Samsung NC10 Netbook: The 10-inch System - Reviews

Samsung NC10 Netbook: The 10-inch system has the same 1024x600 LED-lit display and 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor of many rivals but includes a pair of features specific to the electronics giant's in-house development. A silver ion powder coat on the keys allegedly keeps them free of bacteria that could make the user sick; the outer shell is also said to be toughened against mild damage, including those from temperature changes.

The portable sits at the high end of the notebook spectrum and carries a six-cell battery that Samsung estimates can produce up to eight hours of runtime despite leaving the system fairly light at just over 2.9 pounds. Storage is also focused almost exclusively on rotating hard drives with the choice of either 80GB or 160GB disks, while a three-format card reader handles outside media. Expansion is common for the type with three USB ports and VGA out, although Samsung makes Bluetooth an option.

Unlike other netbooks, Samsung is dropping Linux and instead makes Windows XP Home the only operating system choice; Microsoft's netbook limits dictate that the stock system will carry no more than 1GB of RAM.