Samsung NX2000

Pros Compact. Sharp kit lens. Good performance at higher ISO settings. Raw shooting support. Large APS-C image sensor. Big touch-screen display. Excellent Wi-Fi implementation. 7.8fps burst shooting. 3D lens support. Includes Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software.

Cons Screen doesn't tilt. Display is hard to see in very bright light. No EVF option. Noticeable shutter lag. Limited physical controls. Lacks built-in flash. Dedicated battery charger not included. Bottom Line The Samsung NX2000 mirrorless camera has a huge touch-screen display and great Wi-Fi support, but it's a little slow to focus.

By Jim Fisher

The Samsung NX2000 ($649.99 direct) is a mid-level body in Samsung's NX mirrorless camera lineup. It's aimed squarely at fans of touch-screen devices, as it eschews most physical controls in favor of a big 3.7-inch rear LCD. Its image quality is excellent, thanks to a big 20-megapixel APS-C image sensor that captures impressive photos through ISO 1600, but performance is slow and I found the touch-based interface to be cumbersome to use, especially when shooting in very bright light. But I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to camera controls; touch-screen aficionados will feel right at home. There's another Samsung mirrorless camera that we liked more; the NX300 is our current Editors' Choice for mirrorless cameras. It's a bit more expensive, but also more capable, as it sports both a tilting touch-screen and traditional controls.

Design and Features
The NX2000 is pretty small, especially when you consider the big image sensor that it contains. It measures 2.5 by 4.7 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighs just half a pound without a lens. It's not that far off in size or shape from the Sony Alpha NEX-3N (2.3 by 4.4 by 1.4 inches, 9.5 ounces). The 3N also uses an APS-C image sensor, but manages to squeeze a tilting rear display and an in-body flash into its body—the NX2000 offers neither, but does include a small external flash.

Unlike other interchangeable lens cameras, you won't find a lot of controls on the NX2000's body. There's a control wheel on the top plate, along with the Direct Link Wi-Fi button, the power switch, and shutter release. You'll find a movie record button, Home button, and image playback button to the right of the rear LCD, and an iFn control button on most lenses.

The control wheel takes a bit of getting used to. Simply turning it brings up an on-screen menu that allows you to adjust the shooting mode. You can do so by touch, or by turning the wheel to select a setting and pushing it in to confirm. Pushing the wheel in while shooting changes its behavior; if you're in aperture priority or program mode, the first press gives you direct control over the f-stop, and the second changes that to exposure compensation. The behavior is the same in shutter priority mode, substituting the shutter speed for the f-stop. In manual mode you can only adjust the aperture orthe shutter speed; the exposure compensation bar moves on its own to let you know if your shot is over or underexposed. You can shoot in manual mode with the ISO set to auto, giving you the option of controlling the depth of field and shutter speed without having to constantly fiddle with the ISO in order to get a proper exposure.

The iFn button, located on most NX lenses, comes into play with this body more than with other NX cameras. It makes up for some of the shortcomings. Pressing it gives you access to control a number of shooting settings, including the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and digital zoom. Each press brings up a different setting. You can use the control wheel or the manual focus ring to adjust the setting, and press the control wheel in or half-press the shutter to set it and dismiss the menu.

The rear display is huge at 3.7 inches; it occupies almost the entirety of the NX2000's backside. It's quite sharp thanks to a 1,152k-dot resolution, and quite responsive to the touch. But I struggled to frame images when shooting outdoors on a bright summer afternoon. I also had the tiny Pentax Q7 with me, and its rear display was much easier to see in bright light. It wouldn't be as much of an issue if the screen titled, like the one on the NX300, so that you could better adjust to avoid glare, or if there was an EVF available. Shooters who are interested in a mirrorless camera and don't want to give up an eye-level finder should consider the Olympus PEN E-PL5; its rear screen tilts, and it has an accessory port so that you can add the inexpensive VF-3 ($180) or top-end VF-4 electronic viewfinder.

