I've had the opportunity in the past to test or beta test various netbooks including versions from Lenovo (S-10), Acer (Aspire One), Via (an absolutely awful netbook I prefer not to remember), CTI Classmate (now discontinued), the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) and Westinghouse Mesa (another one I'll forget at this point).
Most came with Windows XP although a couple came with Linux variations; however, OS aside, the Samsung NC-10 is on top of them all for various reasons.
In the past couple weeks of usage I've found the following to be positive traits:
* Standard 6 cell power source means insane battery life. Even using Wi-Fi and having several memory hungry programs running, the worst I could do was five hours and I came dangerously close to seven hours at least one time.
* Better than standard keyboard for a netbook. 93% of normal notebook size and it shows in ease of use. I've had some netbooks, such as the CTI, that insisted on double and triple mapping keys to the point of total confusion but not the Samsung. Finally, a full size shift key!
* About 3 pounds total weight with another half pound for the power pack.
* Decent webcam built into the screen bezel. Nothing special, but not bad.
* Lock on wireless. I've tested some netbooks that couldn't find a signal if you sat on the router, but this Samsung does well and once locked on it won't give up. Overall signal reception was no better or worse than most notebooks.
* Minimal heat for such a small device. Some of the units mentioned above could get really hot very quickly but Samsung seems to have heat dispersion down. You do get the usual heat spray from the fan (which is quieter than most) but it's acceptable and isn't a lap cooker.
* Decent boot times but this is a somewhat cloudy issue. Without virus or firewall installed, 30 seconds is a good figure. Double that if you add the above mentioned safeguard programs (many reviewers fail to mention this).
* Minimal amount of Bloatware with the exception of the ubiquitous Norton protection program. Fortunately, this version of Norton wasn't installed but a desktop icon was available should I choose to install it. Guess what got deleted first?
* Sturdy construction with nary a creak or moan and not much case flex. The usual smooth plastic found in netbooks. Mine is Gloss Blue (hence the GB in the description from Samsung) which does its best to pick up fingerprints but also looks better than the standard black.
* The screen pivots back more than most. I've seen some models that stop with the screen straight up resulting in a strained viewing experience.
* Nice screen quality with a matte finish. This matters if you don't like screen glare and especially great if you don't like looking at reflection of yourself every time you boot or attempt to view a page with reflecting light in the background.
* Easy access RAM panel to upgrade from the standard 1 GB chip (although it's strictly a one "chipper"). Manual states 2 GB is the max but it accepted my 4 GB chip (but only read 2).
* 3 USB ports instead of the usual 2.
* Curiously, the Samsung seemed to load web pages quicker than other models although it has the standard Atom 1.6 GHz processor. My MSN homepage has been known to choke even some notebooks but the Samsung rendered the page in quick time. I've read some reviews that state the chip is being over clocked, but I couldn't verify such and seriously doubt Samsung would risk cooking a chip in that fashion (my own CPU monitoring program showed the chip running from 800 MHz at the low end to 1.6 GHz when pushed - all within normal range).
* Onboard diagnostic programs thanks to Samsung. Other than the Lenovo, most netbook manufacturers couldn't care less what happens after your buy it and getting updates for most is largely a matter of luck and knowing where to look.
Of course, not everything is perfect and the Samsung is no exception:
* Changing RAM is easy; changing the hard drive requires dismantling the case and voiding the warranty. I upgraded to a 320 GB 7,200 RPM 2.5 inch hard drive and installation was a breeze once you remove about 12 case screws and gently fudge the cover off. It took about 30 minutes to remove the screws and case with a scant 2 minutes necessary to physically change the drive!
* Trackpad, what trackpad? Oh, you mean that 1 x 2 inch doo-hickey at the bottom? Too small to be of much use, but I use a wireless mouse anyway. Some complain about the mouse button (which is a rocker switch instead of the usual 2 button affair) but I had no problem with that.
* Power switch is on the side of the screen pivot mechanism. Originally I thought this was neat until I inadvertently turned the machine on pushing it into a bag. Best left somewhere on the keyboard (in all fairness, some concessions had to be made for the large keys).
* Built in card reader is the usual affair but the cards stick out and that can be an accident waiting to happen since it's on the front of the computer instead of the side. I sometimes use a tilting computer table and the card sticking out keeps the computer from being flush with the table lip.
* It'll run the usual business oriented programs such as Word, but don't get adventurous and attempt PhotoShop anytime soon. The graphics card is limited. Forget graphics-intensive games, too.
* The usual tinny sounding speakers, but what did you expect?
* No express card slot for those of you who use cellular wireless. Guess you'll have to use that flimsy USB dongle.
* I understand the description from Samsung has resulted in some confusion and lost sales. The actual title of mine is Samsung NC-10 14GB with the GB meaning "Gloss Blue". Unfortunately, some read this as meaning the computer has a 14GB hard drive and they look elsewhere. At some websites the GB version is lower priced than the GW (Gloss White) because of this.
Overall, a very good netbook with minimal complaints. In addition, prices are starting to drop on all netbooks and the Samsung is no exception. These originally tipped the scales at $500+ but can now be had for less than $400 at quite a few retailers.
By the way, I got the opportunity to run Windows 7 Beta on my unit and, yes, it did work, to an extent. I had to download drivers from Samsung but, oddly enough, the XP drivers for the wireless did work although the camera wouldn't (I had to download a generic camera activator program). Was it any quicker? Not to boot, but it was quicker to load programs once booted and the browser did seem quicker.
Get more detail about Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook - 6 Cell Battery.
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