Samsung NC10-14GBK 10.2-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Cell Battery

by Samsung

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor
• 160 GB Hard Disk Drive. 1 GB RAM
• Windows XP Home Operating System, 6-cell battery with up to 6-hours of use
• 10.2-inch display, integrated webcam, and 93-percent full-size keyboard

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Small and incredibly functional, the Samsung NC10-14GBK netbook is a stylish alternative larger laptops when you want to stay connected and keep working but need to travel light. Weighing only 2.8 pounds, the NC10 netbook gives you the freedom to do that and more wherever you are. It incorporates a stunning 10.2-inch WSVGA SuperBright anti-glare screen and normal-size, ergonomic notebook-style keyboard that makes it easy to compose long documents on the go. And the NC10's ultra-durable Protect-o-Edge casing can easily withstand the stresses and strains of everyday life, making this netbook the ideal companion for a mobile lifestyle.

Designed especially for mobile devices, the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor uses a brand new design structure new hafnium-infused circuitry, which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors to conserve energy and gives you more time away from the wall outlet--up to 6 hours with the included 6-cell battery.

It boasts a range of advanced communications technologies, including an Atheros 54g wireless LAN (802.11b/g) for fast Internet access, a 10/100 Ethernet wired LAN and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR for connecting to peripherals such as your cell phone. It also includes an integrated digital motion camera, so it's easy to stay in touch using video-conferencing or live messaging. Other features include 1 GB or RAM, a 3-in-1 memory card reader, VGA output for external monitors, and three USB ports.

It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop.

Spec Check 10.2-inch LCD screen 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor 160 GB hard drive 1 GB RAM (2 GB maximum) 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) Windows XP Home (SP3) Weighs 2.8 pounds

Processor
The Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).

Storage
This version of the Samsung NC10 comes with a 160 GB hard disk drive (5400 RPM), which offers enough to room to hold a an extra-large digital audio library of and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.

Memory
The 1 GB of installed RAM can be expanded to a maximum of 2 GB of RAM,

Input
You won't have to make compromises to stay productive with the NC10 netbook. The 93-percent full-size keyboard makes it easy to type no matter where you are.

Screen, Video and Audio
The 10.2-inch screen has a WSVGA resolution (1024 x 600) and has a 220nit brightness rating. It also has an anti-glare finish for great viewing angles in all lighting conditions. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 945, which uses shared video memory with the main memory.

This notebook includes an integrated audio card with Microsoft DirectSound compatibility, and it includes two stereo speakers (1.5 watts apiece for a total of 3 watts of power).

Connectivity
This Samsung NC10 notebook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN (Atheros) that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks--great for surfing at home on the couch or connecting to the Internet at hotspots around town. The Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.0 + EDR) enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones. It has a multi-in-one card reader that's compatible with three different types of memory cards--Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), and MultiMediaCard (MMC)--for maximum flexibility. Here's the full list of ports and external connections:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• Multi-in-one card reader supports SD, SDHC, MMC
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• RJ-45 port for 10/100 Fast Ethernet connection

DVD/CD Drive
Because of its size, the Samsung NC10 does not come with an integrated optical drive, but optional CD/DVD read/write drives can be connected to the laptop via one of the three USB ports, enabling you to create your music mixes, burn movies to DVD, and more.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Samsung NC10 netbook PC, rechargeable 6-cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase.

Product Description

The NC10 Netbook by Samsung is ideal for users looking for a low-cost, highly mobile solution that is aimed at ¿consuming¿ data via the Internet versus ¿creating¿ data. Key System Benefits - Easy to take with you whether it¿s around the house, the campus or wherever one might travel; provides significant performance capabilities to wander the Internet and take care of basic productivity applications; enables one to view the Internet in full screen without compromise in a clear and comfortable display; maximum storage capacity for everything you download from the web; provides maximum system performance for basic web browsing and limited system functionality; enhances system performance without adding unnecessary system overhead; provides a great balance of price and performance; full size, easy to use keyboard. Key System Features - Weighing in at just 2.8 pounds; the NC10 adopts the new Intel Atom CPU; 10.2¿ wide LCD display providing 1024 x 600 resolution with 250 nits of brightness and an anti-reflection gloss coating display; high capacity 6-cell Lithium Ion battery providing up to 8 hours of continuous run time; 160GB capacity hard disk drive (HDD); 1GB system memory (RAM); Windows XP Home Operating System; Silver-Nano Keyboard; available in Blue or White color.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

953 of 984 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars IT Pro's Netbook Epiphany (the Samsung NC10)..... November 23, 2008

By R. Hill

Color Name:White

USER BACKGROUND:
I've been involved with PC's since PC's came into existence. Through the years I've owned a wide range of notebooks from luggables, desktop replacements, to travel companions (currently I own a couple of 12" touch screen tablets and two HP 20" HDX media notebooks used as desktop replacements). I was ready for a new travel notebook and started to follow the evolving "Netbook" category. As in the past, I was faced with a substantial expenditure (several thousand dollars) to get one of the current higher end travel notebooks that would meet my general laptop requirements; a light, relatively powerful, good battery life and compact design. The evolving +/- $500 Netbook category piqued my curiosity and I started to read reviews and study the new product offerings including their upgradability potential, or lack thereof.