Touch controls are always active. There's a big box that represents the focus area, and you can move it and refocus the camera with a tap on the display; the camera can also be set to take the shot with a touch, rather than just refocusing. There's also a tracking option, where the camera will attempt to follow the object which you touched as it moves through the frame. All of these settings are accessed via the Touch AF setting on the left side of the display. Below that is a touch control that changes how much information is shown; you can set the camera to display the minimum, or to add current shooting settings, a live histogram, and a virtual horizon indicator. If you like the NX2000, but are turned off by the touch interface, consider the NX1100. It's the same camera as the NX1000 that we reviewed last year, with the added addition of a copy of Adobe Lightroom.

The other major touch areas on the display are the Menu (bottom left) and Fn (bottom right) controls. Menu does what you would expect it to; it gives you access to a detailed list of camera settings, including control over manual focus peaking, sound controls, and video quality options. The Fn menu brings up the Smart Panel, which allows you to see and adjust shooting settings from one place. From here you can adjust the shutter speed, f-stop, exposure value compensation setting, ISO, white balance, JPG color settings (including some art filters that will make Instagrammers happy), metering pattern, autofocus mode, drive mode, and flash settings.

Wi-Fi is built into the camera, and like recent Samsung models, it's one of the best implementations you'll find. There are numerous ways to share images, including integration with Facebook, email, Picasa, YouTube, and SkyDrive, all directly from the camera. You can also set up files to back up automatically to your PC, and use the free Samsung Smart Camera app to send photos directly to your iOS or Android device. If you have other Samsung Wi-Fi devices in your home, you can use Samsung Link to share photos with them via the DLNA protocol. There's also a Remote Viewfinder function; it works with an app on your phone or tablet and allows you to control the camera via your phone's screen. NFC pairing is supported if your phone or tablet supports that technology. The NX2000 also supports the company's unique 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens; the NX300 is the only other body available with support for this lens.

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Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED OIS III NX

Pros Telephoto zoom range. Sharp at all but extreme telephoto angle. Optically stabilized. Affordably priced.

Cons Soft edges when zoomed. A little large compared with compact NX cameras. Narrow aperture. Bottom Line The Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED OIS NX lens isn't the fastest telezoom on the block, but it's sharp throughout most of its range and it's optically stabilized.

By Jim Fisher

The Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED OIS III NX ($349.99 list) is a telephoto zoom lens for Samsung NX mirrorless cameras. When paired with the APS-C NX sensor it covers the same field of view range as 75-300mm would on a 35mm or full-frame digital camera. It's the perfect complement to the standard 20-50mm or 18-55mm zoom that ships with NX cameras. There isn't a pro level f/2.8 telezoom available for the NX system at this time, so if you want a telezoom, this is your only option. Thankfully it's a good one, and it won't break the bank.

The lens itself is 4 by 2.8 inches (HD) when set to 50mm, and it weighs about 14.3 ounces. It extends while zooming, and there's also a reversible hood included that adds a couple inches to the height. Micro Four Thirds shooters have some more compact options for zoom lenses, as the smaller sensors in those cameras don't need as much glass to cover the image circle. The Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm (80-300mm equivalent) is only 3.3 by 2.5 inches in size and weighs just 6.7 ounces.

The zoom action is smooth, and the front element doesn't rotate during zoom or focus; it supports 52mm filters. The zoom ring occupies most of the barrel, but there's also a manual focus ring just behind the front element. The lens supports Samsung's iFn system, so the focus ring can also be used to adjust camera settings when used in conjunction with the iFn button, found towards the base of the lens. There's also a toggle switch to change between manual and autofocus operation. The minimum focus distance is just about 3 feet, regardless of the focal length.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the lens when paired with the Samsung NX2000. At its widest angle and aperture the lens performs superbly, netting a center-weighted score of 2,528 lines per picture height. That's better than the 1,800 lines we require for a photo to be called sharp, and that sharpness is also there at the edges of the frame; it manages an impressive 2,144 lines there. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves sharpness to 2,686 lines and edges near 2,300 lines. There's a little bit of distortion evident here, about 1 percent, but it's not worth writing home about.

