By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
14-inch notebooks are still the most common and popular in the market. For most school and office-focused work it presents the perfect combination of portability and power. Samsung's aluminum covered NP QX411 notebook exemplifies the upper midrange for a 14-inch with an Intel Core i5 Processor, 4GB of RAM and an impressive feature set.
Samung has imbued the NPQX411($999) with premium good looks and a competent feature set that will delight most users looking for a solid, all around notebook in the popular 14-inch line.
We found it to be quick and responsive running Windows 7 Premium and even when crunching a video we had recorded.
The edge-to-edge LED screen with 1366x768 pixel resolution is also great for playing back movies or watching videos off the Internet.
We're happy that Samsung finally saw the light and moved away from the glossy plastic it was fond of in previous notebooks of this size.
The brushed aluminum finish is more mature and gives off a definite premium look and feel plus give the notebook a solid edge.
We found typing on the chiclet style keyboard to be a treat since the keys are well spaced and with good tactile feedback. The trackpad area took some getting used to and felt at times that it needed some calibration. Once you learn the multi-touch gestures, however, it is a lot easier to manage.
Ideal for students off to unversity who need an all-in-one notebook that will last, offer an above par 5-6 hour battery life despite running on a powerful new Intel Core i5 mobile processor, the QX411 offers fit and finish that is rare in Windows 7 machines today.
While a bit expensive at $1,000, Samsung's QX411 is a well rounded, solidly built and capable notebook that won't dissapoint.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5