Netbook samsung np nc10 parameters. Welcome. A detailed review of the Samsung NC10 netbook. Samsung NC10 Netbook Specifications

Today's lifestyle we, of course, take for granted; and an integral part of it is the ability to be constantly in touch. In both directions: both the fact that they can reach you at any moment (often, we would have given up this blessing of civilization with great pleasure), and the ability to reach the right person at any time, or find the necessary information.

Radio access and related technologies, which have matured considerably over the past twenty years, have very successfully superimposed on the Internet that has literally exploded over the past ten years. There is no point in running a wide pipe if there is no impressive source of water at one end. And, on the contrary, what is the practical use of an underground source if it is impossible to drill a well before it?

In this regard, we are probably lucky - both the Internet and the means of access to it are constantly improving their level. E-mail - analog modem via cellular, classic web with instant messengers - WAP and GPRS, YouTube, IP-telephony, and constantly updated Web 2.0 - new, faster ways of communication. Further more.

Predictions about what will be the next thing without which we will not imagine everyday life is the topic of a separate article. But not in vain, because today venture investors have almost the hottest topic for investment - everything related to ideas that in one way or another relate specifically to the mobile Internet.

However, when it comes to new services, the sacramental question of the egg, the chicken, and their order in the process of being born is always on the agenda. On the one hand, services rely on technology - this is indisputable. It is difficult to imagine the appearance of video hosting sites, such as YouTube, before megabit channels with unlimited payment became available to the average user. And after that, such services began to spread like mushrooms after rain.

On the other hand, infrastructure owners are in no hurry to invest in preventive capacity building. Well, how will new services turn out to be not at all as attractive as their creators draw, and the cost of hardware will recoup longer than expected? Almost every new technology or service goes this way, and almost always subcontractors fail, not developing on a par.

In the "Internet - mobile communications" connection, the Internet has probably been the leader in terms of its development in recent years. At least in our country, for sure. While operators in Western Europe and the USA were actively developing 3G, in Russia there was practically no broadband wireless access to the network until recently. There is SkyLink, but its offer, due to objective circumstances, will remain niche. Finally, 3G appeared, but, again, it happened - not in Moscow, the market, which for this particular service is orders of magnitude larger than all other large Russian cities.

WiMax… A difficult topic. At the very beginning, technology was presented almost as a panacea for everything and everything. Indeed, peak performance looked great. And, although the technology was originally created for fixed communications, for building backbone wireless channels (for example, between the same cellular base stations), but over time, a mobile version of the standard was also created - the notorious 802.16e.

The standard turned out, as time has shown, quite successful - and really mobile, and high-speed. At the time of its appearance, against the background of GPRS, it certainly looked advantageous. However, time passed, and subscriber devices did not appear. There was a notorious situation with an egg and a chicken: no one was in a hurry to invest in an expensive project to build a WiMax network of at least the scale of a metropolis, not to mention a federal one.

In such a situation, it made no sense for manufacturers of subscriber devices to produce products with WiMax support - there is no market. And users, respectively, found themselves without WiMax networks, and without laptops, smartphones, and other Mobile Internet Devices. They could only listen to the stories of the same Intel about the mobile lifestyle, and how everything will be great when broadband mobile Internet comes into their lives.

However, sooner or later this situation ends. Comes some player, characterized by increased adventurism. Which, after assessing the size of the potential market, decides to build a network, in the hope that devices supporting it will appear under it, and there, you see, users will also be drawn. Obviously, such a player must have serious resources and a margin of safety: in order to interest consumers, the network will have to be made comprehensive, and consumers themselves will be recruited from scratch, so it will take time before the costs begin to somehow pay off.

After all the long years of talks, last year was finally a transition from words to deeds - the construction of city-wide WiMax networks in Moscow was started by two companies at once. Scartel, under the brand name Yota, and Comstar-UTS - COMSTAR-WiMAX. And at the beginning of this year, both of these companies, respectively, announced free testing of their networks until the end of spring.

OK, the very first stage is passed - the networks are built. At the very least, with holes in the coating, but built. Accordingly, the user enters stage number 2 - the purchase of equipment with WiMax support. The simplest option - purchasing a WiMax modem connected via USB or PC Express Card - is more or less suitable for the user's existing laptops, but it also has obvious inconveniences compared to integrated WiMax support. With netbooks, the situation becomes even more acute, and with communicators, this option simply won't work.

In general, since there are networks, then iron manufacturers had to present at least some devices that could initially work in them. Like network operators, they also needed a certain amount of adventurism to release such products, since new devices are intended for a nascent market, the size, dynamics, and potential of which can only be estimated very roughly. So Scartel, who was the first to announce testing of its network, had to work closely with manufacturers to secure an initial offer for users.

Back in winter, Yota offered them the HTC Max 4G communicator, and in mid-March, the first netbook with built-in WiMax support, the Samsung NC10, appeared. More precisely, its version with such support, sold under the same name. So, when buying, you should pay special attention to whether this NC10 supports WiMax or not.

