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At 100g heavier than, say, the LG X110, Samsung's NC10 is a giant among netbooks – which for an ultra-portable laptop is not necessarily a good thing. Being honest, it's right on the outer boundaries of what we'd call acceptable.
The compromise between power and portability is a tough one: for just a few grams more and not a lot more cash, you can have a dual-core laptop capable of HD video and Photoshoppery.
Ultra battery power
There's one thing those laptops can't do though, and that's match the NC10's ludicrous battery life. At six hours and still counting we passed out before the Samsung did. Suddenly the extra weight seems a small price to pay for the convenience of an always-on 10incher that's the only serious rival to the Asus EeePC 1000 in that particular measure.
And given the similarity of all other statistics about it to other netbooks – CPU core, graphics chipset, screen resolution and so on – it's the one which counts the most.
Clean design
Aside from a slightly sticky hinge, the NC10 also feels incredibly well built by comparison to the Eee 1000. In fact, the keyboard is almost as good as that on the super high end S101, and there's a proper metal trim around the edge of the chassis which may not mean much, but adds a certain flair to the look.
There's also a bonus for fans of The Hitchikers' Guide – you can take your telephone sanitiser off of speed dial thanks to Samsung's decision to impregnate the keys of the NC10 with anti-bacterial nano-particles. Arthur Dent may rejoice, but for those of us who've yet to contract a particularly virulent disease from a dirty keyboard, it seems a little bit OCD.
Still, unless the nano-particles unexpectedly become part of the 'grey goop' that is the stuff of sci-fi nightmare, it's a harmless enough addition.
More for your money
Much, much more important is the price. At £300, it's one of the best value 10in Windows machines around, and yet also one which doesn't seem to be missing anything obvious, like Bluetooth or half a gig of memory. There's no Linux version planned as far as we know, which is a shame, but anyone in the market for an XP-based netbook should have just one question: What's the catch?
Tech Specs
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 260.9x185.4x30mm
- Operating system
- Windows XP
- Processor
- Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
- Screen resolution
- 1024x600px
- Screen size
- 10in
- Storage
- 160GB
- USB
- 3
- Weight
- 1.32kg
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
Comments
ustahir_1
3 years ago
sorry about this but which is better 1) 10.1" screen http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Netbook-1-6GHz-Processor-Display/dp/tech-data/B002J4MTKY/ref=de_a_smtd 2) 10.2" screen http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-10-2-inch-Netbook-1-6GHz-Windows/dp/tech-data/B001GZGEJO/ref=de_a_smtd 3) 12.1" screen http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-12-1-inch-Mini-Notebook-1-3GHz-Windows/dp/tech-data/B001PQG6E2/ref=de_a_smtd if anybody can suggest a forum where i might be able to get better answers please feel free to let me know thanks
ustahir_1
3 years ago
Just a couple of questions before i commit to buying a Samsung NC10, 1) where would you suggest i buy one from if i want the 6-8 hours battery life?? 2) can anybody suggest a carry case for the Samsung NC10?? 3) would adding more RAM be more benefit & which one would i need to buy?? & finally 4) I've seen some external CD drives for use with the Samsung NC10 would it be better to use my old desktop for CD's instead?? thanks
TonyStrud
3 years ago
If you want the long battery life (6-8 hours) described in the review don't buy from Argos Stores or Comet as they only sell ones with batteries that last for less than 4 hours.
DerrickT
3 years ago
Just bought a NC10 (allegedly secoond hand) for under £200. Quite probably the best buy I have ever made... Excellent machine for so little money!
sean_uk
4 years ago
Bought an NC10 in November and have to say its a great little laptop. Its great for web browsing, typing letters, spreadsheets, music playing etc and is pretty good at playing movies too. I will still use my main laptop for more intensive work but this little machine is great especially if you take it with you as im getting 6-8 hrs battery life between charges. Oh and is is definately a 160gb Hard Disk.
Robzy
4 years ago
Definitely 160GB. It is a very nifty netbook indeed. Looks very cool, runs quietly and fast. The keyboard takes some getting used to, but is by far, the most usable keyboard I've tried on a netbook.
onyerbike
4 years ago
Not a review, but the video says the samsung has a small hard disc of only 60GB, but on most websites I find it stating a far more reasonable 160GB... Which is right?