Samsung NC20 Notebook Review

23 Apr 2009

Samsung NC20 Laptop Review

Let us start with the Specification of Samsung NC20 Notebook
Samsung NC20 Specifications:
* 1.30GHz VIA Nano ULV U2250 (800MHz FSB, 1MB of L2 Cache)
* 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (2GB Max)
* Windows XP Pro w/ SP3 (Ships with Windows XP Home)
* 12.1" WXGA LED-Backlit Widescreen Glossy Display (1280x800)
* 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Disk Drive
* VIA Chrome9 HC3 Integrated Graphics
* 802.11b/g and Bluetooth
* 3-in-1 card reader (SD Card etc)
* 6-Cell Li-ion battery
* Dimensions: (LxWxH) 11.5 x 8.5 x 1.2
* Weight: 3lbs 5.8oz (4lbs 3.4oz travel weight - including Battery)
* Price as configured: $549


Samsung NC20 is a smalll screen size 12.1" netbook. It is larger than the 10" NC10. The NC20 has a larger keyboard. It has large 6-cell battery, WXGA resolution display, and the VIA Nano platform.

Can NC20's Via processor compete against the trusted Intel Atom platform. This is the first question anyone asks. I'm just going to give up and throw in the towel for a while.

One of our moderators quit yesterday because of the spam and the money-grubbers who think blogging is all about getting pennies from AdSense and the others.



Display
The NC21 has 12.1” WXGA display. The display is above average compared to most notebooks. The LED-backlighting is very even across the screen. There is no backlight bleed around the edges. Image quality is excellent with vibrant colors and nice contrast levels.

Vertical viewing angles are average with a narrow viewing sweet spot where colors are not washing out or inverted. Horizontal viewing angles are better, staying true at steeper angles. Screen backlight brightness was good for viewing in a bright office setting, but you would be pushing the limits trying to use the NC20 outdoors on a sunny day.


Keyboard and Touchpad
The Samsung NC20 has an big keyboard that is comfortable to type. You do not have to search for keys like in NC10. The key action is smaooth.

Performance
The VIA Nano performs well compared to Intel Atom. System performance of the NC20 was in-line with the Intel Atom platform. It is above in some areas but below in others. The processor has enough power for day to day work. I will not recommend it for programming or gaming. The Standard definition videos played smoothly. However playing HD movies shows the limits of the processor. In overall this is a processor that should be ok for word, email and normal movie viewing.