Samsung NC10

Kotek Besar

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Well thats fair enough but i didn't give you two days to inspect. After two days of trying to get my issue resolved i gave up. Elara never offered to collect the laptop and referred me to Acer. Even if its Acer or other manufactors policy, it still breaks the sales of goods and supply of services act by referring me to them rather then handling the issue yourself. My contract of sale was with Elara and not Acer.

Acer quoted me two weeks to inspect the laptop and were talking of repair rather then replacement. Asking me to chase up and organise my own collection with a UK courier company is hardly customer care by both sides tbh. Especially when the courier showed up 2 weeks later to collect.

Also don't most electronic goods have 14-30 days RMA period with the distributor/manufactor? If Elara had inspected it, they could RMA it and send it back to the supplier who would probably inspect it themselves. Then Elara would receive the cost back as credit on their account with the distributor.

Now this happen 3-4 years ago so staff have changed and retail industry has improved on these 'old policies', but fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Gummy Panda is spot on here.

Contract of sale is with the vendor - not with Acer. Elara should have dealt with this from start to finish.

Gummy Panda

I don't want derail this thread further. I said why I won't use elara and they said the constraints they have. Like I said it was 3-4 years ago so elara are probably a different company with new staff and policies.

cassette50

Does anybody know where I can purchase a screen protector for the NC10, similar to the one that comes with the machine.

The_Conductor

cassette50 wrote: »

Does anybody know where I can purchase a screen protector for the NC10, similar to the one that comes with the machine.

www.lapjacks.co.uk

random_banter

Can't wait to get my hands on one of these!

However.. budget is a bit constrained at the mo. Does anyone know if they sell these in Dublin airport? Was hoping to pick up one duty free as I'm flying to Switzerland. Unfortunately i'm not flying back from Switzerland so can't avail of the duty free price from that end, and I know for a fact theyre going for 250 euro in Zurich airport!

StopNotWorking

My first post on the big scary boards lol. I was planning on getting the NC10 off komplett.ie. Including delivery I would of been looking at almost €400. Luckily for me the IT guy leased out to the company I work for has a sales contract for IBM/Lenovo.

I managed to snap up a 160GB,1GB RAM,Bluetooth,Windows XP Lenovo S10e for €275! As much as I wanted the samsung I would of been a fool not to snap up this deal. Only issue is the battery, I'm planning on getting the 9-cell battery off ebay it's nearly the same price as some of the 6-cells, quality may be questionable but they say they use good cells..

Either way just thought I'd brag a little about my bargain >_>

FrankGrimes

I haven't done any real tests on it yet but my perception based on use to date is that my NC10 is only lasting about 3 hours between charges. Main reason I chose it was the reported excellent battery life so I'd be very disappointed if it's not delivering there.

Anyone else have similar issues or do you tend to get 4 hours + from it?

Main interest is for watching films on planes & trains (not tested yet) so I guess I could switch off the wifi and bluetooth when needed - would that save much or just a bit?

Any ideas on how to test battery life? Will probably just set power options to not put it to sleep at all, charge fully, unplug and queue up 6 hours of Divx videos on it and try track when it sleeps. Is there a system log showing time it shut down just in case I miss it?

Am running Windows 7 beta with 2GB of RAM on it, just in case that might be affecting things.

The_Conductor

My wife gets over 7 hours *with wifi on*. What murders the battery- as you alluded to- is bluetooth. It uses an incredible amount of battery capacity. The length of time you get will depend on what you're doing as well- video etc- is more intensive than web browsing- but what totally saps power is bluetooth.....

AlmightyCushion

smccarrick wrote: »

My wife gets over 7 hours *with wifi on*. What murders the battery- as you alluded to- is bluetooth. It uses an incredible amount of battery capacity. The length of time you get will depend on what you're doing as well- video etc- is more intensive than web browsing- but what totally saps power is bluetooth.....