Zooming to about the midpoint of the range, 130mm, narrows the maximum aperture to f/5. Sharpness is still very good here, 2,246 lines, but edge performance is a bit soft at 1,603 lines. Stopping down to f/8 improves the average sharpness only slightly, but the edges improve to 1,745 lines. At 200mm the lens maxes out at f/5.6 and sharpness dips down to 1,805 lines. The center is tack sharp, but the midpoint and edges of the frame aren't quite as impressive at only 1,600 lines. Stopping down to f/8 improves things a bit, bringing the edges up to 1,630 lines and the midpoint of the frame to a more respectable 1,679 lines.

If you're in want of a telephoto zoom lens for your NX camera, this is the one to get for a couple of reasons. It's the only one currently available for the system, although you can certainly use a lens adapter to mount one made for an SLR and manually focus. But it's also a good lens, albeit one with a slower aperture. The optical stabilization system makes it possible to get a steady handheld shot when zoomed in, even when stopped down to f/8. The f/4-5.6 aperture can't keep pace with the pro f/2.8 zoom lenses that SLR shooters have access to. But those lenses are many times more expensive and generally much larger and heavier than this one. There are some issues with sharpness when zoomed all the way in. Even at f/8 there's a touch of softness as you more away from the edge of the frame, but it's not dull to the point where you're going to notice it in smaller prints.

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Samsung PN60F8500

Pros Very dark blacks. Accurate colors that pop. Strong feature set. Good 3D depth.

Cons Pricey. Not energy-efficient. Funky remote. Bottom Line The Samsung PNF8500 series is a top-shelf plasma HDTV line that delivers outstanding color quality, solid 2D and 3D imagery, and very dark blacks. You'll shell out some big bucks for this model though, and you may want to pick up a universal remote while you're at it.

By John R. Delaney

If plasma technology is on the way out, someone forgot to tell the folks at Samsung. It's easy to see why the 8500 series of plasma HDTVs represent the company's flagship line; the 60-inch PN60F8500AF reviewed here is aesthetically pleasing and delivers beautiful colors, inky blacks, and amazing image detail in both 2D and 3D modes. Our gripes are minor; at $2,799.99 (list) this HDTV doesn't come cheap, it's a bit of a power hog, and its unique remote can be tricky to master. Nevertheless, the PN60F8500AF is our newest Editors' Choice for high-end plasma HDTVs.

Design and Features
The PN60F8500AF looks good even when it's powered off. The 60-inch, 600Hz Subfield panel is framed by stylish brushed metal bezels that are capped off with shiny chrome trim. The slender (1.9-inch) cabinet weighs in at 64 pounds and comes with a unique metal teardrop-shaped stand that runs the width of the set (54.8 inches). The stand is sturdy and attractive, but it does not allow you to swivel the cabinet.

At the rear of the cabinet, on the lower left corner, is a small joystick mechanism that functions as a power switch, volume control, channel changer, and input selection button. It can also be used to access the extensive settings menu system and the Smart Hub. Like all on-panel controls, it's an interface of last resort against the HDTV's unique remote.

Left-facing connections on the back of the screen include four HDMI ports, three USB ports, and a digital audio output, all of which remain easily accessible when the TV is mounted on a wall. A cable/antenna port, an Ethernet port, shared mini component/composite AV ports, an IR output, and Samsung's EX Link service port all face downward. The top of the cabinet has a pop-up camera that can be used for gesture commands and video chat, and there's a microphone embedded in the remote that accepts voice commands. As with the UN60ES8000F reviewed here last year, both features require a good deal of patience and practice to get them to respond correctly to perform tasks like raising and lowering the volume, searching for content, and navigating the settings menus. Personally, I think these features are more gimmicky than useful and can be downright frustrating at times, but your mileage may vary.

