Samsung QX411-W01UB

Samsung QX411-W01UB

With the Samsung QX411-W01UB ($699.99 list at Best Buy) Samsung shows off the third generation of its QX series, which features one of the prettiest and sturdiest aluminum designs in the mainstream laptop category. The last two versions had Nvidia graphics (with switching graphics technology) and the biggest hard drive available - two features you won't find in this revision. Though the QX411-W01UB now runs on integrated graphics only and has a 640GB hard drive (750GB is the largest), Best Buy made the deal really tantalizing by shaving off $200 from the price. But too bad it couldn't replace the moody clickpad with a dedicated touchpad and mouse buttons. Like the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299 direct, 3.5 stars), Asus U46E-BAL5 ($699.99 List, 4.5 stars), and Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) ($750 direct, 4 stars), the QX411-W01UB sports an aluminum construction . Not all aluminum frames are created equal, though; some are sturdier than others. The QX411-W01UB is a perfectly good example of an aluminum frame that can withstand a good palm press. Its top is as unyielding as that of the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch.