Samsung NC10

Samsung has taken its time to enter the notebook and netbook markets and with the NC10 netbook, the Korean company goes shoulder-to-shoulder with the already established players.

The NC10 features standard netbook specs which include a 1.6GHz Atom chip, a gigabyte of memory and a 10.2-inch LCD screen. In the portability stakes, the Samsung tips the scales at 1.3kg and this weight in tandem with its compact dimensions makes it very easy to travel with. On the battery front, the Samsung ran our test benchmarks for nearly two hours, which puts it on par with other netbooks we’ve tried.

Where the Samsung does differentiate itself from competitors such as Asus’ EEE PC and MSI’s Wind is with fit and finish and design. Though the Samsung is a little more pricey, the chrome accents on the hinge and border of the notebook along with the white finished plastic gives it a far more expensive look. The NC10 also feels more solid when held by one of its edges as it exhibits no real flex. This is something we can’t say about every netbook we’ve tested before. Even the LCD screen appeared a cut above the rest as it dazzled us with surprisingly sharp displays and fairly vibrant colours.

The NC10’s application performance while good wasn’t the fastest we’ve seen from a netbook and this was about the only issue we had with this top product.