The same can be said for the Smart Touch remote. Covered in brushed metal and measuring a little over 5 inches long, this remote touts a more minimalist design than your typical 40-plus button remote. It offers only 16 buttons and features a touch pad that is used to scroll through menu options, Web apps, and settings choices. It takes some getting used to and is not the best control mechanism for children or anybody with limited patience. It has dedicated Smart Hub and 3D buttons as well as a voice button that activates the built-in microphone.

Picture settings are abundant. In addition to the various picture modes (Movie, Relax, Standard, Dynamic), there are controls for Cell Light, Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Color, and Tint. The 3D Settings menu lets you adjust perspective and depth and toggle between 2D and 3D. Advanced settings include Dynamic Contrast, Black Tone, Flesh Tone, Color Space, White Balance, 10-Point White Balance, Gamma, and Motion Lighting (brightness control). Other options include Color Tone (temperature), Film Mode, Motion Judder Cancellation, and Black Optimizer. The motion judder option should be left disabled unless you want everything to look like it was shot with a home camcorder.

The PN60F8500 offers both wired and wireless networking and comes with a slew of Web apps that can be accessed through the Smart Hub. Here you'll find social networking apps Facebook, Skype, and Twitter, streaming video apps like YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and Hulu Plus, and an extensive catalog of current movies and TV shows available through a membership to Samsung's Smart Account service.

Performance
The PN60F8500's out-of-the-box performance is nothing short of dazzling. It produced a peak brightness reading of 301.21 cd/m2 and an excellent black level reading of 0.0054 cd/m2, both measured with a Klein K10-A colorimeter and software from DisplayMate and SpectraCal.  The resulting 55,779:1 contrast ratio produced exquisite highlight and shadow detail while displaying scenes from The Bourne Legacy on Blu-ray disc, and colors seemed to jump from the dark black screen. Viewing angles were ideal with no loss of color fidelity or brightness even when viewed from an extreme side angle.

Color accuracy was good, as evidenced by the chromaticity chart above. Each box represents the ideal color coordinates as determined by the International Committee on Illumination (CIE). The closer each color dot is to the center of its corresponding box, the more accurate the color. In this case reds, greens, and blues were all just a tad heavy but still very close to their respective ideal measurements and not overly saturated.

The PN60F8500 uses active shutter technology to display 3D images, and comes with four pair of lightweight shutter glasses for watching 3D content. Image depth was terrific while watching the Sharks 3D Blu-ray disc, and the glasses were comfortable. There was no obvious crosstalk either, even when viewed from a side angle. My only issue with the glasses is that they let a little too much light in through the sides. 

Plasma TVs are notoriously power hungry and the PN60F8500 is no different. It used a staggering 392 watts of power during testing with Eco mode disabled. Power consumption dropped to 320 watts with Eco mode set to low, 240 watts at medium, and 142 watts at high. Although the medium and high Eco settings help conserve power the resulting picture is much too dim. In comparison, the LED backlit 60-inch Vizio E601I-A3 used 118 watts of power.

Conclusion
There's a lot to like about the Samsung PN60F8500AF. Amazing picture quality, inky blacks, and a robust feature set put this set at the top of its class and earn it our Editors' Choice for big-screen plasma HDTVs. Be forewarned though, you'll have to part with a good chunk of money for all this big-screen goodness. If money is tight and you aren't locked in to a plasma set, the Panasonic TC-L55ET60 is an affordable alternative that delivers good performance and a solid feature set.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0

Pros Well-built, thin and light design. Android 4.2.2. Excellent display. Solid Wi-Fi. Acts as a universal remote.

Cons Relatively expensive. Finicky touch screen. Bottom Line The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is an excellent Android tablet that can multitask and serve as a universal remote, but it doesn't quite stand out.

By Eugene Kim

Samsung tries to make a product for everyone: every size, every price, every feature. The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 ($299.99) tries to hit the sweet spot for small tablets, but ends up straddling an uncomfortable fence—more expensive than the Google Nexus 7, but less capable than the Apple iPad mini and the outstanding Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. It's a very good tablet, buoyed by its multitasking and universal remote abilities, but it's outflanked by competitors.  

