Samsung Ativ Smart PC 500T review

Product Samsung Ativ Smart PC 500T
Website Samsung
Specifications Intel Atom Z2760 1.8GHz CPU, 2GB DDR2 RAM, Intel SGX545 integrated graphics, 11.6in 1366x768 multi-touch display, 64GB SSD drive, 3x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI, 1x microSD, 1x keyboard dock, Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G/LTE/3G support, stylus, 30Whr Lithium-polymer battery, Microsoft Windows 8 operating system, 20.5x304x189mm, 1.45kg
Price £700

THE SAMSUNG ATIV SMART PC 500T is yet another attempt by Samsung to lure those in the market for both a laptop and a tablet to save money and buy a device that does both.

Unveiled at the IFA electronics expo in Berlin in August 2012, the Ativ 500T runs the Windows 8 operating system and transforms from a tablet to a laptop via a removable display that detaches from its keyboard dock to be used as a tablet.

The advantage of the Ativ's keyboard docking approach as opposed to a convertible, such as rival devices the Sony Vaio Duo 11 and the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11, is that you don't need to carry a heavy, cumbersome notebook around when you just want to use the device as a tablet. The shortcoming here, however, is that the tablet then has to provide both battery and computing power.

Design and build
It has to be said that Samsung's Ativ Smart PC 500T doesn't offer buyers the most attractive finish we've seen on a laptop. Although Samsung has tried to set it apart from other devices on the market by giving it a glossy mid-blue paint job, we can't help but think it looks cheap, despite costing £700.

Weighing 1.45kg, it's also rather heavy compared to many similar sized but more powerful ultrabooks, such as the Sony Vaio Duo 11 that weighs 1.3kg, so carrying it around will prove it's not the most portable laptop. Measuring 20.5x304x189mm when docked, it's not the slimmest either, but it does have the advantage that you can carry just the tablet if you like, which measures just over half the thickness at 9.9mm and weighs just 744g.

Next: Keyboard dock, display.