Top Netbooks: the Eight Best Netbooks Compared: Page 3

Check out the list of top netbooks:

ASUS 1000HE // Acer Aspire One // Samsung NC10 // Dell Inspiron Mini 9/Mini 10

HP 2140 Mini // Lenovo IdeaPad S10/S10e // MSI Wind // Sony Lifestyle PC

3) Samsung NC10 Netbook

Base price: $419

Check latest price:

Google: Samsung NC10

Amazon: Samsung NC10

Product page: Samsung NC10 Netbook

The Samsung NC10 has plenty of faithful fans that think of it as “the best netbook.” At a tad over $400, it’s a nice combination of a slightly higher price and a top-notch feature set.

This netbook’s 10.2-inch screen is a veritable widescreen in the cramped netbook market. It’s a non-glossy screen that’s easy on the eyes, for those who feel the high gloss screens are too reflective for extended use. (But naturally this means that some users will find the screen’s visual to be slightly muted.)

The comparatively large keyboard – 93 percent full size – is a big winner. Of course this means the trackpad is a tad smaller, but you can’t have everything. It’s a netbook, remember?

The six-cell battery runs longer than six hours, and even gives the long running ASUS battery a run for the money.

Odd but nice feature: Samsung has covered this keyboard with an antibacterial layer, a microscopic coating of ionic silver particles that theoretically stops germs from breeding. That’s kind of freaky, but if it prevents colds, it’s a great idea.

You might consider the new Samsung NC20. It’s got a 12.1-inch screen and should sell for about $550. It offers a 1280 x 800 native resolution, which certainly aids Web surfing. This kind of small/medium-sized unit, which blurs the distinction between netbook and notebook, is the sweet spot for users who want a compact portable but don’t want to go all way down to the cramped Netbook World. Here are more details about the Samsung NC20.

Netbook reviews: Samsung NC10 Netbook

Here’s a benchmark test of the Samsung NC10 conducted by The Register. It shows that the unit runs just a wee bit faster than many netbook units. More impressive, the benchmark for the NC10’s battery life shows that it has the longest-lasting battery of any netbook tested.

By the way, The Register praises the Samsung NC10 for its “impressively large keys” – and let’s face it, a good-sized keyboard comes in handy unless you’re a dwarf or a middle school student.

For a video close-up, here’s Laptop’s YouTube review of the Samsung NC10. You’ll see the cool “mirrored look” on the side that gives the unit a futuristic look.

By the way, you might consider customizing your netbook. An insider’s trick for the Samsung NC10 (or many other netbooks): Go to a PC vendor and buy a 2GB RAM stick (at Newegg, for instance) and a faster 7200 rpm 320 disc drive. Yes, you’ve got to know what you’re doing to modify it, but with the right skills you can build a heroic Road Warrior machine capable of surviving the Red Eye to Las Vegas.

Specs:

10.2 inch Wide screen, 1024 x 600 resolution with an anti-reflection gloss coating display; 160GB capacity hard disk drive; Intel Atom processor N270; 6-Cell battery; 1 GB RAM; 802.11 b/g WiFi, 3 USB ports; 1.3 mega pixel webcam.

The Samsung NC10 netbook (photos courtesy of Samsung)

Check out the list of top netbooks:

ASUS 1000HE // Acer Aspire One // Samsung NC10 // Dell Inspiron Mini 9/Mini 10

HP 2140 Mini // Lenovo IdeaPad S10/S10e // MSI Wind // Sony Lifestyle PC