes, that device is “expensive”. However, I made back every penny I spent on it by lunch time of the very first day that I used it, and when I sold it, the net cost to me was less than the asking price of this tablet. Compare that to buying an iOS or Android device (which I’m not allowed to do because I keep passing the IQ test that you’re obliged to fail before falling into such “monkey traps”), which are just liabilities with no real upside. The best you can do is pretend to justify your purchase as a need or shoehorn it into a productivity scenario for which it was never intended to flourish.

    A comment on your prediction: 10 out of 10 people who call this device overpriced probably don’t know what a tablet actually is, wouldn’t know how to use one effectively if you handed it to them, don’t understand the horrible defects in the “tablets” with which they are familiar or how those problems were fixed in legitimate tablets long before these consumer con “tablets” ever existed, don’t care about the advantages of a tablet computing platform like this over a mindless over-sized PDA/phone, and probably didn’t even pay attention to the slate form factor until “tablets” were heavily marketed to consumer electronics morons.

  13. fab says:

    ..so basically you actually made the biggest mistake by buying one which was the most expensive one..that would hurt me too :-)

    and why always criticize people of their mistakes they do when purchasing something they apparently don’t know what to do with it? i guess, people here know better what they really want – and sometimes it doesn’t have to make sense to purchase something that the “guts” wants and not the brains..

  14. lastcall says:

    You display an amazing lack of empathy. People aren’t stupid just because they make different, informed choices than you do. People have different needs and buy different devices accordingly.

  15. luke says:

    I also would like to buy a 10 inch notebook that doesn’t have an Atom CPU. Anyone know of any upcoming devices like that?

  16. timon says:

    @ luke

    This is more to match your wish.
    NEC LT550/FS to be sales in this month Japan, the pricing is not cheap, but all the accessories included.

    Hands-On (Japanese)
    gigazine.net/news/20110927_lavie_touch/

    Spec
    121ware.com/navigate/products/pc/113q/09/lavie/touch/spec/index.html

    Screen, IPS 1280×800 high brightness (Ho, IPS screen!), 10.1-inch capacitive touch, (unfortunately, there is now no 7-inch or 8.9-inch).

    Battery, interchangeable (interchangeable way!), 10.6 hours, 34Wh.

    HDMI out on body, yes.

    USB port on body, 2 ports.

    SD card slot, yes.

    Weight, 729g, body.

    2GB DRAM, PC2-6400. 64GB Serial ATA SSD. Atom Z670. (I wish that it is Atom n2600)

    ExTOUCH software is included, then you can take one-handed operation, like cellphone touch.

  17. lars says:

    The closest thing I found was the Fujitsu T580 that came out last year. I didn’t buy it though since I have no practical use for the convertible tablet part of it and am hoping for a notebook only version. Maybe that will make it thinner and/or cheaper.

    I agree with the other commenters about touch not being a good primary control. It just doesn’t scale well at all from small devices like smartphones to larger devices like this. Even using an Android tablet and iPad, I constantly wished it had a built in mouse pointer and keyboard.

  18. jake says:

    The only scenarios I’m currently aware of where touch/pen input is actually better on these larger devices are for point of sale devices, art, writing and perusing through photos. Since I don’t do any of that except for the photo part, I’ll also be hoping for a notebook only form factor of that T580.

  19. ep121 says:

    It looks great, it’s an improvement of the ep121, if they don’t have the same distribution problems as the asus one (no stock, only available in us, etc) , this will sell well.

  20. k_leung says:

    Samsung Series 7 Slate PC this model with 3G connection, is this for 3G data only or 3G Voice (Cellular) mobile telephony capabilities.

  21. Andreas LMP says:

    Hi!

    I feel the need for a Windows tablet to use it as my single computer device the Onenote and everything else.

    I have a Notion Ink Adam, that I find good, mainly because of it`s PixelQi screen, so that I can use ir outsides and read a lot on parks.

    To me this Samsung Series 7 is a really good option for my single computer device. If it had a PixelQi screen, it would be perfect!

    In hope that it would be possible to install the new PixelQi screen on this tablet.

  22. reverendo says:

    Would love to see real-world battery life. If it’s around 5 hours and is available in the next week I’ll be buying one.

  23. Chippy says:

    Check out my battery life estimates in my performance testing article here. http://www.umpcportal.com/2011/09/samsung-series-7-tablet-breaks-100k-in-crystalmark-brief-testing-notes/

  24. reverendo says:

    Thanks Chippy,
    looks very interesting indeed. Is there any similar tablet out there with an i3 (cheaper and more battery life)?

