The folks at Samsung have brought their netbooks to a new and greener age, with the release of the NC215S they are taking a big step forward. The NC215S is their first solar powered Netbook PC. The NC215S features a 10-inch screen and a battery life of 14.5 hours battery life. The machine can, with the help of a solar panel on the top, charge in about two hours. Of course, this netbook is also built with a standard charging port and cord and the charging time is a combined number, with both the cord and the solar cells charging simultaneously. So, be aware that if you want the machine to be completely solar powered you may be waiting on a much longer charge time, and since its not like you can solar charge over night you need to assess your needs and usage carefully.

Here are the Specifications:

Display: 10.1” (1024×600) Super-Bright LED, Anti-reflective
CPU: Intel® ATOM™ Processor N455 (1.66GHz)
Memory: 1GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 320GB (5400rpm)
Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
Dimensions: 259 x 179.5 x 23.6~35.8 mm
Weight: 1.32kg
Expansion ports: VGA, Headphone-out, Mic-in, Internal Mic,3 x USB 2.0, 4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), RJ45(LAN)

On the whole these specs are decent. Exactly what you expect from a next-generation netbook.

If you are interested in buying this netbook, it will be released some time this month, for a retail price of $499.00. This does put it on the more expensive end on netbooks, but it may just be worth it for users who need a very quick charge.

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Taking your games on the go can be an essential part of getting through your daily train ride to work or surviving that long family reunion weekend. Of course, enjoying your games does not just have to be a way to survive the annoying parts of your daily life. It can just be about getting out there and enjoying your games in the real world. After all playing World of Warcraft is fun but playing it with a freshly made custom Frappucino in your non-mouse using hand is even better. So let's look at some of your best gaming options for netbooks.

The MMORPG Gamer

If you love your MMO's then you need a system that can handle the speed that you need to stream your world as well as a strong graphics offering so that you do not end up finding out that you can not longer run your favorite world once the world updates. Lets look at your options.

The Acer Aspire One AO522-BZ465 should definitely be on your shopping list. With a AMD C-Series Processor, 250 GB hard drive and a ATI Radeon HD 6250 Graphics card you should be able to run any MMO that you want without a problem. If Acer is not your brand of choice another solid choice for the MMO gamer is the Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 it features an Intel Atom N455 Single Core 1.66GHz, and Intel® NM10 Express graphics for wide screen HD displays.

The PC Gamer

If you prefer your game to be single player, and to install from a disk or download then your needs are going to a be a little bit different. While you will still need to have the power to process high end graphics but your hard drive space may need to be larger, or at least very expandable in order for you to get what you want. Let's peek at your choices.

Your first go to machine will be the Samsung NF310-A01 it gives you HD graphics and while the hard drive has only a standard 250 GB of memory attached it is also expandable without giving up your USB mouse thanks to its multiple USB ports. Users who have this machine to game have reported that even current generation PC titles run very well. At $340 on Amazon this one is a great deal as well.

Another great choice is the Toshiba NB305-N600. Sure, it looks a little funky but with just about nine hours of battery life, an Intel Atom processor N550 and HD graphics this machine will, for $354, make you happy that you bought it. This is also a great choice if you, or the person you plan to give it to, is accident prone since it comes with a hard drive impact sensor that can help it to save itself from your snafus.

Of course, if you want to do some comparison-shopping you should feel free to. Check out our netbook comparisons page to find your dream gaming machine.

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When you think about it not all netbooks are created equal and not all netbooks are equal for all users. What you need is a netbook that fits your needs. Remember that finding a good netbook is a lot like finding a good spouse it is not so much about finding something that is perfect, but finding the one that is perfect for your wants and needs. So, without any further ado lets take a sneak peek at some of your potential new suitors and soon enough you will have one that fits you like a glove.

The Worker Bee

If you want to get your hands on a machine that is all work and no play then you are in luck. Not only are machines made for work needs are usually less expensive then their beefier work and play models. Lets take a look at two of your best options.

The ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM-MU17-WT

The ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM-MU17-WT features a Intel Atom Dual Core N550 and a 250GB hard drive. The real news is that it come set up with 500GB of free web storage to make it ideal for holding all of the spreadsheets and presentations that you need to keep track of, and possibly refer to, in order to get your work done without sucking up all of your storage space. It boasts 10 hours of battery life, which will get you though a full day of work plus some and it has the Windows 7 Starter Operating System.

The Samsung NB30-JP02 1

The Samsung NB30-JP02 is great for work because it is designed to deal with daily wear and tear as well as the occasional drop. The devices limited memory is expandable with the help of a 4-in-1-memory card slot and 3 USB 2.0 ports. It has slightly less battery life than the one mentioned above, with nine hours of average use time.

Media Lover

Just because you need to work does not mean that you can't get to play as well. If you are a media lover at heart then these machines will give you the power you need and the work you need to get done.

Toshiba NB505-N508BL

The Toshiba NB505-N508BL is equipped with an Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 video processor that can use up to 250 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory in order to stream your media quickly and easily. The widescreen has a display resolution of 1024-x 600-pixel resolution. Add it to the built in media software that allows you to interface with devices such as the Xbox 360 game console and you can see how the system is built to work and play.

Samsung NF310-A01

If you want a machine that you may actually be able to get your company to buy the consider the Samsung NF310-A01 it may not be a media monster with a wide screen but behind that Intel® Atom N550 Dual-Core processor it has an HD screen with a resolution of 1366x768 it can definitely get you what you want with your streaming services.

There you have it. A look at some of your best options for netbooks at work, whether you want to just work or you want to work and play at the same time.

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The Samsung NF310-A01 is a solid netbook that is good for most users who have both work and play needs. As long as you are reasonable in your expectations for a netbook you could be quite happy with this machine. As a matter of fact, you could just be happy with the machine in general.

The system features a new Intel Atom N550 Dual-Core processor, which gives you a level of speed that you would expect from a larger system, like your friendly neighborhood laptop system. When you pair it with the 250 GB of memory that this system comes equipped with you can see how this system could easily meet both your long term needs and your day to day ones. Just don’t clog the system up with too many large files or like with any system you will experience a lag.

The display is a 10.1-Inch sized screen, which is fairly standard in the world of netbooks. The real news here is that this LED display is capable of 1366x768 high definition video, and it actually works well when you are using HD streaming shows from sources like Hulu, which is an important thing if you happen to love your media collection.

The Samsung NF310-A01 also has a significant battery life. The system is clocked to give you 9 hours of power during normal use, which is good news both for the work-a-holics and the marathon PC gamers of the world.

As a matter of fact, when you pair this battery life with the graphics capabilities and memory space on the system you can see how this netbook could be a PC gamers dream. The systems screen has a matte finish, which allows for the system to reduce the glare, which is good news if you plan to use your netbook outdoors.

The power saving settings are also uniquely interesting. They allow a user to put the system into a deep sleep, which preserves the power in the computers battery, but does not leave you with a lengthy wake up time. Users have been reporting system wake ups are in the 3-to-5 second span, which is very impressive.

The system has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which is always a good set of options. You can keep your wireless for streaming, and connect your headset to the system for chatting with a friend or co-worker.

The netbook, which is Windows-based, come complete with the MS Office Starter edition bundle, which allows you to have access to a full set of office tools, without the cost of buying extra software. This is good news for those of your with work on your mind.

On the whole the Samsung NF310-A01 is a great system with a lot to offer a variety of end users. If you buy it you will not have any regrets. If however the price is a little to rich for your blood you can check out some of your other options with a simple look at our netbook comparisons page to find a model that meets your needs.

