Review of Samsung NC10
The Samsung NC10 is another addition to the line of 10-inch netbooks. After releasing laptops for a while now, Samsung decided to venture into the netbooks’ market with the NC10. This $499 netbook has more or less the same features as its contemporaries which include Asus Eee PC 1000H, MSI Wind, and Lenovo IdeaPad S10 but what differentiates it from the others is its well-made keyboard and sustainable battery life.
Specifications
Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory: 1GB, 533MHz DDR2
Hard drive: 160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset: Mobile Intel 945GM Express
Graphics: Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Operating system: Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Screen size (diagonal): 10.2 inches
Design
It comes in a white matte lid that makes it look like the MacBook and it is also available in Navy Blue. It has the professional look that some netbooks don’t carry. Its measurements are almost like the other 10-inch netbooks; weighing at 2.8 pounds and measuring at 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches. We’ll say it measures just about the same with the MSI Wind and the Asus Eee PC 1000H. It is easy to bring the NC10 around with us.
Keyboard
The Samsung NC10 provided one of the best keyboards a netbook can have. The keyboard (93 percent of a full-size keyboard) feels comfortable to be used with its raised-keys layout. Not what we expected based on its design but the NC10’s keyboard is definitely better than the ones found on the MSI Wind and the Asus Eee PC 1000H. With the spacious keyboard, comes the touchpad which is unfortunately very small and narrow. While using the touchpad, a little effort on our side had to be added to make it work properly. It has a scrolling bar which helped a lot when browsing through long pages. Naturally, we expected something had to be decreased to accommodate the spacious keyboard.
Power
Battery life on the NC10 is excellent. The NC10 can run for approximately 4 hours and 41 minutes based on a video playback to test the battery’s performance. It is much better than most netbooks around aside from the Asus Eee PC901 and PC1000 which come with six-cell batteries.
Warranty
The Samsung NC10 comes with a one year warranty for parts and labor and help can be accessed through its website and a 24/7 toll-free number.
Conclusion
The Samsung NC10’s endurance and spacious keyboard are the star features of this netbook. While it’s been proven to be as equal to the MSI Wind, the Samsung NC10 is the most wanted netbook 10-inch netbook around. Those looking for a mobile companion must pick this $499 netbook.
I had purchased this netbook for my mom. As soon as she saw the Samsung NC10, she felt in love with it. She had no difficulty to manage this little computer. She had surf the internet without any problem and used the loaded programs easily, without even looking at the manual or asking guidance from me. Many of my mom friends were impressed with it and they are thinking of getting this netbook for themselves.
I was quite disappointed with the Samsung NC10. I had bought it especially for the usage of the webcam. I used the webcam to connect with Skype and to get in touch with my family and friends who are abroad. Unfortunately, the internal microphone won’t work. I tried to test it with Skype but it was not detecting any sound. I went to control panel to test the microphone but it still won’t work. Therefore, I looked up to the manual hoping to settle this problem; I still couldn’t get the microphone to work.
I bought the Samsung NC10 to take it on a trip to France. It was light and easy to carry about. The keyboard is good although it takes some time to get use to it. The ‘delete’ and ‘backspace’ keys on the top right corner, I found the two keys very hard to use as I’m not so familiar with the new position. Besides that, I had no problem in using the netbook. It was easy to handle. It has a good and fast speed. It has a beautiful and attractive design. Moreover, the battery life is excellent. I had used the maximum power of up to 6 hours and I had used the original power adapted in the plane without the need of an electricity converter. The adapter works with 100 to 240 voltages. Finally, I was glad that I had bought this netbook.
The Samsung NC10 is one of the best netbook that I have owned. Previously, I had Dell which was a heavy laptop. So, I had used Dell mostly to do my work, surf the internet and connect with friend via the MSN Messenger but it was hard to travel with this laptop because of its weight. Therefore, I had bought the Samsung NC10 which does everything perfectly. The keyboard was about the right size which was manageable to me. The Easy Speedup Manager has helped me a lot. The slideshow and video quality was simply wonderful. You can even play some games on it (that are compatible with this netbook’s settings). It has an interesting lay out. The battery can hold up to 6 hours (with minimal brightness). I had to set up the AVG and uninstall the antivirus that was loaded in the Samsung. I found out that the AVG is much better than the provided antivirus. This netbook perform the basic needs of a computer. I will rather recommend this netbook to those who are looking for a regular netbook. The NC10 doesn’t have a high resolution screen and it is certainly not for gaming.
When I bought it, I charged it up to 3 hours before activating it. Then I activated the netbook by referring to the instructions given. I had setup the wireless connection and managed to surf the internet. As I was browsing web pages, suddenly the mouse got stuck and won’t move. I tried to use the touch pad but it still won’t move. I had to call in the ‘Samsung Technical Support’. They had sent a technician but even he couldn’t fix it. So, he took it with him to examine what the problem is and send a new replacement netbook. The new netbook had work perfectly and the mouse did not get stuck when I was surfing the internet.