  25. timon says:

    Perhaps Dell Peju Windows tablet will be coming soon, 10.1-inch, Intel core i5, as well as 3G and 4G supported, the news leaked from “dellpejuinsider.blogspot.com”.

  26. Chippy says:

    Yup. Could be interesting. Ivy bridge likely think.

  27. Lucien says:

    Looking at that site it says 1920×1080 which for 10″ would be pretty high (but still would love that especially for pdf’s and images).

    Any idea how much nits for Samsung and/or Peju display?

  28. Lucien says:

    I saw 400 nits somewhere for the Series 7 which might make this little bit useable outdoors hopefully. Dell Peju supposedly would come out October but there’s very little info so far.

  29. timon says:

    at least currently, 1920×1080 in 10-inch screen is unnecessary, which could merely disturb reading to show more inconvenience, unless all the software UI and website contents to take redesigned for the 1920×1080 10-inch screen.

    The experience told me that 7-inch 1024×600 or 10-inch 1280×800, these are currently acceptable in most of the software UI and website contents.

    even though you watch photographic pictures, that the 150 dpi resolution screen is already a refined result. Most of the desktop monitor are resolution in between 72 – 100 dpi.

    If you simplex to view photographic pictures, which the screen in 300 dpi resolution is certainly better. However, the correct colour tone is more important than screen resolution. Unfortunately, most of the colour-tone of notebooks are obviously worse than the cheap TN monitors.

    I wish to see the IPS screens in more notebooks and tablets, and that the tablet screen ought to have better usability in outdoor daytime.

  30. DavidC1 says:

    If the Dell Tablet is releasing end of this year, its not Ivy Bridge. Even Q1 of next year is doubtful. The first Ivy Bridge chips released will be quad cores, but they’ll be in March. Dual cores are month later. Tablets and Ultrabooks might take more time because of the extra design required.

  31. PLocke says:

    Can anyone tell me when this would be more useful than an 11.6 inch notebook with similar specs? Thank you.

  32. zeo says:

    Depends on the user but take graphic artists, they can make use of the built in digitizer to create art, photoshop, etc.

    Pretty much any visual manipulation of data would find application in a tablet UI.

  33. park says:

    For most professions and casual use, the notebook would be more efficient and easier to use.

  34. Lucien says:

    And maybe best of both worlds are convertible tablets like the Lenovo x220t (they used to be just called tablets…). Only downside is extra weight and thickness.

  35. Wyveryx says:

    The times when an 11.6 inch tablet is better than an 11.6 inch notebook are very few (hand writing and art). Even with Windows 8, a notebook will be better. For everything else, typing on a keyboard will be faster. A keyboard and mouse allows for more feature rich software whereas forcing a touch UI creates dumbed down, restricted apps that requires more effort and time to get things done.

    It’s better to just buy an ultraportable or one of the upcoming ultrabooks than forcing yourself to use a large tablet.

  36. reverendo says:

    I need a light-weight tablet with W7. I’ll be using it in order to use a wireless projector and unfortunately only Panasonic has an app and it’s only for iOS, so it’s not an option. All other still use software which only works on Windows or Mac. I might not need all the power that this i5 can provide. Maybe an i3 tablet would be enough and would also give me more battery time. Netbook scenario is definitely too weak. Full Windows OS, weight, battery-life and power (in order of importance) are the main features I look for. This tablet seems to fit the bill, but mayber there’s something less powerful out there (hence more battery and cheaper).
    Hope anyone can help me out.
    best regards
    André

  37. frank says:

    Why not get an Ultrabook? If you want cheaper then there’s the 11.6 inch Acer 1830T. Unless you’re going to carry around the dock and keyboard, why restrict yourself to a touch only interface?

  38. umpcguy says:

    At 11.6 inches, to me, touch control would be pretty cumbersome. Maybe when Chippy does a review he’ll give more insight on how this is more productive than an 11.6 inch notebook.

    Of course if I were to buy a Windows tablet, I’d get this over an Atom based one. I’d only put up with Atom on 5 inch UMPCs.

  39. reverendo says:

    I had a Fujitsu P1630. Battery life and weight were a problem. Is there any ultrabook with touch interface that can be used as a convertible tablet? I loved my P1630, but now I would like to have a longer battery life, lighter, more powerful, and preferably both soft and resistive touch interface. This seems to be the only option at the moment, but I’m very open to other ideas. I’d prefer sub-10 inch.

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