Ever since Samsung released its first netbook in 2008 – it was the NC10 – it’s been churning out new models like there’s no tomorrow. And with the recent arrival of Intel’s second-gen Atom ‘Pine Trail’ platform, it’s no surprise Samsung has taken the opportunity to get some new netbooks to market.
Matte screen fans, rejoice! It’s Samsung’s N220
As far as first impressions go, the N220 doesn’t disappoint. The glossy black lid features a deep red glow that changes in intensity depending on the angle it’s viewed at. If red doesn’t rock your boat, there’s a rather funky green alternative. Being glossy, it’s a magnet for fingerprints.
The six-cell battery props the netbook up by roughly one centimetre at the rear, taking the total thickness to 36mm, but it sits flush with the rear edge. Read the rest of this entry »
Review The new N130 and N140 netbooks will probably be the last such machines we see from Samsung running the Silverthorn Atom processors as come January it is promising to announce a raft of new machines using the next generation Atom Pine Trail chips.
Of course we don’t know when exactly the new machines will be available to buy or how much they will cost, but its fair to assume they will replace most of the current range, specifically the NC10, NC20, N110, N120 and N310 machines leaving the N130 and N140 as the entry level of Samsung’s netbook range. Read the rest of this entry »
Review You don’t have to dig too deep to see that the diversity of Samsung’s netbook range is a case of flattering to deceive. Sure, there are plenty of them, but the differences are essentially Peripheral and cosmetic with all bar the NC20 having 10.1in screens and the usual netbook-norm Intel Atom chippery.
Samsung’s N510: a full res screen without a weak Z-series Atom CPU
The N510, however, diverges from the pattern established by the NC10 and replicated in such machines as the N110, N120 and N310 in that it uses Nvidia’s Ion LE graphics chip – along with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 CPU – and an 11.6in, 1366 x 768 display.
Despite the hidden differences, externally the N510 is quite clearly a Samsung. The design is restrained, if not to say conservative, and the only colours available are white and black. As with previous Samsung netbooks, the build quality is of a high standard. You get the feeling this is a machine that will take whatever life throws at it.
Easy-on-the-eye blue status lights abound, as do icons telling you what all the ports are for, together making this an ideal machine for anyone who loses sleep over whether or not they have left the Caps Lock key engaged or worry should they try to stick USB devices into HDMI or LAN ports. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Installing a second operating system on a PC is nothing new. Plenty of manufacturers have done so before, building a slimline Linux distro into their machines to provide a much more rapid start-up than Windows can manage: full access to the internet within seconds of pressing on power key.
Acer’s Aspire with Android: fast start for Google, slower boot to Microsoft
What sets Acer apart is its choice of secondary OS: Google’s Android, an operating system usually found in smartphones, but here pressed into service the way Asus has used SplashTop, Sony has used XMB and Dell has used Latitude On.
All of these services play second fiddle to Windows, and Acer’s Android offering is no different. Right from the outset, Android is junior partner to the Microsoft OS. Switch the machine on – it’s an Aspire One 10in D250 netbook, almost exactly like the one we reviewed here – and alongside the regular invitation to enter the Bios setup screen by pressing F2, you have the chance “to enter Windows OS” by pressing F9.
You have to be quick, though. If you’re too slow, or you keep your mitts off the keyboard, the familiar Google ‘droid appears, cheekily peering up at you from the bottom right corner of the screen. Within seconds – 18.9, to be precise – you’re facing the Android UI. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Earlier this year, Fujitsu launched a somewhat unsuccessful assault on the netbook market with its Amilo Mini UI 3250. Suffering from a slow hard drive, fiddly keyboard and ever-so-slightly-ugly chassis, it didn’t fare too well in our review.
Fujitsu’s M2010: still room for improvement
Now, just a few months later, Fujitsu is back on the netbook warpath with the M2010. Featuring a 10.1in screen, it’s available in three colours – pearl white, metallic red and sparkling black – all of which come with the same glossy chassis complete with a large Fujitsu ‘infinity’ symbol on the lid.
At 258mm, the M2010 is roughly the same width as rival 10in netbooks, however, the six-cell battery juts out at the back and pushes the depth to 205mm. The battery also adds to the thickness, measuring 43mm at the rear and 32mm at the front, while pushing the total weight to 1.33kg.
Fujitsu has gone for Intel’s Atom N280 processor, which runs at 1.66GHz off a 667MHz FSB. Graphics are handled by Intel’s GMA 950 chip, while 1GB of DDR2 memory is also installed – this can be upgraded to 2GB, but there’s only one slot available so you’ll need to ditch the preinstalled module to achieve this. Other specs include a 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Needless to say, XP Home comes preinstalled. Read the rest of this entry »
