As eye-catching features go it’s pretty spectacular. In fact, we infinitely prefer the bold red finish to the regular hard drive version whose brushed metal section is black. It’s not even that much more expensive, either; the 120GB HDD version retails for around £140 less and that’s with 1GB less RAM as well. Still, if an extra £140 to go SSD breaks the budget, the hard drive version is still a very good value alternative.

Inside, Samsung continues its penchant for glossy black and if you look very closely there are little flecks that, when viewed in the right light, shine red. This is kind of nice but given you have to look very closely to see the effect, it doesn’t really add anything. More pressing is the resulting fingerprints and greasiness picked up by a glossy surface you constantly touch. We’ve almost grown used to such things, but it’s a trend we don’t approve of and plenty of people feel more strongly than us about it.

A contrast in lid materials gives the computer a black-tie look. About two thirds of the lid — from the hinge up — is made from a claret-colored brushed aluminum with a silky touch. The final third is a lacquered-up piano black. A tastefully small silver Samsung logo sits in the center of this shiny piece. In general, the two-tone effect is striking, but you probably don’t need to be reminded that the merest brush of skin against fresh piano-black lacquer leaves hideous streaks. Keep chamois at the ready.

Portions of the side and hinge are also covered in shiny black and so is the interior chassis, though the screen bezel and the keyboard’s immediate environs are not. When opening the notebook, you’ll notice that it has a bit of an under-bite: the lid doesn’t quite match up flush with the chassis and is about a centimeter off.