Samsung NC10 vs N120

So I've narrowed down my next purchase to these two models. The NC10 is about $50 cheaper, and I can't get over how nice it looks with the metallic bevel and the squarish chassis. The N120 has a better screen, keyboard, trackpad, battery and speakers, and it looks pretty nice too, but I just can't get over how good the NC10 looks.

Is there anything about the N120 that makes it just that much better than the NC10 for the extra $50?

 

I suggest you just read the review and thread with a lot of discussion about the N120 comparing it to the NC10, NC10 SE and N110.

No use doing that all over again in another thread!

 

I'm still so freaking amazed by the my samsung nc10!

It can play 1080/720p just fine, battery lasts up to 7-8 hours for surfing the net, keyboard is freaking awesome and I absolutely love its trackpad!

I cant recommend any other notebook/netbook than the samsung netbooks! I think either one you go with will be fine.

Keep in my mind I came from a Sony Vaio TZ model and I'm more stoked about the Samsung nc10!

Not to mention I've been listening to Alex Jones show at infowars.com (highly recommend to watch obama's deception it will open your eyes!) and the sound on this netbook is so damn loud I use it for internet radio in the middle of my big living room.

I was going to use this netbook for a temporary solution, until I either buy a 17" unibody macbook pro or a sony vaio TT or a Vaio Z, now I'm going to save myself the $2500 and keep this netbook! Its THAT amazing.

 

I don't think N120 has a better screen than NC10.

N120 has a glossy screen, NC10 matte.

I love my NC10 too but I never got 7 hours on the battery. 5-6 hours is my experience.

How do you play 1080p? I thought it was not possible but I never really tried it.

 

I agree the matte led display on the nc10 is amazing.

If you want to play 1080p/720p movies you have to download these things:

1) Windows Media Classic player

2) CoreAVC

3) Haali Media Splitter (usually bundled with CoreAVC).

4) ffdshow (used for subtitles when I watch anime or foreign flicks).

You have to enable CoreAVC under windows media player classic under options and make sure to disable ffdshow when playing 1080p/720p mkv files and it runs just fine.

Crazy netbook, especially for $425 bucks its insane!

I constantly get 7 hours and 30-45 minutes of battery time on my nc10. I always use it on 1 notch of brightness with only wifi on, bluetooth off.

When I do listen to internet radio, I usually have the sound at 60%-75% and that decreases the battery of course to last around usually 6 hours and 20 minutes or so.

Last night I listened to the alex jones show a 3 hour show with the volume level around 75% while surfing the net at 1 notch brightness level, bluetooth off and I still had 2:45 minutes battery time left.

When I got home I played some music from the samsung nc10 left in my bathroom while taking a 15 minute shower, sat around the couch and surfed the net some more and I still had 2:25 minute of battery life.

After watching CNN news for another hour or a bit longer about the swine flu, the crazy guy who killed women or something the battery level was around 1:28 minutes.

If I only surf the net and dont listen or watch any videos (maybe a total of 5 minutes worth on youtube or something) I've gotten at LEAST 6 hours and 25 minutes easily. I've seen my samsung nc10 last up to 8 hours a couple of times.

Oh and also do you use a virus protector? I never use mcafee or any of those huge programs, maybe thats why I get the additional hour and a half battery life as to you?

I do use free avg (which I think is all you really need) its a very lite version of it and hardly a resource hog.

All you have to do is just dont go to warez, pr0n sites when using windows xp/vista and make sure to only use firefox.

 

Well unless you've had both and compared that is just a blanket statement, which seems to be repeated as a common practice. I agree that the matte display on the NC10 is fantastic, but having used both and knowing that the biggest gripe about glossy displays is how reflective they are (Acer/HP terribly reflective). I was really shocked when I got my N120 to find it really wasn't that reflective at all and the big advantage over the matte display is the really rich vibrant colors. Again, unless you've had both and really compared them as I have, it so easy to just make such a blanket statement, but the facts simply don't show that to be true in regards to the N120. If anything else they are pretty much equal, though it would depend on where and how you plan to use your netbook. For me the rich vibrant colors out weight the mattes anti reflective surface, which tends to wash colors out and make them look so what faded. This is something you wouldn't notice unless you looked at them side by side. Just for the record I've been pro matte for years and this issue was one of my major concerns only to find out wasn't really an issue at all.

