Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook - 6 Cell Battery Immediately

Since there's so many reviews on this product already, I debated adding one more. But, I'm tossing my 2 cents in.

This netbook is an exceptional buy for those that want lots of bells and whistles with a brand name (Samsung) and especially those of us who appreciate a bright, clear, and anti-glare screen.

For me, when I had narrowed my choices down to 3 netbooks, the NC10 and the N120 were in the final selections. So was the HP2140. And, the HP lost because of one feature: it's screen. I couldn't get over the idiocy of HP to cut corners on a screen that should be on a par or better than other netbooks, including its own "mini" series. With the HP out of the picture, I argued with myself between the NC10 and the N120. In the end, it was the NC10 with the anti-glare screen that took center stage. BTW, I use headphones for music, etc., so the NC10's higher-pitched and low volume speakers were of no consequence to me. But, I've listened to them now and they are "okay" just nothing to brag about. This is a netbook and I'm not interested in broadcasting what I'm viewing or listening to.

Performance-wise, when the NC10 arrived, I immediately unboxed it and dropped in 2 gigs of 667MHz RAM. That operation took less than 5 minutes (I took my time). So, I have no idea of the performance of the NC10 with the 1 gig of RAM. I do know it is quite responsive with with the 2 gigs. I am very pleased by it. I had over 9 windows open and the little thing was still moving along quite nicely.

Next to come off the NC10 was all the bloatware. I was surprised to find little of it (thankfully, no trial versions of Word, or Office or Works). I also removed the McAfee security suite. I then installed my security suite, OpenOffice, Firefox, and a few other XP programs that should come free with XP, but don't. See Uniblue on the web.

The fan is absolutely silent! I can't believe it. My 17" HP roars next to the silence of the NC10! That was a shock to me; a very pleasing sound.

Battery life? I figure 6.5 hours is about right. If you want more, take on the N120 along with its larger footprint (size and weight).

I also downloaded Ubuntu Jaunty onto my NC10. Jaunty runs beautifully, definitely faster than XP. I'm debating whether to keep XP or turn my NC10 into an Ubuntu Jaunty machine.

Lastly, finish and construction. The chinzy chrome noted in the other reviews was of no consequence to me. I sort of appreciate it for its ascetic "add-ness" to an otherwise drab computer. The case is plastic but seems to be of a higher grade than that of several other netbooks I've looked at. The glossy black top is definintely NOT a fingerprint magnet, as it's more a matte than a glossy. The keyboard is fantastic! Big shift keys for us touch typists and it's size is easily adjusted to within the first few minutes of use. I've made 3 typing mistakes since I began this review.

In my mind, the NC10 or the N120 definitely need to be on your "must see" list if you're opting for a netbook.Get more detail about Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook - 6 Cell Battery.