Design and Features
The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 looks like a comically large Galaxy S4—you get the same all-plastic construction, glazed finish, and faux-metal accents around a strikingly similar silhouette. Fortunately, the Tab 3 8.0 also mimics the S4's thin bezels and slim dimensions, measuring 8.26 by 4.87 by 0.28 inches (HWD) and weighing 10.9 ounces. That's right in line with the iPad mini (0.28 inches thick and 10.9 ounces) and a good deal thinner and lighter than the 7.8-by-4.7-by-0.4 inches, 12-ounce Nexus 7. This tablet is eminently comfortable to hold, despite packing a larger screen than most Android competitors.

The 8-inch, 1,280-by-800-pixel LCD is excellent. It's sharper than the iPad mini's, appears brighter side by side, and has really high contrast. The contrast isn't quite as high as Samsung's OLED displays, but you also get far more accurate color representation here. Below the display is a physical Home button flanked by capacitive Menu and Back buttons. Along the left edge is a flap covering the microSD card slot, while the opposite side houses the Volume and Power buttons, as well as an IR-emitter for remote control functions. Along the bottom edge are two speaker grilles and, thankfully, a microUSB port in lieu of Samsung's older proprietary port.

This is a Wi-Fi only tablet that connects to 802.11b/g/n networks on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. I had no trouble connecting to multiple routers in our lab, and where many tablets only have a weak signal from my desk, the Tab 3 8.0 consistently held onto a strong connection. Also on board are Bluetooth 4.0 and satellite GPS, but not NFC. Samsung offers the Tab 3 8.0 in single 16GB model for $299.99, and our 32 and 64GB SanDisk microSD cards worked without issue.

Performance and Android
The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 isn't a speed demon like its pen-wielding stablemate, the Note 8.0, but it gets the job done. Powering the Tab 3 is Samsung's dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos 4212 processor, Mali 400 GPU, and 1.5GB RAM. In our overall system benchmarks, the Tab 3 8.0 turned in numbers just shy of the Nexus 7, but gained ground in our graphics tests, outpacing the aging Tegra 3-powered tablet. Anecdotally, the Tab 3 8.0 felt very smooth in operation, whether it was flicking through heavily populated homescreens, switching between running apps, or scrolling through various websites. There was the occasional stutter and lag when opening more resource-hungry apps, but that's the case with nearly every Android tablet. My biggest complaint here is somewhat finicky touch input. The slim bezels are great for keeping this portable, but the palm rejection that worked so well on the Note 8.0 seems to be less effective here. I noticed errant touches, zooms instead of scrolls, and other inconsistencies when not careful about my hand placement.

In our battery test, which loops a video with screen brightness set to maximum and Wi-Fi switched on, the Tab 3 8.0 lasted 6 hours, 48 minutes. That's close to the Kindle Fire HD's 7 hours, but falls well short of the Nexus 7's 10 hours, 50 minutes on the same test. Battery life shouldn't be an issue, but it's not a strong point here.

Camera performance is pretty basic—you get the same lackluster 5-megapixel rear-facing and 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras found on the Note 8.0. Images looked flat and devoid of finer detail, regardless of lighting conditions. Exposure is a problem for stills and video, as the Tab 3 8.0 tends to overexpose scenes. Video maxes out at 720p and looks pretty mediocre even in good lighting, and pretty bad in low light scenarios. The front-facing camera is serviceable for video chats, and that's all I'd recommend using it for.

The Tab 3 8.0 is running the latest Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean," which already gives it a leg up on most tablets that are still stuck on 4.1.2.  Samsung is relentless when it comes to its Android skin TouchWiz, but while purists might cry out, the modifications here don't really get in the way and are, for the most part, pretty useful. You get the usual bevy of pre-loaded apps and Samsung tie-ins. These include ChatOn, Samsung's chat service; Samsung's app, game, and music stores; Group Play and Samsung Link for sharing between Samsung devices; S Planner, S Translator, and S Voice; and various other apps and services.