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The Samsung N150-JP06 10.1-Inch Netbook may, at the first glance, look like it is just another netbook on the market, but really, it has a surprising amount to offer users who need some serious memory in a smaller package, and you can get a refurbished one for less than $300. The Samsung N150-JP06 Netbook features a 250GB Hard-Drive. This is a fairly large set up for a netbook. While many modern netbooks offer users only a 16GB hard drive, or maybe a 32GB if you are willing to pony up a little bit more cash, this model has serious space to offer. The Samsung N150-JP06 is able to hold a wealth of pictures, and even video without causing you to run short on hard drive space. Well, that will be the case for most users, but to be completely honest, most hardcore movie lovers will probably not be happy with any netbook if they want to cart around their whole library.

Not that you are going to be dealing with any graphics that are HD in quality. The official specs on Amazon don’t list the screen's specifications, but according to other sources the screen is not capable of true HD video playback, as the lack of a HDMI port would suggest to most users. The LED-backlit display does show the images on the screen with a fair degree of clarity, and  in a nice range of colors. The 10.1” screen size is a fairly standard for a netbook.

The N150-JP06 is sporting an Intel Atom N455 processor to power all of that memory. This is a fairly new processor, since it was only released in the second quarter of 2010. Coming in with a clock speed of 1.66 GHz, this machine can offer most users what they need, when they need it. Just be aware that if you install more labor-intensive programs they may run a bit slower, than they would on your desktop machine. Then again, the types of programs we are talking about, such as Photoshop or AutoCAD will only be used on a netbook by a very small number of users.

The operating system on this netbook is the Windows 7 Starter OS. This is a solid choice for any netbook user who is already a Windows user since you will have only a minimal learning curve. Mac or Linux users may find this to be a turn off, as well as consumers who want some of the traits that come complete with Android-based tablets, such as access to the App Marketplace.

The Samsung N150-JP06 does feature three USB ports, which are a good thing if you need to connect multiple devices, which when you are working in a hotel or conference hall business center will be a lifesaver. The machine also features a 4-in-1-memory card slot. That is a good thing, not so much for the data expansion, which you may not need with this system, but for data portability, which is an important thing if you plan on sharing what you have with others.

This machine measures 1.37 inches by, 10.4 inches by, 7.4 inches, making it a bit bigger than other offerings currently on the market, but considering what you are getting for the small size increase it is well worth the price.

Ultimately, only you can decide what netbook is right for you, so take a look at our netbook comparison page to get side-by-side information.

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Pros:

Terrific design, Ultra Thin Chassis (1 inch), Great keyboard, Matte Screen

Cons:

No dedicated graphics chipset

Bottom Line:

The Samsung N230 was first made available in July and it has an ultra thin chassis of just 1 inch, a strong 7 hr battery life, great keyboard and matte screen. The only complaint I can have is the lack of any type of hardware based video support and this is more of a want than a complaint. Hands down this is one of the best Samsung netbooks I've ever reviewed. The best part is that it's only $330.79.

Quick Product Specs:

Intel Atom N450 1.6 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Starter (See full specs)

Full Review:

Design:

The netbook is only 1 inch thick partly thanks to it's thin 3 cell battery but also due to it's slimmed down design. The netbook features a matte screen which makes it excellent for using outside and it also makes use of the newer chiclet style keyboard that looks great. The top lid does attract fingerprint smudges; however, that isn't enough of a deterrent for me to be too bothered over because the rest of the netbook looks so sleek and thin.

Usability:

The Samsung N230's keyboard is outstanding. It is the newer chiclet style keyboard which provides more space between each key and is 93% full size. I don't know why every netbook manufacturer hasn't adopted this layout because it's superb and continues to impress me in every netbook I use. It's very easy to type and I was able to type at full speed in less than a couple minutes of adjusting from my desktop keyboard. The touchpad is very responsive and another great feature of this netbook - I personally use the touchpad over an external mouse on almost every netbook that I buy so this is usually a deal breaker for me and fortunately the Samsung N230 failed to disappoint. The touchpad is sizeable and the accompanying buttons are also very responsive as well.