INTENDED USE:
In my experience, most air travelers use a laptop similar to myself, web browsing, email, and light office applications (word, excel, etc); or in other words the "Netbook" categories target market.

REQUIREMENTS:
On occasion I take long trips across the country (8 to 10 hour block to block) and I wanted my new purchase to provide a single charge that would last through that day's journey; no spare batteries or AC adapter in tow. A typical trip for me begins at the departure gate and firing up the notebook for a little catch-up computing while waiting for departure. Once airborne and settled in, I pull my notebook out for some on-board work. Upon arriving at my connection stop I either head to a travel lounge or the departure gate and get on-line once again. On the last flight leg, I'll generally pull out my notebook for some additional in-air use before getting to my destination.

My target requirements:
1. Light weight & Compact foot-print
2. Long battery life
3. 10" - 12" screen size, 1024x600 minimum resolution and bright
4. Reasonable processing power for intended use
5. Windows XP Pro
6. 2 GB of memory and a 320 GB 7200 rpm hard drive

MY NETBOOK SELECTION:
I purchased the "Samsung NC10" and I'M VERY IMPRESSED! I pre-ordered from Amazon.com and received the unit on 11/19/08. I settled on the white version since I'm not a fan of black keyboards which the NC10's blue and black color options sport. With the modifications discussed below, this little machine exceeds my overall expectations and is everything the various reviewers have analyzed and discussed to date. Most reviewers consider the keyboard on the NC10 the best in category, but since I'm not a touch typist that wasn't one of my hot buttons, however the key board is large, solid, and pleasant to use.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The standard NC10 came closest to my purchase specs for light weight; it's under 3 lbs, long battery life; it seems Samsung's targeted 6 - 8 hours of battery life is doable (I've hit 6+ hours using disk, WiFi and toned down screen brightness). The 10.2" screen is very bright and clear with 1024x600 resolutions; it helps to auto-hide the taskbar to buy a little more screen real estate. The unit is very compact and like most Netbooks its projected area is smaller then an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper and the closed clamshell is 1" thick. The standard unit arrives with XP Home, 1 GB memory and a 160 GB 5400 rpm drive. The NC10 feels solid, build quality (inside and out) are excellent and out of the box the unit was responsive and fairly snappy. I have two WiFi access points in my home and the NC10's WiFi card picked both up with excellent reception and through-put; I also tried my Sprint USB broadband adapter with equally satisfactory results.

THE UPGRADES:
Like most engineering types; "If its not broke, take it apart and fix it anyway". I've read the reviews and knew the memory and hard disk could be easily be upgraded (given a little bit of prior experience and some hardware finesse). I went to my preferred parts supplier, Newegg, and purchased a 2GB stick of RAM for $32 and a 7200 rpm 320 GB disk drive for $100. I also picked-up a nice Netbook carrying case by Caselogic for $12 with my Amazon order. I used Apricon's EZ Upgrade Kit to image the units' standard 160 GB disk and then put it on the shelf as the failsafe backup. It took me about 10 minutes to take the unit apart and upgrade the components. I then prepared a Windows XP Pro DVD slipstreamed with SP3, repartitioned the disk, reinstalled the operating system and all the Samsung drivers and application software. Samsung did an excellent job of putting all the NC10's drivers and application software on their technical support web page. The overall result of these upgrades makes a noticeable improvement in overall performance. I'm very pleased with the final results for this tweaked, travel ready road machine (an example: standard boot time to WiFi connection is about 90 seconds, however I use hibernation on my notebooks and the machine will boot-up to WiFi connected status in 25 seconds).

NETBOOKS FUTURE:
I agree with many of the industry and media experts who have editorialized on the Netbook phenomena. Netbooks will continue to be a significant new growth segment in the overall notebook category. The manufactures have an interesting dilemma however; Netbooks will also continue to cut into sales of the higher margin, costlier tier of their notebook offerings. Feature creep is probably going to be the manufactures biggest marketing challenge; the temptation to seek product differentiation by adding larger screens, faster processors (central & graphics), more IO, etc., all tending to increase price, size, weight, and cut into battery life. If you examine your real world use and expectations you may have the same epiphany I have had; these little Netbooks are excellent solutions vs. the more expensive traditional notebook offerings. With a couple of easy inexpensive tweaks, the "Samsung NC10" is a home run!

344 of 359 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent little machine November 21, 2008

By Thomas A. Puzio

Color Name:White

OVERVIEW
Let me start by saying I wanted the blue one because I felt like white would be too cheap looking. White isn't my first choice for a laptop color, but i think this is passable. I decided to take the white one rather than wait around for whenever the blue one is released.

