Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review: Specs of the Windows 8 powered ultrabook Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus include a 13.3-inch Quad HD display that can compete with the Retina Display of a MacBook Pro. But this machine not only has a great screen but also delivers well in performance and speed, with a boot-up time of only 5.9 seconds.

In terms of reviews, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is said t deliver on performance and has a premium design.

An added feature of the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is that it has a 10-point touch, an essential feature of the Windows 8. IT Pro Portal noted that while the display can be compared to the MacBook Pro with Retina, the better comparison for the very portable machine is the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch, which was also released this year. The ATIV Book 9 and the MacBook Air share a sliver-thin design, a minimalistic aesthetic, and an aluminum all-metal chassis.

The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus measures 320 x 225 x 14mm, the same size as the Apple MacBook Air 13in. The Book 9, however, weighs heavier at a little under 1.49 kg. It has a full-size keyboard with backlight and a large touchpad measuring 4in wide by 2.7in high. The buttons in the ultrabook are incorporated into the touch surface and also supports Windows 8 gestures.

Performance-wise, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus produces a strong one in tests like PCMark 7 and Cinebench, where it fell right in line with the similarly equipped Aspire S7 and the Vaio Pro 13. This could well be due to the Book 9 being outfitted with a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U processor, the same fourth-generation processor seen in the aforementioned Aspire and Sony machines.

In a multimedia test, the Book 9 finished Handbrake in 1 minute and 23 seconds, and cranked through Photoshop in 5 minutes and 51 seconds in a test by IT Pro Portal. It edged ahead of the Aspire S7’s Photoshop time (6:01) and topping the MacBook Air 13in which had a 3:15 in Handbrake and 7:07 in Photoshop.

The Book 9 also has an Intel HD Graphics 4400 integrated graphics solution and maximizes this chipset well. It produced a 3DMark 11 scores of 1,655 points for Entry and 271 points for Extreme. It was just behind the Acer Aspire S7 and Sony Vaio Pro 13, according to IT Pro Portal.

Battery life for the device allows it to last for 8 hours and 15 minutes in a battery run down test conducted by the tech site, making it one of the more reliable super-slim Windows ultraportable.

Overall, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is yet another device by the South Korean tech giant that delivers on performance while not failing the eyes with quality aesthetics.