Once again Apple proves to be the show opener, with the other just following the lead. The same goes with the Macbook Air, the slimmest notebook available currently, which apparently got ‘replicated’ a lot during this year’s CES. Samsung is one of them with the Sliding PC 7 Series, based on a dual tablet/laptop design, different from the conventional convertible tablet and the recently launched Dell Inspiron Duo. It’s practically the same mechanism as the one featured on the ASUS EEE Pad Slider.

    Of course it’s better than the MacBook Air in terms of functionality thanks to it tablet mode, with the keyboard tucked away behind the screen. It’s not as slim, but given the dual use mode I believe we can forgive Samsung. This thing is powered by the Intel Oak Trail Atom platform, with the Z670 CPU at 1.66GHz, 2 GB RAM, a 32 or 64 GB microSATA SSD drive. All your media and apps will be displayed on a 10.1 inch HD ready display with a high 340 nit brightness. The whole package weights only 2.2 pounds and manages to squeeze an USB port (ouch, just one?), a 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI out, 1.3 megapixel camera, 3G, WiFi and optional WiMax connectivity. The price is set at 699 $. Add to that the 9 hours battery life from the 6-cell battery and we’ve got talent here. Sign me up for one please Samsung!

    Samsung Sliding PC 7 hybrid tablet/laptop

    Samsung Sliding PC 7 hybrid tablet/laptop

    And here’s the complete list of specs:

    • CPU: Intel® ATOM Oak Trail Z670 @ 1.66GHz
    • Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium
    • Samsung Touch Launcher custom shell
    • Memory: 2GB DDR2
    • Hard Drive (max): 32GB or 64GB (mSATA SSD)
    • Screen: 10.1-inch touchscreen HD LCD display (340 nit) with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution
    • Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics
    • Audio Technology: Integrated speaker (0.8W x 2)
    • USB 2.0, 4-in-1 memory card reader, HMDI out
    • Webcam: 1.3MP
    • Battery: Lithium Polymer; up to 9 hours
    • Wireless: 802.11b/g/n; WiMax; 3G
    • Dimensions: 10.47 x 6.88 x 0.78 inches (W x D x H)
    • Weight: Starting at 2.18 lbs.

    And here’s a short hands on video. I’m glad to see that you can adjust the angle of the screen as you please. That’s good and certainly sets the Samsung Sliding PC 7 apart from the EEE Pad Slider.

    And here’s a second video that shows a working hinge mechanism (giving us hope for a reliable product):