Samsung & LG to see strong netbook growth in 2010

Both Samsung & LG will see strong netbook volume growth during 2010 according to industry sources. Shipments are forecast to reach around seven million units, this compares to the 12 – 15 million units that is projected for Acer, one of the leading netbook manufacturers.

Part of this growth is expected to come from the companies close ties with telecom operators. Both companies already manufacture their own handsets as well as netbooks. Bundling subsidised netbooks with data contracts is already big business, but the choice of devices offered is expected to grow.

Via Digitimes.

Samsung ND10: An OS-less NC10 [Video]

The guys over at NetbookNews spotted a Samsung ND10 netbook model on a trip to China. For those wondering how this particular model differs from the best-selling NC10, the answer is not much.

In fact the only difference appears to be that the ND10 does not come with an operating system and therefore is around $50 cheaper. This is great if you wanted to stick your own Linux distro on it without paying the ‘Windows tax’. It’s unlikely to make an appearance outside of China though. Check out the hands-on video after the jump. Read more

Samsung N510: UK price, launch date & battery life unveiled

We have received word from a reliable source that Samsung’s ION-powered N510 11.6-inch netbook will be available to buy in UK retail from the first week of September. We can also reveal that the recommended retail price in the UK will be £449. This seems right when placed against the rumoured European price of €499 and US price of $599.

We have also seen the full specification list of the UK N510 SKU. For those worried about battery life, then fear not. The Samsung N510 will be shipping with a 6-cell 5900mAh battery that should be good for 7.5 hours of use according to the company. The netbook will come with a HDMI port and a chargeable USB port. The whole thing will weigh 1.46kg.

There has been some speculation whether or not the N510 will use ION LE, which uses a DirectX9 GPU instead of the DirectX10 compatible 9400M (ION) chip. From the information we have received, the Samsung N510 will be using the ION platform and not ION LE. You can check out the specs after the break. Read more

Samsung ION netbook line-up to include N508, N510 & N511 models

All of the buzz on Samsung’s upcoming Nvidia ION-powered netbook has been on the NP-N510, which is rumoured to include a 11.6-inch high-resolution display and launch later this month in Europe. However, we can now reveal that this will not be the only ION netbook from Samsung.

Samsung is also planning to release two further models, the Samsung NP-N508 and Samsung NP-N511. We don’t have any details on specifications or availability of these previously unheard of models. However a sensible guess would be that the N511 may include a different Atom processor whilst the N508 could sport a smaller display – maybe a 10-inch ION netbook? Read more

Samsung N510 shipping in September for $599 in US?

We have already heard speculation that Samsung’s ION-powered N510 11.6-inch netbook will hit Europe by the end of this month. Now Brad from Liliputing has word from Samsung that the N510 will launch in the United States in September for a recommended retail price of $599.

This price-point puts it much higher than its peers, even against other 11.6-inch netbooks. However, this will be one of the first with the ION platform and I’m sure the netbook will have a market despite the high price tag. Much to Intel’s and Microsoft’s annoyance, there are many people who are demanding the ability to playback high-definition video on their netbook.

The Samsung N510 has a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It will come with the Nvidia 9400M GPU, HDMI-out, Wi-Fi (Draft-N), a 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell battery.

Samsung’s ION-powered N510 netbook dated by French e-tailer

Samsung still has not confirmed rumours of the N510 11.6-inch netbook, despite a number of retailer listings. Now the French-based retailer, Pixmania, has the ION-based netbook listed on its site for €499 and a release date of 21st August.

There’s no information apart from that, although the listing does confirm the specifications that we’ve already seen. It will have a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It will come with the Nvidia 9400M GPU, HDMI-out, Wi-Fi (Draft-N), a 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell battery. If the release date is just a few weeks away, expect an official announcement from the company soon.

Via Blogeee.

Samsung Go’s (N310) battery lasts nearly 8.5 hours

The Samsung N310 netbook has been rebranded the ‘Samsung Go’ in the United States. The Samsung Go is near enough identical to the N310 sold in the UK, however one (crucial) area in which it differs is the battery included.

The US version comes with a high capacity 6-cell (8850mAh) battery, which the company claims to last over 10 hours although it does not sit flush with the case. This replaces the 4-cell battery found in the UK version.

Laptop Mag has reviewed the Samsung Go and under their tests, it lasted for 8 hours and 23 minutes. They claim that the battery isn’t too big either which is always a bonus. Considering that the relatively poor battery life in the European SKUs was one of the main areas of criticism (along with price), Samsung has done well in addressing this issue for the US market.

Samsung N310 netbook now shipping in United States

The Samsung N310 has been available for a while now on British shores, however it has just gone on sale in the US. Retailer TechDepot has all colours in stock (Black, Mint Blue, Navy Blue and Sunset). The Mint Blue and Sunset colours will cost you $455.95, whilst the Black and Navy Blue ones cost $464.95. Shipping costs an extra $15.29. All items are in stock now.

The Samsung N310 is due to be renamed Samsung GO, although there’s no evidence of it thus far on the listing. The US version comes with a high capacity 6-cell (8800mAh) battery which is expected to last over 10 hours although it does not sit flush with the case. This replaces the 4-cell battery found in the UK version. Newegg is also expected to have stock later this week along with BestBuy and JR.