I always thought wifi used more power than bluetooth.

missingtime

Wanna get one of these but am so tempted by the 12" screen on the NC20.

Anyone going for the NC20?

Martyr

missingtime wrote:

Anyone going for the NC20?

The only advantage i could tell for NC20 was a bigger screen.

NC20 does have VIA Nano however, which is supposed outperform Atom, although for 100 quid more, you would be better off buying a full sized laptop for the same money.

just my 2 cents, since i was looking at both and decided to buy the NC10 instead.

missingtime

Martyr wrote: »

although for 100 quid more, you would be better off buying a full sized laptop for the same money.

Yea thats a point alright, thing is thought i'm not sure if i want a full size laptop. I want something light and fairly portable.

Anyhoo, this is all a big pipe dream. I've to get the fecking car serviced first.

Vergast

ya FrankGrimes,

Am running Windows 7 beta with 2GB of RAM on it, just in case that might be affecting things.

Having the extra 1GB ram will naturally need more power so you would experience the shorter battery life compared to the standard 1GB. However this would probably be off set by wifi and bluetooth, even turning brightness down one could help boost lifetime. If your mainly about films then wifi and bluetooth are definitely your enemy.

StopNotWorking

Video on its own is going to be fairly intensive for any of the netbooks. I know it may not seem like much but with that little atom and some no name intel gpu under the hood it wouldn't take much to sap the battery when watching a full length movie.

FrankGrimes

Given that the main reason I bought it was that all the reviews highlighted the great battery life, it's disappointing to hear that it won't last long on video playback.

So far I've only really used it for browsing the web on the sofa - I'll need to do a test of video playback with wifi and bluetooth (never use bluetooth) turned off to find out how long it really lasts with video playback. If it doesn't last the 4+ hours widely quoted here and elsewhere, it's not much good to me and I'd consider getting rid of it. But here's hoping that's not actually the case.

I don't have it on full brightness but none of the special feature buttons (volume, brightness etc.) work in Windows 7 for me - when I boot into XP all works fine though.

Gran Hermano

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I don't have it on full brightness but none of the special feature buttons (volume, brightness etc.) work in Windows 7 for me - when I boot into XP all works fine though.

You'll need to drop the brightness down to get the long runtimes.

AlmightyCushion

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I don't have it on full brightness but none of the special feature buttons (volume, brightness etc.) work in Windows 7 for me - when I boot into XP all works fine though.

I had a similar problem with my 4211. There was a piece of software that controlled it. See if there is one available for the samsung.

stevenmu

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I had a similar problem with my 4211. There was a piece of software that controlled it. See if there is one available for the samsung.

Somebody posted the vista versions way back in the thread, as well as drivers. They work to a degree, although not quite perfectly.

But definitely that should help your battery life. If you flick between the power saving modes in XP, you'll notice that in the full performance mode you only get about 3.5hrs battery life, but once you go to the standard mode it goes up to over 7. In Win7 you can also specify some of the power saving option manually (I think you need to have installed the vista chipset drivers), that'll help too.

Kbeg3

Does anyone know where I can get a Samsung N110 or is it available yet. Thanks

Kotek Besar

Ebuyer have the NC10 for £305.77.

Ronanc1

hey guys ive been considering getting the nc10 for a while and was definite on gettin the extra ram but i have a query since it can take either 667mhz or 800mhz whats the difference i can go out of my way to get the 667mhz or jus grab some 800mhz is there any difference i think i read somewhere that if its the 800 one itll actually cause the machine to run slower is this true can anyone clear this up for me ? thanks

stevenmu

I can't think why it would cause the machine to run slower, although I suppose it's possible. What might have been meant is that the 800mhz memory will still only run at 667mhz?

edit: actually, thinking about it a little more, sometimes to get the increase in frequency, manufacturers also increase latency/ras/cas delays etc, which could lead to 800mhz ram running at 667mhz being (slightly) slower than native 667mhz ram. But everything else being equal, there's no reason 800mhz ram running at 667mhz should be any slower than native 667mhz ram

