notebooks we reviewed from Samsung, two received 4-star ratings, and three garnered 3.5-star ratings, which is a big jump over 2013’s last-place finish. The ATIV Book 9 Plus got top marks for its svelte design, Retina-like display, long battery life and performance. The ATIV Book 8 — which boasts a 1080p touch screen, quad-core processor, discrete graphics and nearly 8 hours of battery life — also impressed.