Samsung & Lenovo lose preferential pricing for Intel Atom processors

Since the first netbook was launched nearly two years ago, screen sizes have got progressively larger. The ‘typical’ netbook size has moved from 7-inches, to 9-inches and the current standard, 10-inches. However, a number of manufacturers haven’t stopped there and are looking at 11.6”/12.1” devices to launch under their netbook brands.

The likes of Microsoft and Intel are keen to draw a line under what a typical netbook should be, mainly to ensure discounts are only awarded to devices that meet strict guidelines. For example, Microsoft will only allow OEMs to use Windows 7 Starter Edition if the screen size is no bigger than 10.2-inches. Read more

PC Pitstop’s survey rates MSI Wind U100 as most “loved netbook”

PC Pitstop run an online diagnostic and tune-up service, which has been scanned onto millions of PCs. As part of this service, they also ask owners how satisfied they are with their PCs. According to the results, it seems that netbook owners are largely satisfied with their purchases.

They have compiled a top nine list of netbooks for user satisfaction, which is topped by the MSI Wind U100. The overall rating scale is measured out of four stars. The survey also asks whether the PC freezes, reboots and how fast they are. All top 9 machines fare very well in the survey, with even the ninth position scoring 3.03 stars.

Interestingly, the MSI Wind U-100, Asus Eee PC 1000HE, and Samsung NC10 are also among Pitstop’s top 10 for notebooks of all types. This suggest that many people don’t see them as substitutes for laptops and are happy with their performance. Check out the top nine most loved netbooks after the jump. Read more

Samsung NC10 ‘easy’ internal 3G mod

Most mods out there which tell you how to get internal 3G functionality are quite complicated and certainly not for the novice modder. João from BassoPT’s Ultra Mobile Computing has come up with a relatively easier solution that will only work on the Samsung NC10. However, this still involves opening the bottom of the netbook, so you’ll have to see where your skills fit before trying this at home.

João basically opened the bottom and replaced the Wi-Fi Mini PCI-E card with a 3G modem. Obviously this means that you’ll have no wireless access, but João solved this problem by using a small Buffalo USB 2.0 Wi-Fi dongle. The other issue is that once you insert your sim card into the slot it will remain there unless you take off the whole bottom casing again. Or, you could always hack a hole into the casing to provide easy access. JKKMobile says that this is one of the few netbooks where you swap out the Wi-Fi module for a 3G one.

Samsung N510 ION to hit US in Fall; N310 renamed Samsung Go

The speculation surrounding Samsung’s first 11.6-inch ION-powered netbook continues to grow. Laptop Mag is reporting that the Samsung N510 will be heading to the United States in 2009 although the exact timing is unclear. A company representative says that it should appear during the “Q3 and Q4 time frame” which doesn’t narrow it down much.

The Samsung N510 will not replace the company’s 12.1-inch NC20 as it has been selling above expectations. It is currently exclusively on sale at Newegg, although other retailers are set to offer the model in the coming months.

The report also confirmed that the Samsung N310 will launch on 15th July 2009, but it has now been rebranded to Samsung Go. A strange decision, if true. The Samsung Go will come with a high capacity 8800mAh battery which is expected to last over 10 hours although it does not sit flush with the case. The Samsung Go will be priced at $479.

First picture of Samsung’s ION-powered N510 netbook snapped

The first picture of Samsung’s ION-powered netbook, the 11.6-inch N510, has been unveiled over at Legit Reviews. There’s not much to go on, only a single picture has been revealed and it’s not the most high-resolution picture either. The picture was apparently leaked by an inside source. The source confirmed a price point of under €600 too.

What we are presented with is a black model with a bezel surrounding the display. It’s difficult to say for sure, but it seems as if the N510 has a glossy display. You can also see a discrete Nvidia logo to the right side of the Samsung logo. It also looks like it has a full-sized keyboard that looks very similar to that seen in the Samsung N120. The touchpad seems reasonable big and you have a single rocker mouse bar beneath this. We can only see the left side of the device, which appears to house a USB port, VGA, HDMI-out and another port which we can’t quite make out. Hopefully, we’ll have some more official details very soon.

Update: We have come across a second image of the Samsung N510, this time showing the right side of the 11.6-inch netbook. Check out both pics after the jump.
Read more

Samsung N510: ION-powered 11.6-inch netbook

Update: You can check out our unboxing video & pictures of the Samsung N510 netbook here.

We now have the full technical details of the rumoured ION-powered Samsung netbook. Samsung will be releasing the N510 (NP-N510-KA02UK) netbook, which will sport a high resolution (1366 x 768) 11.6-inch LED backlit display. It is expected to be launched in July for a price under €600.

The Samsung N510 will use the ION platform, pairing a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU with Nvidia’s 9400M GPU. It will also come with 1GB RAM, a 160GB HDD and XP Home. Other features include Wi-Fi (including draft-N), Bluetooth, Webcam, 3-in-1 card reader and a 6-cell Lithium Ion battery. Read more

Samsung releasing ION netbook in October?

The most high profile ION netbook announced thus far remains the Lenovo Ideapad S12 ION. However, we have been expecting other leading netbook manufacturers to announce their own ION netbooks over the coming months. Nvidia’s ION platform pairs the Atom processor with its 9400M GPU. This enhances its ability to playback HD content.

Now, we are hearing rumours that Samsung will be launching its own ION netbook in October according to Blogeee. There’s little other detail apart from that, but the news wouldn’t surprise us if true. Blogeee is expecting some further news in a few weeks time, so hopefully we’ll have a further update for you then.

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