Ronanc1

thanks for that steven as far as i can remember i read that at the sammynetbook forum, i was reading up on how to get the most from one of these beauties

just on a side note has anyone seen or tried one of the nine cell batteries that you can get on ebay theres some tests around the web that say the battery life improves to 12 hours:eek:

Do-more

Deal Extreme have the 9 cell battery for the NC10 for $56.24 delivered (if you don't mind waiting a few weeks!) Approx. €43

Seems to be only available in black.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22496

ongarite

Anybody here using Windows 7 RC on their NC10?
I installed it this week in dual-boot with standard XP installation and it works really well on my netbook. Its looks very slick, runs smooth & quickly.

The_Conductor

ongarite wrote: »

Anybody here using Windows 7 RC on their NC10?
I installed it this week in dual-boot with standard XP installation and it works really well on my netbook. Its looks very slick, runs smooth & quickly.

Its slick ok. XP Virtualisation does not work at all though- the processor doesn't support VT-x commands :mad:

Apparently only some intel processors support the XP Virtualisation function in Windows 7. Its annoying as hell......

Dopey

Has anybody broken the screen on the NC10 yet?

Be careful. It doesn't take much to do it. It's easy to replace but will set you back 90 Euro.

cpu-dude

ongarite wrote: »

Anybody here using Windows 7 RC on their NC10?
I installed it this week in dual-boot with standard XP installation and it works really well on my netbook. Its looks very slick, runs smooth & quickly.

No bother since Windows 7 v.7000, runs perfectly. All the drivers update themselves except for the LAN (you can download it here).

ongarite

All my device drivers worked out of the box with my RC1 installation.
I had to install the Synaptics touchpad drivers + 2 FingerScroll & Easy Display Manager to get the Brightness + Volume keyboard shortcuts working.

There is a good blog here with some info on W7 on NC10.

http://www.ademiller.com/blogs/tech/2009/05/windows-7-rc-on-the-samsung-nc10-netbook/

Rattlehead_ie

Anyone have an idea where I could pick up and NC 10 today if I wanted one? PC World, Dixons/ Currys dont and havnet had them in stock for a while!

Kotek Besar

Rattlehead_ie wrote: »

Anyone have an idea where I could pick up and NC 10 today if I wanted one? PC World, Dixons/ Currys dont and havnet had them in stock for a while!

I know Argos in Waterford had 2 in stock yesterday, but they're €449 iirc. :eek:

Rattlehead_ie

Jaaaysus, if thats the case no thanks Ill wait for elara and the extra 2GB, that'll do nicely.

Kotek Besar

If you fancy an hour up the M1, they're £322.99 in Argos Newry.

steod

Power city have them in stock now for €379

draoicht

steod wrote: »

Power city have them in stock now for €379

Did you see this price in one of their shops?

€399 according to their website http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-30-NC10KA

macroman

Been using a mates one for a while. It's the best netbook I've used and I'm really considering one for myself.

Upgrading is easy too. I upgraded the RAM in his to 2GB in a minute and he'll be putting in a SSD drive soon, although I'll end up dismantling it, installing the drive, and configuring everything :pac:

They run Windows 7 really well, some problems with Bluetooth which were resolved by downloading the drivers online along with the screen contract/brightness controls.

I'd love to see a black one with the chrome bezel painted red :eek:

AlmightyCushion

macroman wrote: »

Been using a mates one for a while. It's the best netbook I've used and I'm really considering one for myself.

Upgrading is easy too. I upgraded the RAM in his to 2GB in a minute and he'll be putting in a SSD drive soon, although I'll end up dismantling it, installing the drive, and configuring everything :pac:

They run Windows 7 really well, some problems with Bluetooth which were resolved by downloading the drivers online along with the screen contract/brightness controls.

