Compare Prices : Samsung R610

Review summary: Samsung's R610 is a 16-inch laptop with a good number of features and a lower price tag than most of its competitors, but what do you lose for the value? Read on to find out

Pros: Thin and light, Inexpensive, Bright 16" display

Cons: Weak CPU performance, Low battery life, Limited feature set, Resolution could be higher

Verdict: The keyboard is full sized and, much to our joy after recently reviewing the keyboard-impaired IdeaPad Y650, even boasts a full numeric keypad. It looks like some of the keys are just a tad smaller than they had to be to make this fit, but none of the ...

Review summary: Yet another notebook trend is on the rise: Laptops that try to straddle the fine line between portable media player and desktop replacement. They sport comparatively large displays (and footprints) with lower price tags than one would assume for the ...

Pros: Full-sized, comfortable keyboard Great software suite

Cons: Difficult-to-see, low-resolution screen

Verdict: The backup software suite gets the job done, with the now-standard recovery utilities allowing you to easily create backup images with a minimum of stress. I won't ding Samsung for it, but seeing a driver-level backup option in a future version would ...

Review summary: For a laptop with a Blu-ray drive, the attractive R610 is relatively cheap, and the aspect ratio of its 16-inch screen means you can watch high-definition films without any annoying black bars. It's also a decent multitasking machine, and its keyboard ...

Pros: Blu-ray drive ; true 16:9 screen ; good keyboard

Cons: Relatively short battery life ; tinny speakers

Verdict: The Samsung R610 rather uncomfortably and unsuccessfully straddles the space between a traditional laptop and a model that's aimed at the entertainment market. We think most buyers would be better off with the company's R560 or R710 models instead

Review summary: If it's odd to see Samsung's name on a notebook, you'll likely get used to it. While the company had previously sold its branded notebooks only overseas, it recently entered the U.S. market with no fewer than five notebook lines, ranging from netbooks ...

Pros: A multicore notebook for $1,000! Well-rounded amenities

Cons: It looks, feels, and performs like a budget notebook

Verdict: But just a little time using the R610 is sure to bring out the critic in any power user. Our first disappointment was with the screen's image quality. There's a very narrow sweet spot at which the picture looks good. Stray from that spot either ...