It is worth noting that the choice of Yota (if, of course, they had a choice) turned out to be very successful. First, the format itself. A netbook is what a netbook is for, so that its main function is access to the network. WiMax provides such access anywhere (forget about network coverage for a second), with excellent speed (promised up to 10 Mbps, but here it’s up to luck; this particular instance in a single location showed 1.65 Mbps for downloading, which, too, compared to GPRS - very good), and, unlike 3G, it already works in Moscow.

Secondly - a specific model of a netbook. Let's take a closer look at the Samsung NC10. It is clear that a minimum of surprises awaits us at the platform stage - NVIDIA Ion has not yet entered the market, so the Intel Atom is the de facto standard. No options, basically. So the processor is 1.6 GHz Atom N270. Chipset, respectively - Intel 945GSE, with integrated graphics GMA 950. Memory - 1 GB DDR2-667 (it is clear from which manufacturer).

In general, an absolutely standard option, in a good way. About the same as all cars usually have four wheels. There are times when it is best not to invent. So, at this stage, perhaps the only field for experiment is the amount of memory, which can be increased to 2 GB. Although, as a rule, a netbook simply does not need so much for its typical tasks.

160 GB hard drive (again, it's clear from which manufacturer) for all the same typical tasks should also be enough. Although, on the other hand, given the speed of WiMax, there may be problems with the amount of downloaded. With the third, however, judging by the tariff plans of the same Yota (2-7 GB per month), this will not happen soon. On the fourth hand, there are still no options above 160 GB. Eat less. For example, 120 GB.

The next significant point after the platform is the form factor, which is largely determined by the 10.2" WSVGA screen. That is, translating the understandable language of numbers into everyone - a screen with a resolution of 1024x600. Universal widescreen (16:10), suitable for watching both movies and the web "pages. Without a glossy finish, matte - perhaps this is not very good in terms of the "beautiful" display of the same films or photos. But, on the other hand, we are talking about a netbook and a city-wide wireless connection. The device was originally designed for use in including outdoors, and a glossy screen under the bright sun is still a pleasure.

The diagonal of the screen, in many ways, dictates the size of the netbook - 26x18.5x3.2 centimeters. The last indicator is not too encouraging - the device looks a little "pot-bellied". Although this does not affect the mass as much, the device weighs less than one might say from its appearance - 1.33 kilograms. However, it is obvious that when creating the NC10, ultraportability was not at the forefront. Looking at the recommended retail price of 20 thousand rubles, you understand this especially clearly.

Separately, it should be noted that the weight includes a six-cell battery with a capacity of 5200 mAh. The popular Battery Eater test in Classic mode puts it down in three and a half hours, in Reader mode, corresponding to working with text, in six hours and twenty minutes. The subsequent full charge after turning off the laptop due to a dead battery is two and a half hours. Six and a half hours looks good, but it should be mentioned that this is with the WiMax module turned off.

The included WiMax, with normal surfing the Internet, gives five hours of work until the moment when the laptop turns off. In a big city, the average netbook user is unlikely to spend more time away from the outlet - especially since we are talking about five hours of continuous work.

Incidentally, the 6-cell battery contributes to the netbook's aforementioned 3.2cm thickness. The fact is that it is not completely built into the body, as is often done, but protrudes from it in the form of a kind of rear leg. In principle, such a solution can even be considered convenient: when working on a flat surface, it provides an ergonomic tilt of the keyboard. Plus, better ventilation is provided. And she NC10 is necessary - during prolonged operation, the netbook heats up noticeably.

What requirements should an ideal netbook meet? This question was asked to friends, acquaintances, colleagues and even passers-by on the street. So, the results of the blitz survey: a netbook should work autonomously for a long time, have dimensions as “netbook-like” as possible and include the most modern communication modules, such as 3G or 4G. The theme of an ideal netbook did not come up by chance, because our today's tester, the Samsung NC10, is close in its characteristics to the ideal portrait drawn by the respondents. Close, but not perfect. About the advantages and disadvantages of this device, our today's test review.

