Customer Reviews

Samsung NB30 10.1-Inch Netbook (Black)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I do tech support for a living, and often find that I need to have a computer of my own (rather than use a client's PC) when I am onsite fixing problems. My previous portable notebook was a 7-pound Sony which really had way too many bells and whistles for what I usually needed -- that is, just a basic PC, as light and as rugged as possible. When I saw the Samsung NB30, I knew I'd found what I was looking for.

The NB30 is a sweet little machine -- it is fairly speedy, it has great battery life, it's light (even with the AC adapter in my backpack, the entire package is less than 4 pounds), and it's got a "corduroy" outer case which is fingerprint- and scratch-resistant. The Windows 7 Starter operating system was easily upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate (since I do tech support, I need full access to the entire operating system) using Windows Anytime Upgrade, and upgrading the RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB (highly recommended) took only a couple of minutes.

If you're looking for a netbook, I highly recommend the NB30.

This is a really great netbook. Tough and durable. Swapped out the drive with a OCZ SSD drive and upgraded the RAM to 2GB and this thing is a speed demon!!

The NB30 was a great little netbook while it lasted. Bought this netbook when it first came out, reviews said it was the ruggedized version with built-in accelerometer on the hard drive to park the heads when detecting free-fall; rubberized coating to help absorb impact and I even remember some references to it surviving drops in an Euro electronics show. Well, 4 months after purchase my 'ruggedized model' developed horizontal and vertical lines in the upper left corner of the screen, Samsung Customer Service 1st level and 2nd level 'Management' will not warranty 'an internal crack' even though its never been dropped, has no physical damage and was always housed in a neoprene case. Maybe an isolated instance, but I think not.... I have spoken with techs who say they see this internal crack problem all the time; also Samsung Management will not directly speak to the customer, I was told to write a letter. Frustrating because I have 'babied' this netbook, maybe I opened the lid by the corner and tweaked the screen. Cost of repair is equivalent to cost of unit.

I will buy an Asus next but I strongly recommend getting a ST warranty w/additional accidental damage option if you want to protect yourself from my scenario.

Love it. Lightweight and excellent battery. Mat finish screen is great when working in sunlight. 2megs of ram was a recomended upgrade and that is good idea, especially for public wi-fi speeds. Not a real fan of windows 7, but is useable.

I bought this netbook in April to use for field use in a one month geology field outing I was going on. Purchased for well under $300 (I shopped around online a lot), so was very happy with the price. Upgraded the RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB immediately and eventually upgraded to the full Windows 7. Perfect size for fitting into a backpack, very convenient for downloading pictures and other data, writing reports and accessing the internet while on the road/in the field. Couldn't be more happy with the matte screen for use outdoors, in the sunlight, as well as the long battery life.
Over time, I find myself gravitating more toward using this over my desktop/laptop/macbook/ipad (I own many devices), since it's so convenient and I've gotten used to the small size - it's so much more convenient to take everywhere and does everything that I need it to do. It's in my bag everyday and goes with me everywhere - the field, the office, etc. and no issues - it still looks and works as good as new.

Overall, I have no complaints and am very happy with my purchase. I did my homework and researched different brands, I understood the capabilities/limitations of a netbook and have worked in the IT industry, so I didn't purchase this netbook blindly nor did I have unrealistic expectations. If anything, I'm surprised at how much I love working on this little thing. Great job, Samsung!

This netbook is easy and fun to use. You can take it anywhere you want to go and do anything you want on it, but do not be fooled of its claims of drop or screen protection. Mine broke after about a year because the LCD internal screen shattered and I didn't ever touch it.

Purchased this as a gift for a gentleman in his 70's that is wheel-chair bound... He loves it!
It took a while for him to become accustomed to the mouse pad, it's operation, and the on/off switch location...
I don't think he'll ever learn what the various LED's mean... as long as it works, he's happy!
After a month in service, he's happy, so I'm happy!

For the full price amazon lists ($380) this product is not worth it. It has the same specs as most other netbooks with a price increase for really no reason. But i bought it for $299 so price doesn't affect my rating at all.

Before i even turned it on for the first time i installed a 2gig stick of ram, i have no idea how it runs on 1gig. I played with windows 7 for about an hour before i got fed up with it. Switched it to Ubuntu desktop. Wow, what a difference. Only problem was getting wireless and back light to work but got them going now.
I read some reviews online that say the textured case looks dull, but honestly thats why i bought it. I think the case is perfect, no fingerprints, smugs or scratches. Its the best.

Samsung says it has a 6.5 hour battery, i have found it be more around 4.5 to 5 in actual use, but im willing to bet i could get 5.5 out of it. 6.5 however is a cold lie, but i expected that.

Keyboard is really nice and surprisingly easy to type on, no complaints there. The only drawback i would say of this little machine is the mouse pad. It is really small but not so hard to use, it just takes some definite getting use to.

Something to note also, its labeled as a semi durable machine, with exception of the case i would say it is not. Don't buy this thing thinking you can drop and/or spill whatever on it and it will be ok. It is not a Toughbook.

All in all, awesome portable machine, got a great price, would recommend it to anyone. I highly recommend getting the external cd drive as well.

I am very happy with this Netbook; particularly the long battery life, excellent keyboard, and 802.11n (however, only 2.5 GHz, no 5GHz). I upgraded the 1GB memory to 2GB. I also upgraded Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Pro. I did these upgrades as a reactive task to earlier desktop and laptop upgrades. In hindsight, these upgrades might have been unnecessary. As advertised, Windows 7 is very memory efficient; while loading and using routine applications, memory usage rarely exceeds 1GB. Similarly, while I'm comfortable using the features of Windows 7 Pro, the Starter addition really has all the features I need in a Netbook. Additionally, I was surprised that the included Microsoft Works package for word processing and spreadsheets is really quite good. MS Works provides most of the Netbook office functionality that I need without the feature clutter that has crept into office apps over the years. PowerPoint is missing from Works but the free download of MS PowerPoint Viewer provides view only functionality. I recommend downloading the free MS Security Essentials (MSE) virus protection rather than using revenue based virus packages. Bottom line, try a new Netbook without all the upgrades before you escalate the price from $300 to $450+. p.s. the Atom 1.7GHz CPU that enables a long 6hr+ battery life does slow routine performance somewhat.

I would buy this netbook right away if I could get it with Linux instead of Windows. I don't see the need to pay Microsofd money if I'm not going to use their product.