Samsung and good design – this already goes extremely well with each other for a long time. That a high price, however, isn't absolutely necessary to finance an acceptable design is proved by the NC10 from Samsung. The gem is already obtainable slightly under 400.00 Euros and is therefore placed well in comparison to other netbooks.

The coloring already provides for an elegant entrée of the little Korean. The entire device is submerged into a velvety shimmering white, which would soonest correlate to a "cream white" on the RAL color palette. Most of all we were overzealous about one fact: Samsung does completely without reflective high-gloss surfaces for the NC10, completely opposite to for instance the HP Compaq 701eg netbook.

Once held in your hands, the netbook makes it completely clear that there's no need for an extremely sensitive lacquered surface in order for the notebook to score in design and presentation. The Samsung NC10 users are saved from dozens of fingerprints and fine scrub marks on the display. 
A tiny exception must be made in this regard, though. It's advisable to clean the narrow chrome strip with a cloth every now and then.

Even in the conception of the case in view of stability Samsung hasn't made any mistakes. The base unit as well as the display have been made of a metal alloy, probably magnesium, giving the case a very high quality haptic and an excellent case stability. The netbook can be seized and picked up at all corners and edges without any problems. An excessive twisting remained absent and creaking noises weren't observed, either.

The display has to be especially remarked in terms of stability. This, as well, barely allows any twisting and offers a sufficient protection against compression.
At first sight the display hinges make a solid impression, but when taking a closer look you can see the fake-metal plastic covers. But they hold the screen luffing-free in position; letting themselves be moved rather easily, anyway.

Like most netbook colleagues, the Samsung NC10 does without a closing mechanism for keeping the display in a locked position. This makes a certain amount of care during transportation necessary.
The maximum opening angle of the display is approx. 140°. This was enough in order to usually adjust the display optimally even in the most awkward sitting positions. Therefore, not a problem for working at the desk or on the lap.

The Samsung NC10 offers the classic netbook ports, too. Three USB 2.0 and a VGA-out, audio ports (for a headphone and microphone), as well as a LAN connection belong to this. The compact netbook has a custom SD cardreader on the front side edge.

The positioning of the single ports didn't want to convince. For instance, both USB ports on the left side of the case are placed very much in the front of the device. The remaining third port in the middle of the right side doesn't help much here, either. As being not much of a problem in mobile use, it can come to annoying cables and plugs on the sides during stationary use at a desk.

Connection of an external monitor

Of course, the offered VGA connection in a netbook with an extremely compact display provides an interesting alternative for stationary use. Naturally we put this feature up for a test, too.

Thanks to the clear and well understandable menu navigation, which can be accessed over the key combination FN+F4, it's even possible for a layman to connect an external monitor to the netbook fast and easy. It's possible to choose the functions: display cloning, expanding an internal display with an external display or showing either the internal or external display alone.

The test with a in-house Samsung Synmaster 900NF CRT monitor with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels and a refresh rate of 100 Hz, this offered a very good and sharp image. Even longer working on the external display is very well imaginable. The integrated GMA 950 graphic solution could feed an external display with a maximum resolution of 1248x1536 pixels.

A network interface card from Marvell-Yukon (10/100Mbps) or respectively a wireless LAN module standard 802.11 b/g from Atheros is responsible for communication in the Samsung NC10. We had to go without a built in Bluetooth option in our test model, though. A disadvantage in comparison to other netbook colleagues. The netbook has a Bluetooth 2.0+EDR functionality in higher quality (and higher priced, with that) configuration.

There is a built in 1.3 megapixel webcam found in the display in all configuration variations. This delivers a moderate image, but already had enormous problems with moving pictures at a low resolution of 352x288 pixels.

Samsung solicits the NC10 with an integrated HSDPA modem, too. Our test sample didn't have this feature, though. You get an integrated broadband internet in the configuration lines KAY*DE/SEG at a price of approx. 499.00 Euros. This investment is worth considering, if you don't want to do without a complete connectivity.

In regards to warranty and guarantee, Samsung offers an eventually equally interesting option. For users whom a 24 month warranty time with an "on-site pick-up service" isn't enough, the guarantee period can be extended to 36 or rather even 48 months. Then a surcharge of 109.00, respectively 149.00 (recommended retail price) is due for that.

Samsung equips its NC10 with a 10.2 display. The WSVGA SuperBright LCD display, as Samsung calls it, offers the netbook common resolution of 1024x600 pixels. Enough for doing simple office tasks and to surf in the internet, but like all other netbooks with a similar resolution, too little to not have to scroll very often.

The value given from Samsung for the maximal display brightness of 220 cd/m² could very well be confirmed in our test situation. We could establish a maximal brightness of a good 223 cd/m² in the middle display area. The decrease of brightness, especially in the corner areas, of down to 170 m/cd² causes an illumination of merely 76.6%.

An Intel Atom N270 processor with 1.6 GHz and an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphic chip. Does that sound familiar? Probably, almost all current netbooks being blessed with this configuration. If the first models were still often fitted with CPUs from VIA, Intel has in the meantime also conquered this sector completely.

As typical application areas for netbooks, and therefore also for the NC10 from Samsung, are to be named the simple office tasks, like for instance writing texts, managing contacts and mails, and internet. The Samsung NC10 completed these tasks sufficiently fast.

The only possibility to be different from other netbooks is the built in hard disk, whereas our Samsung NC10 was equipped with a common hard disk from Fujitsu (MHZ2160BH) with a velocity of 5400 rpm and a capacity of 160GB. The noted results of the HDTune benchmark test were in a good average area.

In consideration of the main memory, the NC10 offers the typical configuration of one gigabyte DDR2 RAM. Samsung allowed itself a small slip regarding the maximal upgrade possibility of the RAM. On the one hand, a limit of 1024MB is referred to in the specs and on the other a 2 GB memory stick, as optional equipment, is sold. Fact is, of course it's possible to use a 2 gigabyte memory module with the netbook. This can bring a more or less noticeable performance increase, depending on the task.

System Noise

The Samsung NC10 handles the heat emissions of the built in hardware considerably better than the, from us tested, Eee 1000H. That the integrated fan runs almost continuously even at the simplest tasks could be observed, but this stays, with a volume of 31.6 dB(A), discreet in the background. Merely one particularity was conceived as unpleasant: When the fan turns on, this rotates somewhat faster for a fraction of a second and therefore is conceived as somewhat more emphasized. Usually this stays at its constant unobtrusive level.

When consequently stressing the single hardware components, the fan turned up its rotation rate step by step and reached a maximum of 34.4 dB(A) in the end. At normal use of the netbook it should barely ever come to this operating condition.

Temperature

That Samsung obviously worked out an excellent temperature management in the NC10 is confirmed with a look on the measured maximum temperatures of the case surface.

The bottom side of the case, as well as the upper side of the base unit warm up relatively low and reach a maximum value of approx. 31°C.