This was one time when I turned into an ordinary consumer. As I walked through Samsung's entire product portfolio for 2011, showcased in Delhi recently, I almost forgot I had a job on hand. I caught myself asking questions typical of what a buyer would — the price, the utility, the features. And the fact that the showcase was across categories such as televisions, smart phones, notebooks and home appliances made it that much more engrossing.

The event — Samsung Forum — organised for the first time in India, was packed with dealers, geeks, consumers and some of us invited for a handholding technology session.

Though technology excites me and awes me at the same time, gigabytes and Bluetooth functions do not exactly give me the adrenalin high they do some others. Frankly, when I shop for such goods, my mind echoes back three little words — after sales service. An aspect where only the consumer knows how much the shoe bites.

Samsung, I was willing to consider. But exactly like a consumer — 80 per cent for its 24-hour turnaround time for after sales service and 20 per cent for the look of the product, its conveniences, its price and its technology upgrade. And I say this from experience.

Now back to the showcase. The queen of the show was undoubtedly the company's Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1. With the Apple iPad 2 making waves among a large group of technology buffs, I saw tremendous interest from consumers in Samsung's newly announced Galaxy Tabs as well. Touted as the world's slimmest tablet at just 8.6mm in depth, according to geeks it beats the iPad 2 by a few millimetres.

What did I find? Seemed attractive enough with almost the same applications as the iPad, and yes I could go for it. What accelerated my interest was that I had read somewhere for optimised customisation, the company would also preload Readers Hub and Music Hub for eBooks and music while on the go.

But I asked the same question — after sales service? Is it as good as it is for your air conditioners? I was assured that the call centre was the same and so was the turnaround time. Jung Soo Shin, President & CEO, South-West Asia region, seemed thrilled that I mentioned the brand's biggest strength.

Then came the televisions. Samsung had launched re-designed models of its flagship LED televisions — the Samsung D8000 and D7000 LED TVs, which have an extremely narrow front panel, providing extra screen size without the outside dimensions of the set increasing.

Massive, sleekly flat, great viewing quality — the Smart TV seemed to have come of age. Apparently, the company's top-of-the-line model LED Series 9 with ‘Internet@TV' is its exclusive technology.

It offers consumers access to online content, including social networking sites, and video chatting. An old colleague who writes tech stuff let me in on a secret — Samsung now has a new accessory, a device that can be combined with the television to use Skype on the flat screen. I was amazed and imagined talking to my friends and family abroad on the TV screen.

I haven't checked out the market, but according to technology reviews the “Series9 is available in one size, 55-inch, and costs Rs 4,44,000.” The reviewers also suggest that for those who want a cheaper and smaller option, it would be prudent to go in for the Series 6 LED TV, which comes in sizes from 32-inches to 55-inches and costs between Rs 61,000 to Rs 2 lakh. But Samsung faces a lot of competition in this segment as Sony, Panasonic, and Philips are by and large neck-and-neck with it in technology and features.

The 3D TV captured my imagination. So did the recipe-loaded microwave ovens, the Eco Bubble washing machines and most of all the 3D laptops that are to hit the market in May. The 2D laptop can be viewed in 3D when you use 3D glasses to game or watch a movie.

I walked out of the showcase and into the office din with a primary thought — to watch films in 3D splendour even when on the move was something worth waiting for. I had once again exercised my consumer choice on the job.

But then, that's what a showcase does to a technology greenhorn.

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