Samsung claims lightweight crown for new laptop

Samsung has unveiled a new thin-and-light laptop aimed at mobile professionals, claimed by the vendor to be the lightest system available with a 13.3in screen.

Available from September, the Samsung X360 weighs 1.27kg, but is fully featured without any compromise, according to Samsung. It is based on Intel's Centrino 2 mobile platform with 1GB to 4GB of memory and a choice of 120GB hard drive or Flash SSD storage up to 128GB. Prices have yet to be announced.

Samsung claimed a battery life of up to 10 hours continuous use from the X360's 6-cell battery pack, while the 13.3in screen supports a resolution of 1280x800 and an LED backlight that delivers about 33 per cent extra brightness over other designs.

“The X360 pushes back the boundaries of form and function to deliver real style with substance,” said Samsung UK's IT business director, David Smith. He added that the new model delivers everything that users need for life on the move.

For use on a desk, the new laptop is compatible with Samsung’s P-Dock docking station which adds a number of extra ports including serial, USB, Ethernet, e-SATA, and both DVI and HDMI video output. To cut down on weight, there is no optical drive as standard, but an external DVD writer is available as an optional extra.

The Samsung X360 is available with Windows Vista Business edition and includes a one-year international collect and return warranty.