Samsung takes to the sky to launch its 2010 notebook range

The Samsung N210 is also a 10.1in netbook, but it has a larger battery (5900mAh compared to 4400mAh) and is therefore a little heavier at around 1.35kg. It will also be a little more expensive than the N150 — $599 as opposed to $499. It will be available from JB HiFi, Bing Lee and The Good Guys.

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Samsung yesterday launched its 2010 notebook range high above Sydney Harbour. Using the services of [[xref:http://www.eventsinthesky.com.au/|Events in the Sky]], a bunch of intrepid tech reviewers and Samsung's fearless notebooks product manager, Emmanuele Silanesu, were hoisted 40m into the air by a 160,000kg crane. Strapped into our seats with no chance of escape, we learned of Samsung's new offerings -- the R-Series, the N210 and the N150 -- while taking in panoramic views of Sydney and an incoming storm (which never actually hit). This is the view of the event from PC World's headquarters in North Sydney.
Lying down on the job and probably hoping no one drops their fork.
... as was the view straight down.
It has a comfortable keyboard with island-style keys, and the touchpad has tiny LEDs at the corners so that you can easily see where it is while using the notebook in the dark. It will be available from retailers such as JB HiFi, The Good Guys, Bing Lee and Myer from around $1599.
If you're after something smaller, the Samsung N150 is a netbook with a 10.1in (1024x600) screen and it uses an Intel Atom N450 CPU. It's approximately 1.24kg and has a 6-cell battery. It will be available from JB HiFi, Bing Lee, and The Good Guys from $499.
However, the new R-Series notebook's screen did flutter slightly when the gusts picked up. You can see that the new notebook has a very reflective body and Samsung claims that it's scratch-resistant, so you should be able to carry it and its power supply in your backpack without fear of marring it.
Back on terra firma, we got a chance to check out the new notebooks in more detail. The Samsung R780 is the powerhouse model, available in either Core i5-520M or Core i5-430M versions, with a 17.3in LCD screen, 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, a 500GB hard drive and weighing only 2.64kg.
And of course, the customary shot of Sydney's iconic bridge.
The Sydney skyline to our left was breathtaking...
Samsung's Emmanuele Silanesu was spruiking the longer battery life and higher quality screens of the new notebooks, as well as their lighter weight. Unlike most notebook manufacturers, Samsung makes most of the components that go into its notebooks, such as the screen and the battery. The company claims this lets it offer better performance in these areas.
Lunch was served on the platform; interestingly enough, cutlery and plates weren't tethered to the table and we were allowed to bring cameras and phones onboard.
... but most of us were concerned with the view — and the storm in the background! The platform was actually very stable, barely moving around in the wind.
Screens were attached to the canopy to aid the presentation...
Smiles all round as we take in the views and try to digest the information from the presentation.
The crew from Events in The Sky prepare the platform as Samsung's notebooks product manager gets used to the swinging feeling while walking in the middle of the platform.

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