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: 3D Photo

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: Design

Laconic glossy black. It is these definitions that most accurately characterize the appearance of the Samsung NC10-WLS1. The metal edging that runs around the bottom of the netbook gives the device austerity and makes it gender universal, suitable for both men and women. And for those of the fair sex who find the design of a netbook too strict, I recommend that you look into our photo gallery and see what the NC10 looks like next to women's accessories. Dimensions and weight - two more important components of the netbook, without exaggeration, these are the parameters of the first order for devices of this class. It is also interesting that they all seem to be similar and not very different from each other. And yet this difference is, and best of all it is noticeable in comparison. In the photo gallery, you can visually assess how much the Samsung NC10 loses to our recently tested Rover U100WH in terms of dimensions, and then check your eye by looking into our catalog and comparing the sizes of both devices. Pay attention to the weight - the difference is not too significant and can be easily explained: the bundled battery supplied with the Samsung NC10 is very energy-intensive and, as you can see from the results of testing the battery life of the mininote, the NC10 puts most of the existing netbooks on both blades. At the end of this chapter, I would like to say that, of course, it is preferable to have a netbook of small size and weight - such as, for example, but with the same capacious battery as that :) In general, both manufacturers have something to think about. Well, we, users, are always free to decide the issue in favor of a particular device. By and large, for my bag, the considered difference in dimensions and weight of the netbook is not critical. As a user, there is another important detail that comes with the package that angers me, but it will be more logical to talk about it in the next chapter.

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: Bundling and battery life

We look at what's in the box: a CD for restoring the operating system, a DVD with software, a soft carrying case (so that the netbook does not lose its gloss), a battery, several paper manuals: installation, system recovery, safe operation, access to the Yota network . I think you noticed that among the listed printed instructions there is no user manual. The explanation is quite simple: it is already installed on the laptop. What else? Card for access to the Yota network; warranty card, power supply and network cable. The latter, namely the network cable and the power supply, with all the desire can not be called ergonomic: both this unit and the cable to it (albeit not as thick as the Rover U100) together with a netbook do not fit into my bulky everyday bag. No, of course, if I throw out many items from it, there will be enough space not only for a netbook, but also for an adapter with a cord. But I need all these things (mostly other gadgets), and I'm not going to part with them. And if so, you need to choose between an additional bag-package or switch to a backpack ... I reassure myself only that this situation is still typical for complete network adapters of netbooks from many other manufacturers.

Battery life is one of the strengths of our mini laptop. The battery is fully charged in 3.5 hours. The maximum battery life of the NC10 in normal video mode was 5.5 hours. This is a very impressive figure, we will talk more about this aspect in the chapter “Preinstalled and additional software”.

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: Ports and communications

So, consider the netbook from all sides. On the right side of the body of the device are: a power button with a beautiful LED backlight, a combination lock port, a D-SUB connector, USB, a microphone jack and a headphone jack. Left: power, LAN port, vents, USB. There are 7 status indicators on the front end. They are located on the left, and to the right is a slot for SD / SDHC / MMC memory cards. The loudspeakers for sound reproduction are on the bottom. And from below you can get to the memory module. The webcam is located in the usual place - strictly in the center on the top of the opened netbook. A rather boring, but necessary listing of ports and connectors should be diluted with a comment about the operation of the cooler. It will be nice to do this, because I can’t say anything bad: the device works almost silently. By the way, for me, checking a netbook “for noise” is always one of the most difficult tasks, because, as I already wrote in one of the reviews, a lot of devices “flash” in the test laboratory and in order to “hear the work” of a netbook, you need to turn off if not all operating units, then at least some of them.)) Here, next to the “noise”, it is appropriate to say about heating. So, this netbook practically does not heat up, which is its undoubted advantage.

Communications. Of course, there is also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, this netbook features a built-in Samsung M-WiMAX modem.

Sotovik readers know very well what this WiMAX “eats” with: we detail the offer of Skartel, the differences between 3G and 4G in the September issue of Hi-tech WEEK, at the start of the Mobile WiMAX test operation in Moscow and St. Petersburg . Recall that USB-modems first appeared, then the world's first communicator - GSM + Mobile WiMAX. And finally, on March 23, the first mini-laptop in Russia with a built-in WiMAX module went on sale. I think those of you who have read previous netbook reviews on the site have noticed that almost all models that came into our test lab were tested with an external Yota modem. Of course, having a built-in netbook or an external 4G modem is very convenient: no wires, decent speed even considering that the Yota network has not yet been put into commercial operation. The results of the latest tests are such that even in rooms where there is a strong signal, you can download a 100-megabyte file in 30 minutes. An interesting detail - the installed Windows 7 Beta was able to detect the built-in 4G modem. True, there was a slight hitch, but everything was resolved safely - more on this in the next chapter.

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: operating system

Our tester comes with a friendly and fast (unlike Vista) to Windows XP users. No less friendly and "iron" stuffing - working with programs and browsing the Internet are "with a bang." But, to be honest, a completely different environment has already become native for me - Windows 7: the beta version of this OS has been installed on my work computer since January. And during this time, she has proven herself from the best side: comfortable, beautiful and, most importantly, stable. You know, I can't even believe that this is a test version. And since the time of Win7 is already coming, we will definitely “beta check” all the netbooks that end up in our test lab. And yet, with a light hand, this process has become faster and easier - now we install Win7 from a USB flash drive! So, some interesting points that arose during the installation of this operating system. Alas, the drivers for the LAN connection (wired network) were not installed on the machine. There were also problems with the WiMAX modem - the system was able to recognize it, but that's all. To communicate with Yota, I had to download the software from the official Samsung website.

