Samsung releases R700 mid-range, 17-inch portable

Samsung significantly expanded its Aura line of notebooks today with the advent of the R700. An international version of the Sens Q70, the 17-inch is aimed at desktop replacement users who still want a thin, stylized system. It measures just 1.17 inches thick but includes a baseline GeForce 8400M GS graphics chipset to drive HD playback; an HDMI output is standard for relaying video to a TV. A 1.3-megapixel webcam and a full-size keypad also separate the glossy black system from some other large notebooks.

The PC designer is reluctant to provide full specifications for the system but says the R700 will use the Centrino Duo platform and therefore points to a mid-range Core 2 Duo. Samsung expects to release the new Aura in January for much of Europe and will price the system at £599 ($1,187) after tax in the UK. [via Pocket-Lint]