The great pen support of the Note is missing, but there are still a number of useful modifications to Android itself. You get Samsung features like Smart Stay that keeps the screen on when you're looking at it and Voice Commands for easily pausing videos or snoozing alarms. Even the excellent Multi Window multitasking support is here, letting you run two apps side by side in split screen mode. Not every app is supported, but there's a good selection of Samsung apps and Google apps like Chrome and Gmail that make this a pretty useful feature.

Multimedia and Conclusions
Samsung has done a good job with multimedia support and features for its Galaxy tablets. For video, the Tab 3 8.0 supports MP4, H.264, DivX, Xvid, and WMV files at up to 1080p resolution. For audio you get MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WAV, and WMA support. You can also mirror your screen using DLNA with supported HDTVs or use an MHL adapter to connect the Tab 3 8.0 with an HDMI cable.

IR emitters are becoming the norm for Galaxy devices, and the Tab 3 8.0 benefits from the same universal remote control features found on the Note 8.0. You can use the pre-loaded WatchON app from Samsung or Peel Smart Remote app to browse local TV listings and control a variety of home entertainment devices, from HDTVs to set top boxes. Both apps worked in my tests, but neither can schedule recordings for DVR boxes.

The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 gets so much right, from the thin and light design to the multitasking to the built-in remote control features. But it's amazingly forgettable. There's just something utterly bland about this tablet, lacking the ineffable desirability that leads to an Editor's Choice. It's priced much higher than capable Android competitors like the Nexus 7, and just a little too close to the iPad mini with all the great tablet apps that come with iOS. The Tab 3 8.0 fills a void that may not exist. Some will find it absolutely perfect, at a price they can stomach. Most, however, will be better served stepping up or down to an iPad mini or Nexus 7.

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Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB)

Pros Slim, stylish all-metal construction. Touch-enabled 1080p display. Excellent touchpad.

Cons Reflective keys are hard to read. Only one USB 3.0 port. Small 128GB drive. Bottom Line The Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) ultrabook offers style and substance with solid performance, all-metal construction, and a 1080p touch screen.

By Brian Westover

The Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) is a solid entry into the premium ultrabook category, but it's a category filled with fierce competition from all sides. The ATIV Book 7 has all the elements of a great ultrabook, like a stylish but sturdy all-metal design, a touch-enabled 1080p display, and battery life that will take you through most of your day, but contenders from Toshiba, Asus, Apple, and even Google give it a run for its money. Despite the competition, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 is still a great laptop, and worth considering for anyone buying a premium ultrabook.

Design
In keeping with the trend set by the Apple MacBook Pro—and continued by the likes of the Google Chromebook Pixel (64GB, LTE) and the Toshiba Kirabook—the bare metal look is definitely in for premium laptops, and the brushed aluminum finish of the Samsung ATIV Book 7 is no exception. The slim ultrabook measures 0.74 by 12.76 by 8.82 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.6 pounds, making it a little bigger than the Toshiba KiraBook, but nearly a pound heavier. The aluminum construction is not just stylish, it also offers a sturdy build that doesn't flex or bend.

The standout feature of the ATIV Book 7 is the display, a 13.3-inch beauty that offers both 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and 10-digit touch capability, a combination so far limited to premium systems like the Google Pixel and the Editors' Choice Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T. The display is also usable indoors and out, with 350 nits of backlit brightness. Joining the display are two 2-watt JBL stereo speakers, which offered clean sound with room-filling volume, but only moderate bass.

The ATIV Book 7 boasts a backlit chiclet keyboard, with silver colored keys that match the brushed aluminum palmrest and the silver-toned color scheme of the laptop. The one drawback of these silvery keys is that, without the backlight on, they are just reflective enough that it's hard to make out which key is which under some lighting. This won't be an issue for touch typists, but the hunt and peck crowd will be slowed down. The accompanying clickpad offers smooth, accurate tracking and supports Windows 8 gestures.