It so happened that the Yotabook was provided to us for only a week. The term is not long, given that in the process of work some ideas always appear. Often there is a need to return to some things. Let's say, having worked out the "XP part", you install Win7 from scratch and then you realize that you need to double-check certain points in XP, but there is no longer an operating system - you can return to it at the final stage of testing, when the netbook is ready for return. In this regard, it was decided to try to install Win7 in such a way that when you reboot you can always return to XP. The maneuver was crowned with success: on the tested netbook, two operating systems were able to get along at the same time! And yet, when rebooting, you could select Recovery and in one fell swoop return the netbook to factory settings.

The process: "booting WinXP - rebooting into Win7 - switching to Recovery" we filmed. The same video shows the operation of the Yota network in both operating systems: both under Windows XP and under Windows 7. “How it was”, you can see here, directly in the review, or download the video in HD quality (1280x720 pixels).

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: Pre-installed and additional software

Let's start by listing the preinstalled programs: Samsung Recovery Solution III, Samsung Magic Doctor, Samsung Update Plus, Easy Display Manger, Easy Battery Manager, Easy Network Manager, Easy SpeedUp Manager, McAfee SecurityCenter, Adobe Acrobat Reader. The list would not be complete without the Play Camera webcam app and, of course, the User Guide. The latter is nothing more than a user manual - in a convenient electronic version. Honor and praise to the manufacturer - on the official website this manual can be downloaded and thus, even before buying the device, take an introductory course.

In this regard, I will allow myself not to dwell on the description of all pre-installed applications, I will only say a few words about some of them.

It is no coincidence that Recovery Solution III is the first on the list, because this program allows you to quickly return to the factory settings if necessary. Another worth noting in this row is the McAfee SecurityCenter application, which guards the security of your netbook. Also worth noting is Magic Doctor, a program that will help diagnose problems with one click.

Well, Samsung in tandem with Yota prepared well! There is a required minimum! Everything else is at the mercy of us, the users. In our test lab, a certain set of additional programs has already been developed, which we always install on netbooks under both WinXP and Win7. Today, as always, I have to report on applications that have worked under both systems, this is a painstaking task, so in order to make life a little easier for myself and make some variety for readers, I will try to systematize the information. First, I’ll tell you about those programs that were installed on both standard Windows and Windows 7. These are: the QIP Infium messenger, the Fire Fox browser, two editors (IrfanView for working with photos and OpenOffice from Infra-Resource for working with documents), a powerful 7ZIP archiver, two players for video and audio (KMPlayer and Media Player Classic with the codec ffdshow revision 2647). To work with sound, I also installed a free beta version of Audacity 1.3. Since this program is found in the "netbook" reviews of Sotovik for the first time, it is worth focusing on it a little. This is a very good sound editor that has such impressive features that if you are not a DJ, it is unlikely that they will all be in full demand :) wider. Why such a program may be needed in everyday life? Again, taking my experience as an example, I can say that quite often I “cut” many hours of DJ sets in order to add the segment I like to the playlist or set my favorite melody to my phone as a call. As for netbooks, this program is a good test of their performance. How? The files that you add to the program often weigh a lot - about 150 MB. So, the moment of truth for a netbook is calculated by the time of importing this file. Summarizing, we can say that Vista, for example, is inferior to Windows 7, but XP holds the blow.

I talked about working with audio, now it’s worth returning to the above applications. Thank God, there is nothing special to say, because everything works. And in terms of speed, this time I can state the parity of the two systems: the “seven” did not seem faster to me. We'll see movies and clips on installed players later, but for now it's worth moving on to programs that were installed only on Win7. This is Mozil's Thunderbird mailer. The measure is forced, because in the "seven", unlike XP, there is no built-in mail client, and by the way, as Microsoft's Russian representative office told us, there will not be: "You just need to download Windows Live Suite" ... As a protective measure against virus installed the free version of Avira AntiVir Personal. Here, perhaps, and all applications.

Let's move on to the most time-consuming part of today's work - checking the battery life using the two players already mentioned and the GeeXboX mini-operating system installed on the flash drive of our colleague Alexei Sekach. But before we get into dry numbers, a few words about the netbook's HD video performance. Why multiple words? The fact is that our today's test subject is based on the Intel Atom N270 platform. Just like, for example, the Rover Neo U100WH, which we reviewed last week. As you understand, what I saw when playing videos recorded in HD quality and related to one or another variety (TS, MKV, VVI) is very similar to what my colleague observed, who similarly tested Rover. Therefore, now I will briefly talk about my impressions, and this information can be supplemented by a corresponding description in. So, video clips recorded in half HD (720p) and played using Media Player Classic in tandem with the ffdshow codec play very well, there are no visible defects. The same can be said about the quality of the video played using GeeXbox. But KMPlayer does a little worse with 720p movies, showing them in slow motion. The situation with the full HD (1080p) version is much worse: Media Player Classic skips frames, but there are no jerks. The same thing happens in GeeXboX. But in KMPlayer, the image is jerky. Difficulties in playing movies and videos recorded in conventional formats (AVI and MPG), of course, were not noted.

