Samsung NC20

Last updated
Samsung NC20
Samsung NC20 - Lid Open - Side View.jpg
Samsung NC20 side view with lid open
Developer Samsung
Type Subnotebook/Netbook
Media160 GB 2.5" SATA HDD
Operating system Windows XP
CPU VIA Nano ULV Processor U2250 (1.3+ GHz, 800 MHz)
Memory1 GB
Display12.1" 1280 × 800 LED-backlit TFT LCD
Input Keyboard (100% full size, anti-bacterial)
Touchpad
Microphone
Camera1.3 megapixel webcam built-in
Connectivity10/100 Mbit Ethernet
802.11b/g  wireless LAN
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (standard configuration)
3 USB 2.0 ports
3-in-1 Flash Memory card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC)
Power6.5 hours of battery life with standard 6-cell battery
Dimensions292.4 mm × 217 mm × 30.7 mm
Mass1.52 kg
Samsung NC20 opened (harddrive and battery removed) Samsung nc20 open.jpg
Samsung NC20 opened (harddrive and battery removed)

The Samsung NC20 is a subnotebook / Netbook computer designed by Samsung. At the time of its introduction, (February 2009, while in the U.S.A. was on March 2009), it was the first mainstream netbook to use the VIA Nano processor and the first to support the x86-64 instruction set. The 12.1" screen size is larger than typical for this class of ultra portable PC. Its most direct competitors are the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 and the MSI Wind U210.

Contents

Technical overview

Processor and memory

The Samsung NC20 uses a VIA Nano ULV Processor U2250 (running from 800 MHz - 1,6 GHz) and comes with 1 GB RAM. Internally, the NC20 has one slot for RAM accepting memory modules up to 2 GB. [1]

The hardware is powerful enough to run Windows 7 in everyday situations (web-browsing, email, office applications). However, CPU-demanding tasks (e.g. Flash videos) tend to put the system at its limit.

Display

The screen is a glossy display and measures 12.1 inches (307 mm) diagonally. It has a native resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels. The screen is LED-backlit. An external display can be used through the standard VGA connector.

Keyboard and touchpad

The 84-key keyboard is a full-size keyboard, with standard 18.5mm key pitch between keys. The keyboard has also been coated with anti-bacterial Silver Nano ions. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures.

Storage

The standard internal hard drive is a SATA 160 GB. It also includes a SD card slot, supporting MMC, SD and SDHC cards for additional storage.

Connectivity

The NC20 has built-in LAN (10/100 MBit) via a standard-sized RJ45-jack, 802.11b/g Wifi as well as Bluetooth. It also comes with 3 USB 2.0 ports.

Audio and video

A webcam (Namuga 1.3 megapixel) is built into the display frame, as well as a microphone. Together with the built-in stereo speakers, the NC20 can be used for audio/video conferences (e.g. using Skype), albeit only with moderate call-quality. The webcam picture becomes relatively noisy under low-light conditions and the microphone produces audible noise and picks up vibrations from the harddisk or when typing.

The NC20 also has standard 3,5mm jacks for audio output (headphones / line-out) and input (external microphone / line-in), allowing for far better audio quality than the built-in speakers and microphone.

Criticism

Not all of the features of this notebook are supported under Linux. Playing video and microphone are partially supported. External monitor support under Linux is not possible. WLAN under Ubuntu is reported to have frequent freezeups. [2]


See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laptop</span> Personal computer for mobile use

A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook for short, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a clamshell form factor with a flat panel screen on the inside of the upper lid and an alphanumeric keyboard and pointing device on the inside of the lower lid, although 2-in-1 PCs with a detachable keyboard are often marketed as laptops or as having a "laptop mode". Most of the computer's internal hardware is fitted inside the lower lid enclosure under the keyboard, although many laptops have a built-in webcam at the top of the screen and some modern ones even feature a touch-screen display. In most cases, unlike tablet computers which run on mobile operating systems, laptops tend to run on desktop operating systems which have been traditionally associated with desktop computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultra-mobile PC</span> Obsolete type of handheld computer

An ultra-mobile PC, or ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), is a miniature version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in Spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in this direction in 2004 with its Vaio U series, which was only sold in Asia. UMPCs are generally smaller than subnotebooks, have a TFT display measuring (diagonally) about 12.7 to 17.8 centimetres, are operated like tablet PCs using a touchscreen or a stylus, and can also have a physical keyboard. There is no clear boundary between subnotebooks and ultra-mobile PCs, but UMPCs commonly have major features not found in the common clamshell laptop design, such as small keys on either side of the screen, or a slide-out keyboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Q1</span> Samsung ultra-mobile PC family

The Samsung Q1 was a family of ultra-mobile PCs produced by Samsung starting in 2007. They had a 7" (18 cm) LCD and were made in several different versions with either Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista Home Premium.

The Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) trade association's Children's Machine (XO), which has a similar target market. Although made for profit, the Classmate PC is considered an Information and Communication Technologies for Development project (ICT4D). Introduced in 2006, the device falls into the then popular category of netbooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N800</span> Internet appliance by Nokia

The Nokia N800 Internet tablet is a wireless Internet appliance from Nokia, originally announced at the Las Vegas CES 2007 Summit in January 2007. N800 allows the user to browse the Internet and communicate using Wi-Fi networks or with mobile phone via Bluetooth. The N800 was developed as the successor to the Nokia 770. It includes FM and Internet radio, an RSS news reader, image viewer and a media player for audio and video files.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asus Eee PC</span> Netbook computer line by Asus

The ASUS Eee PC was a netbook computer line from Asus, and a part of the ASUS Eee product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a lightweight, Linux-based operating system, solid-state drive (SSD), and relatively low cost. Newer models added the options of Microsoft Windows operating system and rotating media hard disk drives (HDD), and initially retailed for up to 500 euros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noahpad</span>

The Noahpad is a Netbook developed by the Taiwanese company E-Lead. This small laptop shares some similar characteristics with other Netbooks launched in 2007, like the ASUS Eee PC, the OLPC and the Classmate PC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moblin</span>

Moblin, short for 'mobile Linux', is a discontinued open source operating system and application stack for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), netbooks, nettops and embedded devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One A110</span> One netbook computer

The A110 is a netbook computer by One. It is built on a reference design by Quanta Computer and was announced to run Linpus Linux. However, some or all of the first batch have actually been delivered with a modified Ubuntu Linux installed, using SquashFS to fit the system in the 2GB Flash memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acer Aspire One</span> Line of netbooks by Acer Inc.

Acer Aspire One is a line of netbooks first released in July 2008 by Acer Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gdium</span>

The Gdium is a subnotebook / netbook computer produced by EMTEC. The Gdium product is distinguished by its unique Loongson MIPS processor and the use of a USB key as a primary storage device. The Gdium netbook is marketed as an interface device to the Gdium "learning community"—a website that provides hardware support, MIPS builds of open-source software, Linux computing tips, and educational resources targeted towards teachers and students within the K-12 demographic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung NC10</span> 2008 netbook computer

The Samsung NC10 is a subnotebook/netbook computer designed by Samsung. At the time of its introduction (2008), it was noted for its combination of a 10.2" screen and large 6-cell battery as standard, giving a battery life of up to 7.5 hours, a large hard disk drive and a release price of 499 USD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Vaio P series</span>

The Sony Vaio P series is a range of ultraportable subnotebook computers launched in January 2009.

The Dell Inspiron Mini Series is a line of subnotebook/netbook computers designed by Dell. The series was introduced in September 2008 amidst the growing popularity of low-cost netbook computers introduced by competitors.

The Apricot Picobook Pro is the first product of the reformed Apricot Computers. It is a netbook based on the VIA NanoBook, first shown to the press on October 15 2008.

The Asus Eee T91 is a touchscreen netbook from the Asus Eee PC range. It is similar in specification to other netbooks, but features an 8.9" rotatable touchscreen and a retractable stylus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HP Mini</span> Former line of small computers

HP Mini is a former line of small computers categorized as netbooks manufactured by Hewlett-Packard. They either contained a custom version of Ubuntu Linux, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition or Windows 7 Starter operating system. Like most netbooks, they were not built with CD/DVD drives. They were announced from mid-2007, and marketed from 2008 through 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung N130</span> Subnotebook/netbook computer by Samsung

The Samsung N130 is a subnotebook/netbook computer designed by Samsung. At the time of its introduction, it was noted for a good keyboard, large 6-cell battery as standard, giving a battery life of up to 7.5 hours a medium 160gb SATA hard disk drive and a release price of 349 USD.

The French consumer electronics company Archos manufactured a number of products which have since been discontinued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenovo Phab 2 Pro</span> Android smartphone

The Phab 2 Pro is an Android smartphone in a phablet form factor, developed and produced by Lenovo and first released in November of 2016 at an MSRP of US$499. The device is notable for being the first consumer smartphone to support Google Tango augmented reality (AR) technology.

References

  1. "Samsung NC20 Review". www.laptopmag.com. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  2. "NC20 Community Ubuntu". Ubuntu. 2009-09-22. Retrieved 2009-10-01.