I love this machine. The day-to-day tasks are peppy and it behaves like a normal Windows XP machine. I have purchased a RAM upgrade and am waiting for my 2GB stick to arrive, but I have been using it with the 1GB installed and haven't had any issues. The main uses for this machine I see are internet, office, and other such basic tasks. However, I also maintain a couple websites and was able to install Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 and noticed no difference in performance on this machine from my powerful desktop.

The fit and finish are excellent. Keyboard keys are sturdy and snappy. The USB ports are tight, in a good way, and provide a sense of quality when you plug things in. The screen is bright, bright enough that I often dim it a notch or two due to eye fatigue (which is normally not a problem for me).

CONS
Trying to find faults in this machine is like trying to find faults in a BMW 7 series, sure there are nit-picky things you can point out, but come on, it's a 7 series! Having said that...

Screen size. This being my first netbook the size of the screen takes a little getting used to. My problem with the screen is that it is slightly too short in height. To combat this I simply made my taskbar autohide, what I normally do not do, but without this, the main window pane seemed pinched what with the menu bars, tool bars, and task bar taking up roughly 1 inch of screen real estate.

Touch pad. The touch pad is pretty short (up and down) so some adjustments needed to be made to the pointer speed and momentum to get it up and down without retreading over and over. Ultimately I find it much easier to just use a wireless mouse (I'd recommend the Logitech VX Nano). What I wish is that Samsung had used the extra space above and below the touchpad to simply increase its size. If it were 1/4" taller the touchpad would be just fine.

Weight. It is light, but because it's small it seems dense. This means for me that its weight/size ratio means that it feels heavy. By no means would I say it is heavy, but i think it is heavier than it may appear at first glance. It is still very light for a laptop, even lighter than the Macbook Air (albeit a smaller form factor).

PROS
Speed. Speedy laptop. It gets the job done.

Battery. I tested it out today. I teach high school and used this laptop to take attendance and record grades in each of my classes. I started it up around 7:50am and had it turned on most of the day. Periodically I would put it in sleep mode, or allow the power save mode to turn off the lcd. I also turned off the backlight when I got up to walk away from time-to-time. However, the NC10 made it from 8am all the way to 3pm without shutting down due to lack of power. And I had the backlight on 6 or 7 out of 8 the entire time and I had to connect to the internet on a regular basis so wifi was on the entire time. I am confident that if I took this on a plane with me I could play 2 or 3 movies before my battery dies. This was a huge selling point for me. Most other netbooks have similar features but many lack the 6-cell battery.

Hard drive. The response time is peppy. No noticible lag when accessing the hard drive or save large files. Having 160GB hard drive is important to me. I also plan on adding 32GB via a SD card for additional storage. With all the windows updates, office 2003, macromedia suite 8, and various other applications, along with 30 gb of music, I have about 100GB left over for data.

CUSTOMIZING IT
As with all laptops, this one comes preinstalled with a bunch of stuff you may or may not want. I like more control than some of these applications offer. Also, the computer starts out by partitioning the hard drive to split it in half. You can control how much you want to assign to each partition, and it says you can even set it to eliminate the partitioning, but I was unable to figure this out. When I went through the process I couldn't get mine to leave it as one big drive. So it ended up splitting it in half. After I did this I decided I didn't like it that way and wanted to fix it.

Here's what I did:
1. With the help of an external DVD drive, I put the recovery disk in (while logged in to windows) and gave it the option to reinstall windows
2. It started the process and then rebooted and then I had the option to boot from a disk. I did that and the computer stopped at the typical Windows XP installation interface.
3. From there I was able to delete the D partition and the small, hidden recovery partition (about 6 gb) to allow the C partition to take over all 160gb of the hard drive
4. I deleted the C partition and then reformatted it as one drive
5. Then it installed windows to the new C drive
6. Followed setup process and voila! New clean Windows XP machine
7. Once i was back in windows I put in the software disk that has all the samsung programs and installed those which I wanted. It's important to install the video and audio drivers so the function keys work with the speaker volume and backlight controls.
8. Finished by installing whatever applications I wanted and updating windows and office

enjoy.

413 of 434 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's the beautiful Samsung NC10 December 13, 2008

By stephen Luff

Color Name:White

Length: 9:53 Mins

Here is a 9 minute review of the NC10. I thought it would be a bit more exciting to see it in action and my first thoughts. I've put in a few size comparisons that helps get the feel of it.

I really love the whole experience of owning one of these. The battery life is amazing with 7 hours and more. The experience of daily surfing on the go in style is so helpful and enjoyable. If you are on the go and have time between appointments it can really change the way you do business online. You can display products to anyone, learn Tai Chi outside or just in your mind. Just brilliant.

Link to another product used in video. The Tai Chi DVD is only available in the PAL Format for now at Amazon UK. Next year 2nd quarter 2009 for AMAZON.COM.

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