And now the main thing is the battery life of our tester. Although, of course, with these important figures, we have our readers back on March 23, the day the NC10 sales start. So, the time of continuous viewing of films (usual "advertisements"), launched on a regular player from under XP, was 4 hours and 20 minutes. At the same time, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and WiMAX were turned off, and the screen brightness was set to maximum! Next, a flash drive with GeeXboX with films recorded on it went into action. So, the battery life increased in this case by almost an hour and amounted to 5.5 hours! The brightness of the screen in this case was also set to the maximum. In its other incarnation (as a device on which Internet browsing was carried out, ICQ and mail clients, a text editor were opened), the “yotanetbook” lasted 5 hours. The brightness in this case was set to maximum, Internet browsing was carried out via WiMAX. The results are very, very good. I can say that in our test laboratory there has not yet been such a "long-playing" netbook! It is worth explaining where the difference between watching movies from under Windows and GeeXboX came from. In hours and minutes, this difference looks impressive, but if you represent it as a percentage, it turns out that it is only 16 percent. However, due to the considerable overall battery life (let me remind you that most netbooks can last about two hours), these 16 percent do not translate into an additional 15 minutes, but almost an hour. The superiority of work from under the GeeXboX mini-operating system over the usual XP is explained quite simply: system resources are not wasted on the work of Windows XP, there are no active operations with the hard drive, which naturally affects the battery life of the device. It is possible that more "autonomy" could be achieved, but the WiMAX modem cannot be turned off completely - even when it is turned off, it works, which means it consumes electricity.

At the end of the chapter, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the performance data. The first screenshot shows the results obtained using the 7ZIP program, which is not only a powerful archiver, but also knows how to calculate performance. Let's recall once again how this process takes place: the program takes 32 MB of data, archives / unzips them and measures the number of operations per second. The result depends on the processor and memory. The "ears" of the second test stick out from Windows Vista. In order to make this calculation, I just needed to start the corresponding process in the "seven". The overall netbook performance rating is calculated by the machine on five components: processor, memory, video, game graphics and hard drive.

Samsung NC10:: Overview:: Screen and keyboard

The screen has an optimal diagonal size for a netbook - 10.2 inches. The resolution is 1024 x 600 dpi. The image is clear, and viewing angles are good. Strange as it may seem, the netbook does not continue the style of the outside of the case when opened - there is no effective gloss on the screen. However, I can’t attribute this to the minuses: fingerprints and dust particles are not so noticeable on the matte surface. Ergonomic Keyboard: Sturdy, 17mm keys well spaced. On the official website, the manufacturer pays special attention to the keyboard coating made of “silver ion nanopowder, which makes it impossible for bacteria to survive and multiply, creating a more hygienic working environment.” The "inside" of the opened netbook is black: both the screen and the keyboard. Under this condition, the introduction of "red" - for Russian letters, "white" - for Latin and "blue" - to designate system key icons, looks competent. The F7 and F8 keys are completely blue. This was not done by chance: in combination with Fn, the first launches the Magic Doctor program, and the second - Easy SpeedUp Manager. They didn’t quite “guess” the touchpad - no, it’s comfortable, but in low light it merges with the bottom and sometimes it turns out that you simply miss. There is another "bottleneck" - the keys, usually used to adjust the brightness and volume, under Win7 "went" to failure, requesting the appropriate software. They also did not work when I watched movies from a GeeXboX flash drive.

Only the lazy do not produce netbooks now, because in 2008 it was the most dynamically developing market segment. Yes, and in search engines, netbooks were searched even more often than the iPhone. The success of netbooks is easy to explain - minimal weight and size, plenty of features and low cost, at least several times lower than that of subnotebooks of similar size. We have already tested netbook models of the main players in this market - ASUS, HP, MSI, Acer. Finally, it's time to get acquainted with the Samsung NC10 netbook. The characteristics of most devices of this class are often very similar and the differences are minimal, but still, each manufacturer tries to surprise with something - the Samsung NC10 has a long battery life and an integrated 3G modem.

Specifications declared by the manufacturer

Contents of delivery

Appearance and usability

The tiny body and light weight of the device provoke never to part with it, because it can fit in a small bag or even a regular folder. With weight and size indicators, everything is normal - a real mobile tool with the convenience of a regular laptop, but at the same time - with much smaller dimensions. But the glossy surface of the lid sometimes annoys with its soiledness, but it was possible to make the lid matte or even metallic, as, for example, in the premium X360/X460 series. Luckily, there is also a white version that does not show fingerprints as much, although this color is not to everyone's taste.

