The good: Bigger screen than standard Netbooks; new Via Nano CPU.

The bad: Larger size sacrifices some portability; very basic port selection.

The bottom line: The 12-inch Samsung NC20 holds its own in the first Netbook showdown between Via's new Nano CPU and Intel's popular Atom.

Read full review of the Samsung NC20 »

By Dan Ackerman, CNET.com
Apr 2, 2009

Samsung's NC20 stands out from the crowd in two very important ways. First, it's one of only a handful of 12-inch Netbooks (the best-known example being Dell's Vista-addled Mini 12). Secondly, it's the first laptop we've tested with Via's Nano CPU, intended as an alternative to Intel's popular Atom processor.

The Atom is found in virtually every other Netbook, so it's always good to see some competition. The new Nano managed to fight Intel to a tie, beating it in some benchmarks and falling behind in others--but keep in mind the Nano was powering a larger screen with a higher resolution. We look forward to seeing the Nano in other systems, especially if it can undercut Intel's Atom pricing and bring Netbook costs down even more.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details. Samsung laptops are currently not sold in the Asia-Pacific market.

Design

We're more concerned about the NC20's 12-inch size which blurs the line between typical Netbooks (and we're even more hesitant to use the term in reference to a 12-inch display) and full-featured ultraportable laptops. The key to Netbook satisfaction is keeping one's expectations realistic, and with a larger screen and keyboard, the NC20 looks and feels more like a traditional laptop, but still struggles, as all Netbooks do, with multitasking and video streaming. Our test unit was an imported Korean version of the NC20.



As most 12-inch laptops are high-end ultraportables built around expensive ultra-low-voltage processors, you may be expecting a slim, highly designed system along the lines of Lenovo's U110 and Toshiba's Portege R600. But at a fraction of the price, you get instead a thicker, heavier system with a plastic chassis that looks and feels like a grown-up version of the Samsung NC10.

The no-frills chassis contains a reasonably comfortable keyboard with slightly tapered keys and a shortened space bar. The large touchpad is a big improvement over the ones we've seen on smaller 10-inch Netbooks, but the single wide rocker switch that takes the place of left and right mouse buttons feels cheap. There are no media control or quick-launch buttons which, while we wouldn't expect them on a Netbook, are common on more traditional 12-inch laptops.

Features

The 12.1-inch widescreen LCD display offers a 1,280 x 800 native resolution, which is the same as what you'd typically find on a 13- or 15-inch laptop. That lets you view more of a Web page than the 1,024 x 600 resolution we've seen on most 10-inch Netbooks. Even though it's the right resolution for watching 720p HD video, the system showed typical Netbook-style stuttering when trying to stream HD content. Via's integrated graphics chip also includes an app called Screen Toys for monitor management, screen rotation, and other option tweaks.



Netbooks in general are starting to add higher-end extras such as HDMI ports or ExpressCard slots, but the Samsung NC20 has a standard no-frills selection.

Tags: Netbook, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Laptop Computer, SD card, USB 2.0

Rate It Now

Rating guidelines

Samsung NC20 (Via U2250 processor 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM)

Rate this product:
1 - Abysmal 2 - Terrible 3 - Poor 4 - Mediocre 5 - Average 6 - Good 7 - Very good 8 - Excellent 9 - Spectacular 10 - Perfect

Need help? Read our guidelines for what each number rating represents.

Submit your opinion

User Reviews

More Products To Consider

User Discussion

 

• Most Popular

• Upcoming

Latest Downloads

 

What's Hot