Samsung NC10 review

At first glance the Samsung appears to be a well designed and well built machine, an impression that's confirmed when you pick it up.

The chassis is stylish and as well planned as its maker's full size laptops, and the build quality matches, too. Lifting it with one hand by a corner didn't produce the worrying creaks that we experienced with some less robust rivals, and we got the feeling that the NC10 would be ready to withstand the knocks and bumps that it might suffer over months of mobile use.

Making a netbook that doesn't feel like it ought to be kept in cotton wool is perhaps not rocket science, but you can tell Samsung have put serious thought into the details. The keyboard extends to within 6mm of the edges, making use of every bit of space to provide the biggest keys possible. They're still not full size, but this is one of the closest netbooks to offering the typing experience of a proper laptop. Unlike with many of its competitors, we found typing for long periods of time on the NC19 was no problem.

The large 10.2 inch screen makes your documents clearly legible, too, and the 160GB hard disk is generous. WiFi and an SD card reader are built in, and Bluetooth is a welcome addition that makes it easy to add wireless accessories or communicate with your mobile phone.

Battery life is also excellent. The NC10 lasted well over seven hours in our tests, a result beaten only by the Eee PC, which crept over the eight hour mark. For us, that's the killer feature that confirms the NC10 as an ideal low-cost portable.

While the Eee PC may have a slight advantage in endurance, and other netbooks feature innovations such as built-in 3G, none of its rivals can match the NC10's overall package: it's comfortable to use, easy to carry, lasts a full working day away from the mains, and costs less than some less capable competitors. Samsung haven't rushed into the netbook market - and it shows.