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 Samsung has never been a supplier of cheap and cheerful netbooks, and the consumer-oriented N310, which expands the range beyond the more seriously styled NC10, NC20 and N120, still comes in with a suggested price of a pound under £400. For that, you’d expect something very special.
The N310: you’d never guess is was a Samsung would you…
You’re left in little doubt about the maker of this machine, as Samsung is embossed in the lid in inch-high letters. Combine the logo with the large-radius curved corners, and flush-mounted screen and touchpad, and the N310 has a certain jauntiness to its design. Available with a black, sky blue or orangey red case, to reflect how you feel about working on the move, the N310 is, however, bulky for a netbook.
The closed case is 28mm thick, but the machine weighs in at a par-for-the-course 1.23kg. This is 70g lighter than, say, MSI’s Wind U115, but 130g heavier than the Eee PC 1008HA, which is about the same price on the open market. Its footprint dimensions are 262 x 185mm, making it very convenient to use, for example, on the flip-down trays on the back of Inter-City train seats. Read the rest of this entry »