The build quality is good. Large gaps or uneven joints could not be found, but there is something to complain about. Firstly, this is the insufficient rigidity of the case and the small thickness of the case panels, so when trying to twist and squeeze the case creaks willingly. Most noticeable is the creaking in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe battery compartment. Secondly, the connecting loops are not too rigid, and with a sharp change in the position of the netbook, the cover collapses in one direction or the other.

In addition, the degree of opening of the lid is limited to an angle of about 110 degrees, and not the usual 180, so working with the netbook lying down is not very convenient (yes, it's bad for your eyes, but who among us hasn't surfed sites while lying on a comfortable sofa?).

The front edge of the netbook has seven status indicators (three Lock-key indicators, hard drive access, wireless network status, battery status, and power indicator), as well as a memory card slot with a dummy cover, which is without improvised means, without being the owner of long nails , it is very difficult to pull out.

The back wall of the netbook is entirely occupied by the battery.

On the left is a connector for an external power supply, a ventilation grill and a pair of USB ports.

On the right side, a pair of standard audio jacks, a USB connector, a D-Sub port, a security lock installation hole are available, and on the very edge there is an on / off button.

The bottom of the laptop is completely flat and dotted with a mass of ventilation holes. In addition to the battery locks, there are a couple of tiny speakers and a memory module installation compartment. By default, a 1 GB module is installed, but it can be replaced with a 2 GB module, which will speed up the system somewhat.

The working area is tiny, but at the same time, an almost full-size keyboard fits here - 93% of the standard size. The key size is 17.7 mm, so nothing prevents you from using a blind ten-finger typing method. We tested a netbook with a keyboard with only Latin characters printed on it. The keystrokes are soft, with a good tactile connection, the base of the keyboard does not "walk" and the noise level is low. Some keys are significantly reduced in size in general, such as the navigation arrow keys, or reduced only in width, such as , , and , but you can get used to this after a couple of days of active use.

The touch panel of the Samsung NC10 is quite tiny, only 60x29 mm. This is mainly due to the classic layout of the manipulator, in which the keys are under the manipulator, and not on the sides, as, for example, in HP 2133 or Acer Aspire One. The manipulator keys are covered by a single panel. The key travel is very short, but the click is unexpectedly soft and quiet, so the shortcomings can only be noted the small height of the button - only 7 mm, which is why it is sometimes difficult to hit it. A webcam window is installed on the top edge of the display cover.

Display

In our time of “competitive struggle”, one of the methods is economy in production. And if in the production of laptops they save, then in the production of netbooks they save on everything. Therefore, it may be reasonable to choose a netbook “with a small brand markup” - for example, the Samsung NC10 netbook.

In general, it is very funny to conduct a “comparative analysis” of netbooks based on the Intel Atom N270 processor and the Intel 945GSE + ICH7M chipset: it usually turns out that the contribution of the manufacturers directly is limited to the selection of a webcam, type and volume of the drive, card reader, wireless modules, batteries yes screen. And, of course, the design in an embrace with the ergonomics of the keyboard; but there are no striking differences in performance and, say, in the weight of those netbooks that you can buy now.

Therefore, it is useless to talk about whether the NC10 is faster than the Acer Aspire One or MSI Wind - they are identical in this parameter. As well as, however, in terms of workmanship: it happens that full-fledged expensive laptops creak, crackle and hang out, but for some reason their “little brothers” are almost always assembled very well. And almost all "atomic" netbooks have the same set of ports and connectors, and the NC10 is no exception; we list them: three USB ports, VGA output, Ethernet, microphone and headphone jacks and an SD card slot.

We will consider one of the younger versions of the miniature Samsung NC10 with an 80 GB hard drive, a three-cell battery (2200 mAh) and a Bluetooth module (which for some reason is missing in some versions).

Happy owners of Samsung NC10 sing odes to its keyboard: like it's the best among netbooks and stuff like that. Let's not argue, the keys here are really a little larger and more pleasant than in similar products from Taiwanese companies - in particular, if you need to get used to the Acer Aspire One input tool within a day, then you will find a common language with NC10 almost immediately. On the other hand, the furious “praise” of this keyboard obviously did not have to deal with HP netbooks - typing on them is even more convenient. But, again, the NC10 is also quite good.

Regarding the image quality of the Samsung NC10 - here the picture is excellent, and the coating is transparent, and the corners are in perfect order. In general, it is not surprising: in the days of QVGA resolutions, Samsung communicators also used the best screens on the market (that's what it means to have your own production, and not order it from the side!).

The battery life of the Samsung NC10 is an extremely individual parameter. When we were given the Samsung NC10 for testing, we were warned that 4 hours without mains power was not a problem for it. But he never lived with us for more than 2.5 hours. It’s strange: we didn’t play games, didn’t watch movies, practically didn’t listen to music (Samsung NC10’s speakers, by the way, are “four minus”) ... But the backlight was always at maximum, plus WiFi was always activated.

