Samsung Adds Touch to Series 5 Ultra with Windows 8, Starts at $799

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You don't have to buy a Windows 8's tablet to take advantage of the operating system's touch capabilities. Samsung is adding a touchscreen to its budget Series 5 Ultra. This Ultrabook will start in the $799 to $849 range, and we went hands on with the device before it was announced.

UPDATE: Samsung has confirmed that the S Launcher Start utility will not be included on the final version. Bummer

Design-wise, the notebook essentially remains unchanged from the Series 5 Ultra we reviewed in February, but it is a hair thicker and heavier, owing to its touchscreen. Samsung also made the hinge tighter, so that the lid won't wobble as much when consumers press on it. Otherwise, the Series 5's specs remain pretty much the same: A third-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive with an SSD cache. 

Will consumers want Windows 8 clamshells with touch? Based on our hands-on time with this Ultrabook, we say yes. Stay tuned for a full review.

Michael A. Prospero
Laptop Reviews Editor

Michael was the Reviews Editor at Laptop Mag. During his tenure at Laptop Mag, Michael reviewed some of the best laptops at the time, including notebooks from brands like Acer, Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and Asus. He wrote in-depth, hands-on guides about laptops that defined the world of tech, but he also stepped outside of the laptop world to talk about phones and wearables. He is now the U.S. Editor-in-Chief at our sister site Tom's Guide, where he oversees all evergreen content and the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site..