Samsung X60 (Core Duo Processor T2300 1.66GHz, 512MB RAM)

	More features are located on the front and rear. (Click for larger image)

But it's not just all play and no work. The Samsung X60 has no problems handling the demands of work with its Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared and Gigabit LAN connectivity. Knowing that the serious business traveler normally has multiple batteries, a built-in power indicator displays the charge level at the touch of a button. A fingerprint sensor provides a level of protection from unauthorized access, though those with greater security needs should look to other notebooks like the ThinkPad T60 or HP Compaq nx6320 with a Trusted Platform Module chip and hard drive protection. For legacy devices, a serial port is also included, though we do not expect this standard to remain in use much longer.

The 15.4-inch transflective widescreen has the usual 1,280 x 800-pixel maximum resolution and though the portable offers monitor and S-video outputs, we would have liked to see the digital DVI standard being incorporated as well. Video rendering is handled by the ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card with 128MB of VRAM, though the HyperMemory technology can use up to an additional 128MB of system RAM for heavy graphics processing.

Performance And Battery Life
Our review unit came with the Intel Core Duo T2300 processor running at 1.66GHz and 1GB of DDR2 RAM and cost. Generating a score of 158 on MobileMark 2005 and 157 SysMark 2004 SE, the Samsung X60 may not be a computing powerhouse but should still easily handle most productivity and business tools in the market. 



As a gaming rig with an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics chip and 256MB of HyperMemory (using a combination of dedicated and shared RAM for video processing), it scored a respectable 1,059 on the latest 3DMark06, which is adequate for most games. However, frame rate-hungry shooters and simulations may require a notebook like the Acer TravelMate 8200 which has a higher-end ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card and a much higher score of 1,888 on the same benchmark. 

Battery life proved to be the Samsung X60's Achilles Heel. Despite the 5,200mAh battery, it only eked out a miserable 2 hours 47 minutes, which was comparable with the Toshiba Satellite A100. Frequent travelers are advised to purchase a high-capacity battery pack or keep multiple power cells close at hand.

BAPCo MobileMark2002 battery life in minutes (longer bars indicate longer battery life)

Samsung X60 (Core Duo processor 1.66GHz; 15.4-inch screen) 167 Toshiba Satellite A100 (Core Duo processor 1.66GHz; 15.4-inch screen) 153 Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (Core Duo processor 2.0GHz; 15.4-inch screen) 188

Service And Support
Samsung notebooks come with a one-year international warranty. On its support Web site, you can download user manuals, drivers and software patches. However, there is no knowledge database nor comprehensive FAQ for self-diagnosis. There is no telephone technical support and only a hotline number is given for basic inquiries. In case of hardware failure, the unit should be brought to a service center for repair. It is unfortunate that the number of service centers, of which there's only one location in Singapore, is found lacking. Overall, there is much room for improvement when it comes to Samsung's technical support.

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