Samsung NC10-11GP 10.2-Inch Pink Netbook - 6 Cell Battery Right now

This is my 1st Netbook, and I have to say, right off the bat, that I am extremely impressed. I had an opportunity to demo many different units in the store, but unfortunately I did not have a chance to try out the NC10 prior to purchasing it. I can honestly say that I am glad I took the risk.

Keyboard:
One of the best on the market! I have discussed this item with many potential netbook buyers, and many of my colleagues do not realize that not all netbook keyboards are created equal. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE KEYBOARD LAYOUT, especially if you plan on doing a fair amount of typing. I think the NC10 had the best quality feel out of all the netbooks I demoed. The HP Mini Note had the best key board layout, but I think the quality feel of the NC10 is better.
The NC10 has a stated 93% size keyboard. But more importantly it has a large sized 'Enter' key, right 'Shift' key, and most importantly a reasonably sized 'Backspace' key. If I had a complaint it would be that the 'Backspace' key could have been a bit bigger. (I use it a lot, due to my poor typing skills) That being said, it really has not caused me a problem.

Score: 4.5/5.0

Screen:
The 10" screen is perfect! I had tried a couple of 8.9" screens and they were reasonable and I would not shy away from an 8.9" screen for casual usage, but the 10" screen strikes the perfect balance between portability and eye strain.
In addition the NC10 has a nice matte finish as opposed to a glossy finish. My 15.4" notebook as a glossy finish which I like for home use and when playing games and watching movies, but the matte screen on the Samsung is very smart, due the various environments that I use it. When in brightly lit areas I have no problems with glare and the NC10 has many brightness settings which can easily over come a bright room.

I have yet to try and use it outside (winter here in the Midwest), but once I do, I will submit and update to this review.

Score: 4.5/5.0

Battery Life:

Wow! This is really about all I can say. Wow!
Ok, I will elaborate:

I was EXTREMELY skeptical about the published battery life data being reported on the internet for the NC10. My thought process was, if it has essentially the same type of internal workings as all of the other netbooks, then how could it really offer upwards of 8 hours of battery life? Other 6 cell notebooks are in the 4-6 hour range, how could the Samsung really be that much longer? Truth be told, I don't know, but it really does operate for approximately 6-8 hours on a full battery charge, depending on the type of work I am doing.



Score: 5.0 / 5.0 (I should rate it a 10.0 out of 5.0)

Performance:

I was concerned before buying a Netbook on the level of performance these little machines can offer. Rather than listing a bunch of bench mark performance tests and numerical score, that don't mean anything to most readers, I can comment on how the machine handles various applications:

Windows startup: I can't tell the difference on startup for my netbook when compared to my desktop/laptop. No issue.

MS Office 2003: Seamless. Again, I don't notice any real difference between running Office on my work laptop or desktop.

Web surfing: That's what these little guys were made for. No problems surfing or streaming video on Youtube.

Higher Performance Apps: I have tried to run some high quality compressed MP4 movies on the NC10, and it handles them OK. There are some screen artifacts from time to time and some lag. This was also the only application I was running at the time, so I think it would trip on itself, if I was trying to surf and watch a high quality video (when would I do that?)

I have not tried to run any games yet on the NC10. Once I do I will update this review.

I would expect that the NC10 would be on par with other netbooks, sine many of the new netbooks are cookie cutter when it comes to the hardware. For users who are wondering whether a netbook has enough horsepower for everyday work use (email, Office, some low-medium video quality, picture editing, etc), the answer is: Yes! It is actually more power than I thought it would be. But let me be clear, this is not a high power machine that can allow for high order processing, gaming, and HD video.

Score: 4.0 / 5.0 <-- again, probably on par with all other netbooks

Build Quality:

The look, feel, and build quality of the Samsung NC10 is 2nd to none. As I mentioned the keyboard keys response and feel are the best available. The device feels like a very high end piece of equipment. There is no bend in the keyboard, like I noticed on lower ender competitors, and the screen is well balanced with the unit, no matter of what angle it is sitting. Some of this quality adds to the weight of the NC10. This is not the lightest unit in the field (not helped by the 6 cell battery), but I think the high end quality feel is worth the extra ounces.

I will use this unit for everyday business travel and I have zero concerns about its ability to withstand constant travel and use. I had demoed several other (lower priced) netbooks in stores and I had serious concerns about whether they would be able to still be running after 1 year of rugged use. No such concern resides with this netbook.



Score: 5.0 / 5.0

Aesthetics:

I have read many reviews where they comment that the NC10 is 'safe' in its design or that it is nothing special. I am not sure what netbooks those reviewers are looking at, or maybe they are viewing thru the eyes of what more youthful users would like, but I think the NC10 is 2nd to none on its looks and appearance. I love the matte finish on the top of the lid. My 15.4" HP laptop has a glossy exterior, which looks nice when you pull it out of the box, but quickly gets littered with fingerprints. The matte finish on the Samsung (white) shows no finger prints.

For professional users, I don't think there is a unit that comes close to looking as smart as the NC10.

I am concerned about a white keyboard and I am curious to see if it will show dirt easily. After more time and usage, I will come back and edit this review.

One item to be mindful of, is that the battery has a couple of "legs" on it for setting on a table and making it steady. These little legs are somewhat uncomfortable when sitting on my lap. You can readjust the laptop to try and have them straddle your leg, for more comfort at the expense of balance. (at least this was my experience)

Lastly, the touch pad received many negative reviews from other websites. 1st off, it is smaller than some other pads on the market. Others didn't like that that there was one bottom for both primary and secondary clicking. I think these reviewers are right that the pad is a bit small, but with some simple adjustments to the sensitivity you can improve its usability quite simply. Also, I would take a smaller touch pad rather than the buttons being on the left and right of the pad like some other netbooks. The one button for primary and secondary clicking has not been a problem. I am not sure why Samsung did this, but it is really just an oddity when looking at it, but really does not affect the use in the slightest.

Score: 4.5 / 5.0

Mobility:

As I mentioned, the NC10 is not the lightest netbook on the market, but compared to 12-13" notebooks that often weight in at >4 lbs, this netbook is a Godsend for sore back weary travelers. The 6-cell battery is worth the extra ounces, and the matte screen allows for use in various settings and lighting conditions. The extremely long battery life also allows the user to often leave the charging cables at home, which many other netbooks can not afford to do due to inferior battery life. Lastly, the higher end build quality of the NC10, erases concerns about taking the device from place to place.

That all being said, I did buy a 1 lb travel bag that allows me to store power cables, mouse, and the unit. My whole travel setup now weighs less than my previous business laptop. I am able to travel with my mouse, cables, notebook (paper), netbook, and bag at less than 5 lbs.

Score: 5.0 / 5.0

Overall:

Probably one of the best investments I ever made. This will save me many back aches and allow me to travel with my PC more often than before. The battery life, keyboard, and build quality are where the NC10 really out does its competitors. Throw in a 5400 RPM hard drive and bluetooth and you really have a well setup machine for the money. I highly recommend for business travelers.

Overall Score: 4.67 / 5.00Get more detail about Samsung NC10-11GP 10.2-Inch Pink Netbook - 6 Cell Battery.