Elegantly designed and well-equipped, the Samsung QX410 delivers lots of value and appearance good working. This 5-pound notebook features a fast Intel Core i5-460M processor, Intel’s Wireless Display technology, and Nvidia’s GeForce 310M graphics with battery-saving Optimus technology.

Design
Encased in silvery aluminum with a sophisticated brushed metal treatment, the Samsung QX410′s lid and deck present an upscale feel. A raised logo crafted in reflective metallic letters tastefully proclaims Samsung’s handiwork. Tipping the scales with a modest 5 pounds, the laptop measures 13.7 x 9.7 x 1.1 inches. Unlike other fashionable notebooks carved at a single block of metal (for example the MacBook Pro), the QX410′s aluminum style doesn’t continue to the undercarriage. Above the keyboard, you’ll find a circular power button with a subtle blue LED, dedicated volume and mute controls, including a wireless on/off button.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The chiclet-style keyboard is adult size and may receive few complaints from all forms of typists. The “clickpad,” however, is really a different story.The QX410-J01 uses a “clicking touchpad,” through which the mouse buttons are built into the touchpad itself. This approach works beautifully on Apple MacBooks, but up to now no one has gotten this right. HP tried it without success with the HP 14-1110NR, and today Samsung is intending the same. In the QX410-J01 the integrated set of two mouse buttons hinder the touchpad’s function, notably if you surf with two fingers-one for dragging, the other for clicking the mouse button. The touchpad multitouch gestures don’t help. It’s confusing the second finger as being a command to pinch-to-zoom, enlarge, or scroll. When the gestures aren’t recognized incorrectly, the cursor jumps in one end to the other. A hassle-free work-around is usually to navigate and click on with a single finger.

Display and Audio
The Samsung QX410 is graced with a bright 14-inch LED-backlit display. Placed in a glossy, flat bezel–which Samsung is the word for as “Edge-to-Edge Glass”–the laptop’s screen includes a 16:9 widescreen format. The display’s 1366 x 768-pixel resolution is standard for just a notebook this size, and DVD movies looked excellent. The QX410′s glossy coating is really a reflection magnet. Viewing angle performance is at line using what we have seen using their company portables, namely the Sony VAIO EA and Dell XPS 14, allowing groups to take pleasure from the show.

Ports and Webcam
The included Webcam includes a maximum video resolution of 640×480 pixels, together with suitable contrast and image quality to get off a considerable Web chat, but is way from high-definition.Despite a thin body, the Samsung QX410 includes a standard supply of ports, for most bases. An odd dust-shielding plastic hinge reveals two concealed USB 2.0 ports and HDMI. Considered one of the two USB ports has Samsung’s version of sleep-and-charge, and can be familiar with USB-charge a smartphone or other gadget even though the QX410 is hibernating or powered down. 1 / 3 USB port is hidden on the right side, behind the DVD drive. There is absolutely no ExpressCard slot or eSATA, but all normal bases are covered.

Performance
The Samsung QX410 features a 2.53-GHz Intel Core i5-460M processor that scales nearly 2.8-GHz dynamically. 4GB of RAM deal with memory duties, while a huge 640GB disk drive (5,400-rpm) covers data storage needs.With Windows Home Premium as the laptop’s OS, the QX410 notched a remarkable PCMark Vantage score of 5,977.The notebook copied a 4.97GB folder of mixed media at a rate of 21.6MBps; that’s below the average for just a machine this size, that’s 24.6 MBps.

Battery life and Wireless
Intel Wireless Display, as we’ve discussing before, is really a useful wireless protocol for transmitting audio and HD video content to a TV without wires. WiDi requires the utilization of a $99 Push2TV box from Netgear, that’s sold separately. Other technologies for example Apple’s own AirPlay and bulky solutions from HP and Asus’ WiCast offer slightly different solutions, also wireless. Wireless Display blocks content from DVD or Blu-ray playback, but it surely remains a good choice for home users looking to make their laptops effortlessly are a part of a home entertainment setup. Considering the already low tariff of the QX410, it’s a nice add this is not really costing any extra.Now, about that battery conservation: while Optimus provides some leg up on battery life weighed against laptops this size with dedicated graphics that cannot be turned off when not in use, the Samsung QX410 lasted for 3 hours and 29 minutes using the included six-cell battery. Measuring only average in regards to a 14-inch laptop, but it’s better than the Toshiba Satellite E205-S1980, and than most gaming-capable Core i5 laptops.

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