The Coming of 12" Netbooks: Performance & Price Reach a Compromise

It has been less than two years since the original ASUS Eee PC, a tiny device with a diminutive 7 inch display, brought a revolution to the notebook market. The ASUS Eee PC was the final step towards making mobile computers affordable to the masses, and the masses responded by buying hundreds of thousands of the devices. Suddenly, every PC manufacturer on the face of the earth was climbing on the band-wagon with their own products. Some were good, and some weren't, but overall the introduction of the netbook provided a combination of features and price that had previously been unheard of.

But netbooks are growing up. While the ASUS Eee PC was a revolutionary concept, it appears that the original product was too extreme to last. Rumor has it that the old 7 inch Eee PC designs are not long for this world, but it is already obvious that the forward focus of the netbook revolution is on more practical 10" and even 12" machines. There are only a few 12" netbooks available today, but they have so far been outstanding products.

 Samsung isn't known for making computers. Perhaps that is why Samsung has taken a novel approach with their new 12" netbook, called simply the NC20. From the outside, the Samsung NC20 looks like most netbooks, featuring a thin but attractive chassis and all of the standard netbook features. The display is 1280x800, the battery life is claimed to be six hours, and the finished product weighs about 3 pounds - and like most netbooks, it is available in either white or black. Standard stuff, right?

But there is one thing that makes the Samsung NC20 unique, and that is its processor. While most netbooks use the Atom processor to achieve maximum battery life, the Samsung NC20 has the heart of a Via Nano. It is the first product using Via's Nano processor to come to North America, and the results are promising. The Samsung is generally quicker than an Eee PC, although it is still well behind the performance a more traditional notebook can claim. On the downside, the NC20 also uses VIA's integrated graphics called Chrome, and its performance does not seem to be much better than the integrated graphics Intel uses with the Atom. Still, the Samsung NC20 packs in a nearly full-size keyboard, Bluetooth, and a webcam. Considering that the Samsung NC20 retails for only $549, its feature set is extremely attractive.

On a slightly smaller budget, then take a look at the fabulous Samsung NC10 which rivals the leader of the pack (MS Wind).