Bottom line you can't go wrong with either of these machines. But I think it all boils down too do you want a bigger keyboard, mouse/trackpad, better audio, which is what the NC120 offers over the NC10. If you are a touch typist you'll certainly appreciate that bigger keyboard and mouse/trackpad. I also found I listen to music a bit more with my N120 because the sound is much better than when I had the NC10 SE.

The good news is it is great to have a choice and one thing for sure I'd go with a Samsung regardless of which model you get, you won't be disappointed. My real one and only suggestion is don't get caught up in the hype of individuals, but check out the specs of the computers that you've narrowed it down too and then based on the info provided by others, make a decision as to which would will meet your needs based on how you will use it and where you will use it. Then you'll be totally happy once you get it.

I actually recommend Avast over AVG and when you compared resource footprints you'll find that Avast even uses less resources than AVG. Both great programs, but when resources are limited you always want to go with software that uses less if and when you can.

 

That's mazing man. I only get 6 hours on the same settings.

Can you post your battery capacity read out by RMClock?
What hard drive do you have?

I haven't compared them in real life but as far as I know they use the exact same display with a different coating. Like you I personally prefer glossy coatings. Not everyone does though.

Glossy coatings do add richness and vibrance, but that does not make it a "better display".

Until I see measurements of contrast, brightness and blacklevels I won't confirm the N120 has a better display than the NC10. Notebookjournal will post these measurements soon.

In case you want to check the display type you can with PC Wizard.

My preference is Avira. Higher detection rates than both AVG and Avast. And I also believe it has a smaller footprint. You need to disable the popup though.

 

@Phil: Do you have a web browser open?

Flash can use a lot of CPU power and help drain the battery. I use Firefox + FlashBlock to minimise the power wastage by unwanted animated graphics.

John

 

@ John I also use FF + Flashblock and Adblock. I have 40 processes running.

I did notice that my lowest power usage does not go under 7 watt, while my friends drops into the 5 range. (measured with RMClock, lowest brightness, bt off, wlan on)

My hard drive is the Hitachi, his the Fujitsu. Which surprises me because I thought Hitachi has lower power consumption.

John do you also get over 7 hours with browsing the web on wlan?

 

Well my post are not intended to make the argument that one display is better than the other. That argument is better left to others. My argument is that since generally glossy displays tend to get a bad wrap, that instead of just making that blanket judgement it would be wiser to actually try it out. I have seen several personal and some professional reviews now and all of them pretty much say the same thing. While the N120 has a glossy display it isn't as glossy as others that are out there such as the Acer, HP and I even seen one mention the Sony glossy in comparison. So again my point is I don't want to see someone pass up a great computer with a bigger keyboard, better sound, all because of the terrible perception that most have of glossy displays.

I've seen so many folks say, OH MAN I REALLY LIKE THAT N120, but I won't consider it because it has a glossy display! I hope my post will make them at least think twice about it.

In regards to Avast, I am pretty much committed to it because they make software for Windows Home Server, though it isn't free. I am very happy with Avast and at this point see no reason to switch. My biggest issue with AVG is it is a resource hog. Avira maybe great, I can't say as I've never used it. This day and time nonw of them can promise absolute protection.

 

I agree on your observations on a good glossy display. I love the added vibrance and contrast.

About the detection rates, I like to keep track of all good comparative studies on free virus scanners and Avira comes out on top consistently. Here's one.

 

Thanks Phil for the info. I don't actually use the free version of Avast, I purchased the Family Professional Pack which includes a version for my home server. This pay version turns on like 3 additional protections, along with push technology for them be able to push immediate updates when necessary. Where it rates with those additional protections turned on I have no idea.

 

I no longer have the NC10, but the power consumption table in my review indicated 5 to 6 hours web browing using wired network with display on 2/8 brightness. I never say the power go below about 7W. Maybe your friend has an Atom with very low power leakage. Can you compare the CPU temperatures under different load conditions?

The 5K320 HDD (I presume this is what you have) has, according to Tom's Hardware a maximum 3W power consumption. I doubt if the Fujitsu is much lower. If it is the MHZ family it might be higher - I measured the MHZ2320BH at 3.3W maximum.

John

 

I won't be able to test his NC10 for a while.

I guess you're right about the hard drives, the 5K320 family is quite power efficient. This the one platter version so should be even better.

 

HDD temperature under similar operating conditions should be a relative indicator of power consumption.

John

 

I have used the NC10 and it is nice.

The N120 is what I really want but the glossy screen scares me.

I wish they had the N120 in the stores.. but they don't so I can't test it