Well, now about the main thing - about the price of Samsung NC10 and its relevance. The announcement of Samsung NC10 took place quite a long time ago, but its sales are starting only now. Does it make sense to pay about $400~$450 for this netbook when the news feeds are full of: “12 inches”, “Intel Atom N280″, “DVD drive in netbook”, “dual core Atom”, “Sony VAIO P”, etc.? d. and so on.?

If we now had to buy a netbook, then we would stop at the model of the previous generation, to which the Samsung NC10 belongs. Our opinion is that the development of any concept goes in the right direction only up to a certain point, after which they begin to scoff at it in every possible way, blurring classes, adding unnecessary things and, of course, raising prices. During 2009 we'll see a number of large and expensive (up to $800~$900) "next generation" netbooks with 12-inch screens, discrete graphics cards and DVD drives (in various combinations, of course); I don't know how they are with battery life, but the other two trump cards of the netbook concept - compactness and a nice price - they will probably lose along the way.

Samsung NC10 Netbook Specifications:

• Processor - Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz
• RAM - 1 GB
• Hard disk - 80 GB
• Video Intel - GMA 950
• Display - 10.2” TFT, 1024 x 600 dots
• Ports - 3 x USB 2.0, VGA, Mic In, Headphone Out, card reader, Kensington Lock
• Communications - Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, LAN
• Food - Li-Ion 2200 mAh
• OS - Windows XP Home Edition
• Weight - 1.29 kg
• Dimensions - 26.1 x 18.55 x 3.03 cm

It is Samsung's first netbook. Moreover, it is rather surprising that the Korean manufacturer has been delaying the release of its own “small laptop” for so long, because most developers have seen the potential of these devices for a very long time.

It seems that the Koreans are very cautious in this matter and prefer not to rush. Although due to these delays, Samsung was one of the last to enter the market of this rapidly developing segment. It will be interesting to know what exactly the company is going to interest potential users when there is already such a variety around.

Design and construction features

The NC10 is available in three colors: white matte, blue and black glossy. We tested the first version. Also, at the moment, only in black gloss is available NC10 with a built-in WiMAX modem. This device is relevant for residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, where Yota has deployed a WiMAX network. If we talk about the Belarusian market, then we most often meet a white device, a black glossy one still needs to be looked for.

As soon as you pick up a matte netbook, you immediately understand that you don’t really want to change it to a glossy one. Here, of course, to each his own, but among users there are clearly many who are already pretty fed up with fingerprints on the case. And if you don’t have to touch and pick up a regular laptop so often, then a netbook, by virtue of its purpose, is exposed to a much larger number of tactile contacts with the user’s hands, and also moves in space much more often, which inevitably leaves its owner’s fingerprints on it . So the matte white body can be called the best solution for a device of this class.

Despite the whiteness and mundane nature of plain matte plastic, the NC10's design doesn't seem all that boring. Although the appearance of this device can be described as a classic notebook, one has only to compare it with the "classmates" from Asus and Acer, as soon as similar features are drawn. The contrast of the NC10 case design is given by the chrome strip running around the entire perimeter of the device and the chrome curtains of the display. An additional visual effect is created by the power button located on the right side of the curtain.

All NC10 service indicators are located on the front end. Moreover, if manufacturers often put only system indicators on the front end, informing about the operating mode, battery charge, wireless interfaces, etc., and the rest are placed on the case closer to the display, then in this model absolutely all indicators look forward. This constructive solution does not make them less informative, since the netbook is small and always fully in front of your eyes.

On the back of the case is a single window behind which is hidden a slot for RAM. It's nice that in the NC10, to access the RAM, just unscrew one screw and remove the cover. Some manufacturers practice such a design, where in order to access the "RAM" it is necessary to remove the entire lower part. Here, everything is much simpler.

All expansion ports on this netbook are signed around the edge of the work surface. This little thing makes working with the device more convenient - there is no need to fumble around the case in search of the right connector.

The NC10 is equipped with three USB ports (two on the left and one on the right). A pair of USB connectors on the left side are at a sufficient distance so that you can connect a classic USB cable and a fairly wide USB flash drive to them. The set of other connectors is quite traditional: RJ-45 network, audio input and output, VGA connector, power supply socket and a card reader located on the front end.

The model is equipped with two tiny stereo speakers, which are located at the bottom of the device. The volume level of the speakers is very high, but the sound quality is below average. There is nothing surprising here: small dynamic speakers, by definition, cannot radiate the entire frequency range. You can listen to music at 1/2, 3/4 volume, while cutting high frequencies using the equalizer.

Talking about the design of the netbook itself, we must not lose sight of the power supply for it. I am very pleased that the AC adapter in the NC10 is very small and weighs about 300 g. It is convenient to carry around and does not make the full "ammunition" much heavier.

