Samsung R-series laptops: Fade to red

Woah, déjà vu -- Asian computer maker releases new range of fancy-looking laptops with powerful or portable options. Following a beat behind Sony's new S- and Y-series Vaios, Samsung has announced five new laptops in its R series -- the R780, R580, R730, R530 and R430.

All five, er, benefit from Samsung's, um, unique sense of style, with a 'Touch of Colour' crystal finish -- much like its baffling 'rose black' TV styles of a few years back -- and a choice of patterns. They're all smudge and scratch-resistant too, so they'll keep looking 'good' no matter how badly you treat them.

The R780 and R580 (pictured) are the premium powerhouses of the litter, with Intel Core i5-520M processors and Nvidia graphics to better throw shapes on their 16:9 screens. The R780 and R730 rock 17.3-inch displays, with the R580 and R530 offering 15.6 inches of real estate and the baby R430 making do with 14 inches.

All five offer USB sleep-and-charge, so you can power up your iPod even when the laptop is switched off. They'll be widely available later this month. We'll update this story when we know more specifics on specs and pricing. Click 'Continue' for more pics.