[bcab] Re: Samsung NC 10 netbook

Hi Graham

If Vista were used, it wouldn't put me off as I have it on my laptop, but I 
still rather XP if I'm being honest.  I will really need to get some hands-on 
of these machines to see which I like the feel of.

Thanks for all the info.

Jackie Cairns
Braille Support Adviser
Email: jackie.cairns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sight and Sound Technology
Welton House North Wing
Summerhouse Road
Moulton Park
Northampton
NN3 6WD
Tel: 01604 798024
Web: www.sightandsound.co.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Graham Page
Sent: 30 November 2008 15:48
To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bcab] Re: Samsung NC 10 netbook

Hi Jackie.

Currently these netbooks are available with Windows XP or Linux.

As you say, there is not enough ram for Vista on most of these machines 
though I think the Advent 4211, the Asus EEEPC machines and the Samsung NC10 
can all be upgraded to 2 GB.  Personally though I think XP is the better 
operating system for them if you are going to use Windows.

I would say that for most people Linux should be avoided as the versions of 
Linux that come with these netbooks tends to be cut down so a full version 
will need to be installed in order to get screenreaders working.  Hardly an 
out of the box solution, definitely one for the enthusiast rather than for 
those that just use the computer as a tool.

Cheers

Graham
Graham Page
Home Phone: 0207 265 9493
Mobile: 07753 607980
Fax:  0870 706 2773
Email: gpage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MSN: gabriel_mcbird@xxxxxxxxxxx
Skype: gabriel_mcbird
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jackie Cairns" <jackie.cairns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 11:09 AM
Subject: [bcab] Re: Samsung NC 10 netbook


> Hi Graham and everyone
>
> I've been following this thread very closely as I am in the market for 
> buying a Netbook, and want to thank all those who have contributed so 
> helpfully and with so much useful detail.  Essentially, I want something 
> really lightweight to carry around, with wireless connectivity, a nice 
> keyboard, reasonable hard drive, and the ability to run most programs such 
> as JAWS and MS Office 2003.
>
> It's been most interesting, thanks everybody.  One quick question though 
> please?  Are these Netbooks coming with XP by default as opposed to 
> laptops that seem to be loaded with Vista now?  It isn't too much of a big 
> deal whichever the platform happens to be, except that I would prefer more 
> RAM if it were Vista.  What is the feeling among you who use these 
> machines on that score?
>
> Jackie Cairns
> Braille Support Adviser
> Email: jackie.cairns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sight and Sound Technology
> Welton House North Wing
> Summerhouse Road
> Moulton Park
> Northampton
> NN3 6WD
> Tel: 01604 798024
> Web: www.sightandsound.co.uk
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
> Behalf Of Graham Page
> Sent: 30 November 2008 04:10
> To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bcab] Samsung NC 10 netbook
>
> Hi all.
>
> I have mentioned this netbook before and read quite a few reviews and 
> comments here and there.  A google search for Samsung NC10 review will 
> bring up plenty.  Essentially the common view is generally that the 
> Samsung NC10 is the top dog at the moment.  It was £299 though I believe 
> that PC World sell it for £320 now.
>
> I never got to really look at one in PC World but today I got chance to 
> set one up from scratch and do some work on another to get them both up to 
> the same spec.  Essentially they were well behaved machines that worked 
> well with JAWS and should work well with other screenreaders.  They use 
> the Intel GMA950 chipset I think.
>
> Reviews say they look more like a professional ultraportable than the MSI 
> Wind, Advent 4211 etc. and I would agree with this.  They are certainly a 
> bit less curvy.  The keyboard feels good to use and is generally well laid 
> out but you gain a page up and a page down key to either side of the up 
> arrow key but as a result the right shift key is rather small and feels 
> too far over to the right.  The Control key is on the left however and the 
> keyboard is perfectly comfortable to use.  You can turn off the mouse pad 
> with FN key f10 which is good to know.
>
> In some reports, it has been suggested that the hinge could be a little 
> weak.  It felt reasonable to me and not all reviewers say the hinge is 
> week though if you move the display sharply during use the screen can flex 
> causing a ripple effect to appear.  Ports stick out very slightly from the 
> case as plastic moulding sticks out a fraction to hold them.  The battery 
> sticks out a centimetre perhaps from the bottom of the machine.  It is a 
> little more back heavy than the MSI Wind but not much.
>
> The basic building blocks and spec in terms of connectivity are the same 
> as the MSI Wind and indeed many of the other netbooks using the Atom 270 
> chips.  You do get a considerably better built in mike in the Samsung NC10 
> though which could be useful if you need to make a quick skype call 
> somewhere.
>
> The NC10 does come with quite a lot of software including a recovery tool 
> that keeps popping up until you run it.  It puts an image of your windows 
> setup into the D drive which is a partition of the hard disk.  The hard 
> disk is in fact split in half giving about 70 gig each I believe.  This 
> recovery program reboots and asks a couple of questions before starting 
> the recovery so if you want to do the recovery you will need sighted 
> assistance.  Otherwise you could just uninstall it but things could be 
> problematic if your hard disk dies.
>
> I have now come across Mcafee Internet Security on 2 PCs running Vista and 
> 3 running Windows XP in the last couple of weeks.  On the NC10 you get the 
> software half installed.  You need to install it fully if you really must 
> use this software.  I have seen few programs that seem to slow even the 
> fastest PCs down so much.  Removing Mcafee is best done by clicking the 
> remind me later button that comes up in the Mcafee window.  This is spoken 
> when you tab to it y Narator but not JAWS.  Go to add/remove programs and 
> remove Mcafee security as soon as possible.  Use separate fire walls, 
> spyware protection and antivirus programs or give the beta of Nod32 a go.
>
> Over all, if I were buying a netbook today I would go for the NC10 at the 
> moment.
>
> Regards
>
> Graham
>
> Graham Page
> Home Phone: 0207 265 9493
> Mobile: 07753 607980
> Fax:  0870 706 2773
> Email: gpage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:gpage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> MSN: gabriel_mcbird@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:gabriel_mcbird@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Skype: gabriel_mcbird
>
>
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