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.

Lenovo Ideapad S12 (Atom) reviewed

The Lenovo Ideapad S12 is the company’s 12-inch entry into its Ideapad range of netbooks. Whilst much of the hype surrounds the ION-based S12, due later this year, the model also comes with versions powered with the Intel Atom and VIA Nano processor. Laptop Mag has the review of the Intel Atom version and overall seemed to like what they saw.

Putting it head-to-head against the current 12-inch netbook, the Samsung NC20, they found that the Samsung felt a bit sturdier and had a better design. However, they thought the Ideapad S12 benefits from its Quick Start instant-on operating system and had better audio. Regardless of the comparison, they found the S12 to have a very comfortable keyboard and a battery that was good for six hours. All of this combined, earned the Ideapad S12 an Editor’s Choice award. Check out the key review points after the jump. Read more

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

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 drops 1.8” HDDs? Shortage may affect Q3 netbook shipments

Samsung along with Toshiba were the two main suppliers of 1.8-inch hard-disk drives used in netbooks. However, Samsung has now reportedly discontinued the development of 1.8-inch HDDs to focus on the faster-growing Solid State Drive (SSD) segment instead. Hitachi, Fujitsu, Seagate and Western Digital no longer list 1.8-inch HDDs on their websites.

If true, this is likely to lead to a shortage of 1.8” drives, as only Toshiba is left supplying these drives. The shortage is likely to lead to price increases, which may affect Q3 2009 shipments of netbooks and ultrathin notebooks. The smaller 1.8-inch drives are often used in some netbooks over the 2.5-inch drives commonly found in laptops. The height of a 1.8” drive is just 5mm, compared to 7.0 – 9.5mm in 2.5” drives. Earlier this week, Samsung said that it was looking to develop new SATA Mini PCI-E SSDs for netbooks in capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage.

Via Digitimes.

Samsung and Dell planning 11.6-inch netbook models?

Some of the leading netbook manufacturers are jumping onto the 11.6” netbook bandwagon, with Acer having released the Aspire One 751 and Asus planning the Eee PC 1101HA to be released shortly. Well it looks like both Samsung and Dell may also be planning 11.6-inch netbook models.

According to a report from Digitimes, the Taiwanese based LCD panel manufacturer, Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), has landed orders from both Dell and Samsung for 11.6-inch netbook display panels. There’s scant information apart from that, but we would hardly be surprised if the news were true. Read more

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