I'd love to see a black one with the chrome bezel painted red :eek:

Make sure you read plenty of reviews before choosing a ssd. There are a lot that are a waste of money as they stutter quite a bit. The ocz vertex range look quite good as do the intel ones.

Kotek Besar

I'm going Northwards now if anyone wants one picking up.

Greenman

macroman wrote: »

Upgrading is easy too. I upgraded the RAM in his to 2GB in a minute :eek:

Re the ram upgrade, whats the difference between 667mhz & 800mhz and dose it matter if my 2 gb ram stick has 800mhz stamped on it?

Deliverance XXV

Greenman wrote: »

Re the ram upgrade, whats the difference between 667mhz & 800mhz and dose it matter if my 2 gb ram stick has 800mhz stamped on it?

If you install a 667mhz 2GB Ram module you'll get 667mhz. If you install a 800mhz 2GB Ram module you'll only get the max speed of 667mhz.

So, go with whatever's cheaper!

I have a blog post about upgrading the Samsung NC10, worth a look if you're stuck.

Greenman

Deliverance XXV wrote: »

If you install a 667mhz 2GB Ram module you'll get 667mhz. If you install a 800mhz 2GB Ram module you'll only get the max speed of 667mhz.

So, go with whatever's cheaper!

I have a blog post about upgrading the Samsung NC10, worth a look if you're stuck.

Very helpful thanks, I'll look at your Blog.

I'm here in Belgium and normally when you buy a new laptop and start up for the first time you get a choice of English,Dutch or French. In the case of the NC 10 it started in Dutch but I want English so its gone back to the shop.

Any views?

missingtime

how are these at playing hi def movies?

Sephiroth_dude

jaysus Im tempted to buy one myself,even though I already have a laptop and a desktop :-\

The_Conductor

missingtime wrote: »

how are these at playing hi def movies?

Capable of it- but at a lower framerate. Keep in mind- it doesn't have hardware assisted decoding...... If you are buying one of these with the specific intention of playing hidef video- don't. Get something with a dedicated decoder. Its a brilliant all-rounder though.

TinCool

smccarrick wrote: »

Capable of it- but at a lower framerate. Keep in mind- it doesn't have hardware assisted decoding...... If you are buying one of these with the specific intention of playing hidef video- don't. Get something with a dedicated decoder. Its a brilliant all-rounder though.

Agreed. Although, I use mine a lot for watching various TV episodes (mostly xvid format) that I download through VLC whilst working out on my exercise bike and it's grand for that kind of thing. Hooked up to a somewhat decent external speakers. The inbuilt ones aren't that good.

moonboy52

You can play 720p on the nc10. i use coreavc and media player home cinema. Works fine:)

1080p is a non-starter

The_Conductor

moonboy52 wrote: »

You can play 720p on the nc10. i use coreavc and media player home cinema. Works fine:)

At what framerate?

I can render 1080p at about 1 frame every 2.5 seconds (after a hell of a lot of system tweaking)- its possible- but totally unfeasible.

Also- what codec are you using? The standard H.264 codec really isn't up to this......

Bob the Seducer

As a matter of interest, has anybody ordered one of these (or any other laptop) from amazon.co.uk since they started shipping electronics here?

I was taking a look earlier today and they seem to be going for around 381 euro including shipping (using their convert and pay in euro setting) which isn't bad. The sterling price however is just over 325 which I make about 370 at most.

Sephiroth_dude

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

As a matter of interest, has anybody ordered one of these (or any other laptop) from amazon.co.uk since they started shipping electronics here?

Have they started shipping electronic goods over here again?

Bob the Seducer

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Have they started shipping electronic goods over here again?

I wasn't certain myself so I did a quick search and found a site that said they had started shipping laptops etc... since some time in April. I went through the ordering process on Amazon.co.uk right up to the confirm order stage and it didn't object to the delivery address so for now I'm taking it that they are.