Features
The ATIV Book 7 is outfitted with one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports, a compact Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI output, an SD card slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC), and stereo headset jack. There's also a miniVGA connection, but you'll need a separate dongle for full-size VGA output ($39.99 direct). A lock slot also lets you physically tether the laptop to prevent theft. Internally the ATIV Book 7 is equipped with 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Di 2.0. The latter lets you wirelessly stream HD content to any Wi-Di equipped HDTV or Wi-Di adapter, such as the Belkin Screencast.

The ATIV Book 7 also has a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) for storing all of your files and programs. That's not a lot of room—both the Toshiba KiraBook and the MacBook Pro 13-inch (Retina) came equipped with 256GB drives, but also had higher prices to pay for it—but the use of an SSD will help keep the performance quick over time. Factoring in the space filled by the operating system—Windows 8 (64-bit)—along with a recovery partition and preinstalled programs and apps, you'll only have about 60GB of free space out of the box. Included on the drive are useful offerings, like Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition, and 60-day trials of Norton Internet Security and Online Backup. On the start screen you'll also find a wide selection of apps, like Netflix, Bitcasa cloud storage, and Evernote, though you may want to weed out the ones that don't interest you, like Jamie Oliver's Recipes, Amazon Kindle Reader, or Music Maker Jam. Samsung includes several of it's S-branded services, including S Agent, S Camera, S Gallery, and S Service, as well as covering the laptop with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Performance
The Samsung ATIV Book 7 boasts a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5-337U processor, a dual-core ultra-low-voltage CPU. Paired with 4GB of RAM, the processor—the same used in the 15-inch Sony VAIO T15 Touch (SVT15112CXS)—delivered solid performance, with a PCMark 7 score of 4,466 points and a Cinebench score of 2.50 points. By comparison, the similarly equipped Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T scored 4,510 points (PCMark 7) and 2.40 points (Cinebench), while the Core i7-equipped Toshiba Kirabook topped both with scores of 5,229 points (PCMark 7) and 2.92 points (Cinebench).

In multimedia tests, the ATIV Book 7 offered moderate performance, finishing our Handbrake test in 1 minute 34 seconds, slower than the Editors' Choice Asus UX31A-BHI5T (1:29) and the Toshiba KiraBook (1:14), but ahead of the Apple MacBook Pro (1:56). It ran through our Photoshop tests a bit slower, finishing in 6 minutes 7 seconds, behind the Asus UX31A-BHI5T (5:31) and the MacBook Pro (4:27). In day-to-day use, however, these results still translate into high-quality performance in all but the most demanding tasks.

Using Intel's integrated graphics solution—Intel HD Graphics 4000—the ATIV Book 7 isn't made for gaming, but should be more than adequate for web-browsing, video, and both casual and browser-based games. In 3DMark 11, the ATIV Book 7 scored 1,102 points at entry settings, putting it in the same neighborhood as the Asus Zenbook UX31A-BHI5T (1,160 points) but behind the Toshiba KiraBook (1,266 points).

For overall performance the ATIV Book 7 is fairly well equipped, but that doesn't mean much without a good battery to back it up. Thankfully, the laptop delivers, lasting 6 hours 9 minutes in our battery rundown test. This is just ahead of the Toshiba KiraBook (5:50) but roughly half an hour behind the Asus Zenbook UX31A-BHI5T (6:38). Regardless, it's the sort of battery life that can take you through most of a workday without a wall charger and without a break.

Conclusion
With sleek all-aluminum construction, decent performance and battery life, and a 1080p touchscreen, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) clearly belongs alongside other premium ultrabooks and laptops, but its performance falls just short of leading systems, so it won't replace our current Editors' Choice, the Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T. That said, for just over $1,000, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 is a more affordable alternative to the Toshiba KiraBook, with similar looks, an HD touch screen, and only slightly slower performance. Regardless, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) is definitely worth looking at if you're shopping for a touch-enabled premium ultrabook.

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