Labs

Size isn't everything, but having the only 14.1-inch screen in a group of laptops with 15.4-inch displays, the Samsung might feel a little inadequate. It makes up for this with some fairly solid core components. These start with an Intel Core Duo processor, although it's the slowest one here, the T2250, which runs at 1.73GHz.

ADVERTISEMENT

There's 1GHz of RAM, enough to let Vista run smoothly. Together they propelled the Samsung to a passable 116% in our 2D benchmark tests. The hard disk gave us cause to grumble, though. Like the MSI's, it's a measly 80GB, the kind of size better suited to an iPod than a computer these days.

Where the MSI goes for brash salesmanship, the Samsung keeps a low profile. Its black plastic finish is a little old-fashioned, but you'd still be happy to take it out in public, which isn't hard at a weight of 2.4kg. This is due in part to its smaller screen, which runs at the same 1,280 x 800 resolution as the 15.4-inchers, meaning icons and text are slightly smaller and harder to see. Its backlighting is also a little dim. You wouldn't want to stare at this screen for too long, and on battery power you wouldn't be able to: the Samsung mustered the shortest rundown time, under three hours of normal use.