Input Devices

We tested a copy with a Korean keyboard layout, which differs slightly from the European one. Therefore, we were able to feel the main points. The big advantage of the NC10 keyboard is the size of its keys: the letter keys are the same size as the standard keyboard. Although usually in netbooks they are somewhat reduced in size.

Saving the size of the alphanumeric part resulted in the reduction of the remaining buttons. So, for example, the keys Enter, Tab, Shift, Backspace noticeably lost in size. For those accustomed to the PC keyboard layout, the fact that the left Ctrl is in the lower left corner, where Samsung usually has the Fn key, will be nice.

As for the function keys paired with Fn, in addition to the traditional ones, which are responsible for adjusting the volume, brightness, turning on / off wireless networks, etc., the Korean manufacturer always completes its laptops with keys that call proprietary utilities: Fn + F2 (Battery level), Fn + F7 (Invoke Samsung Magic Doctor), Fn + F8 (Switch between power saving modes).

The company's press release says that the NC10 keyboard has a special coating with silver ions that kill bacteria, thus improving the standard of living. Although it is worth noting that Samsung has been using this type of coating for quite some time in almost all of its laptops. Tactile "silver-plated" keys are no different from ordinary ones. It would be interesting to test the performance of this technology.

The touchpad on the NC10 is quite small. Probably, he was sacrificed to a full-fledged keyboard. But, despite the size, using the touch panel is quite convenient. The touchpad has the function of horizontal and vertical scrolling. The area of ​​the latter is marked on the surface of the touch panel.

Additional buttons are implemented in the form of a thin monokey. On the one hand, it's good that the additional buttons are not scattered on the right and left sides of the touchpad, and on the other hand, it's not very convenient that the monokey is so narrow (although you can get used to it). You can disable the touchpad using the Fn + F10 key combination.

Display

The NC10 has a 10.2-inch matrix with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. And, strange as it may seem, despite the fact that Samsung and Sony have a common factory for the production of LCD panels, the tested netbook is equipped with a screen from Taiwanese manufacturer Chunghwa Picture Tubes.

In principle, there is nothing surprising here. Expensive high-quality panels from Samsung's own factory are used in top-end laptops, monitors and TVs, and cheaper third-party matrices are installed in budget devices, which, in theory, the test sample belongs to. It makes no sense to establish your own production of budget components when it is already organized by other people.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that the matrix is ​​far from Made by Samsung, it behaves very well. These words should be understood as good viewing angles and a high level of brightness. Moreover, the viewing angles are good both in the horizontal and vertical planes. For example, the width of the horizontal corner will be enough to watch a movie together.

It is not worth saying that the NC10 matrix has a high level of contrast, excellent color reproduction, displays colors brightly and saturated. Yes, the screen is really good, and given the fact that this is a budget netbook display, it can safely be given 8 points on a 10-point scale. But even compared to midrange 15-inch laptop displays, the NC10's screen looks weaker. Perhaps this subjective assessment was influenced to a certain extent by the fact that the matrix in the tested netbook has a matte finish.

The brightness of the display backlight is changed in eight steps using the Fn key and the up / down arrows. Moreover, for comfortable work, it is not necessary to set the brightness to the maximum position.

According to the declared technical characteristics, the maximum brightness of this matrix is ​​200 cd/m 2 , the contrast ratio is 400:1. The measurements carried out showed that at the maximum level the brightness of the display was 204 cd/m 2 . And at the minimum level - 16 cd/m 2 . The maximum brightness level is observed in the center of the display. To the periphery, it decreases by an average of 15 cd/m 2 .

For work in design systems, such as T-FLEX and AutoCAD, this device is not suitable. Firstly, the graphics adapter is not very suitable for this (there will be braking during operation), and secondly, the 10-inch display is too small for these purposes. So just an office.

Heat and noise

The NC10 is equipped with a forced air cooling system. Cold air is taken in through windows located on the back of the netbook case, and heated air exits from the left side, where the radiator is located.

The case heats up very little even when the processor is fully loaded. The maximum temperature to which we managed to warm up the CPU was 65 °C. Even then, none of the netbook's surfaces became hot. Noticeable heating was felt only to the left of the touchpad.

When working in office mode, even if the performance is set to maximum, the noise of the cooler is almost inaudible (especially if you work in a real office). For those who need "ringing silence", there is a silent mode of operation. With it, the processor frequency drops and the cooler turns off.

Battery life

The tested NC10 had a 2200 mAh battery. Therefore, the battery life indicators were longer than laptop ones.

In addition to the 3-cell 2200 mAh battery, the NC10 is equipped with 6-cell 5200 mAh batteries. Models with WiMAX modems are supplied with 6-cell high-capacity batteries - 5900 mAh.

In video playback mode with medium brightness and disabled wireless interfaces, the NC10 worked for 2 hours and 7 minutes. In office mode, under the same conditions, the result was slightly less - 1 hour 52 minutes.