The 1024 x 600 resolution we've grown accustomed to seeing in previous netbooks is back again in the N230. I personally would like to see the higher resolution of 1366 x 768; however, I believe this will be a slow transition as netbooks begin to feature better graphic capabilities. As mentioned before, the netbook does feature a matte screen which makes the N230 an ideal choice for users looking for an indoor and outdoor computing machine.

Battery Life:

The Samsung N230 has a 3 cell battery; however, the small battery capacity packs a punch and provided an average battery life of about 7 hours. I think the battery life is more than sufficient because part of what I love so much about this netbook is it's sleek design. Without the smaller 3 cell battery we'd have a netbook that was much thicker instead of this stealthy 1 inch thick size instead. If you know you'll need a strong battery life than what the N230 provides than your decision is simple, but something with a 6 cell battery. I prefer to keep the Samsung the way it is with the smaller battery for the design's sake and reduction in weight.

Overall Performance:

Overall I think the Samsung N230 does several things right for only $330.79: the keyboard, design, matte screen, strong battery life (for a 3 cell) and solid build quality. There are just a couple things I would have liked to see changed with this netbook and that includes the 1024 x 600 resolution (give me 1366 x 768) and the lack of a dedicated graphics support option; however, these two "faults" could be considered more wants than necessity as no comparably priced netbook is offering them. The only thing you really need to decide is if you do need better graphic support or a stronger battery life. If you don't need these two than I recommend you buy the Samsung N230. If in the end you need more juice to get you through the day or stronger graphic support I suggest you look at some of the 10 inch options via our netbook comparison grid.

See More Info About The Samsung N230 Series N230-11 at Amazon.com

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Pros:

Nice Island Style Keyboard, Large touchpad, Low price, Solid build quality, Matte Display

Cons:

Low battery life

Bottom Line:

The Samsung N150 is a great netbook in the $329 price range. The keyboard is excellent, the touchpad is roomy, it has an excellent matte screen and it is relatively thin. The only real complaint I can find with it is the battery life. It receives an estimated 7 hours; however, I got closer to 6 hours. Ideally I would have liked to see 2 - 3 extra hours of battery life based on the price of some of it's close competitors i.e. ASUS Eee PC 1001P. With that said, I still appreciate the Samsung N150 and it's also available in a wide array of colors to choose from as well. My demo unit is blue and it's available for only $329, see all the Samsung N150 colors available here. I'll provide more details about the netbook in the rest of this review continued after the break.

Quick Product Specs:

Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Starter (see full specs)

Full Review:

Design:

The netbook is less than 1 inch tall in the front (if you count the tapering) and in the back it is a little under 1.5 inches high, so when you factor in the battery bulge of the 6 cell battery it's a relatively thin netbook. The outer shell on the lid has a soft blue matte color that is conveniently finger proof resistant. Inside the netbook we see a flat black color outlining the keyboard and screen bezel. All of the corners are rounded and tapered ever so slightly which brings it all together in a nice design package (especially for the price)

Usability:

I'm satisfied with the keyboard on the Samsung N150 and about the only keyboard I believe tops it is the Lenovo S10-3 keyboard (the combination of island style and raised edges make it the best in my book), but that isn't said to diminish what the Samsung N150 has to offer. In fact, I believe it has one of the best keyboards on a netbook priced under $350 and when it comes to netbooks I believe two of the most important components include the keyboard and the touchpad both of which Samsung excels at. Samsung's touchpad is sizable at 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches and it even includes support for multi touch gestures. I had a little trouble getting the landscape to portrait gesture to work well, but I'm certain that's because of the sticker that I left on over the touchpad (it's a demo unit and I try to remove as little stuff as possible from them).

The screen resolution found in this model is still 1024 x 600 by default; however, you can change the resolution up to 1024 x 768 and even 1152 x 864. Both of these options scrunch the text down but if you really need the screen real estate in a bind it's good to know you have it. In past reviews I have admitted I'd love to see netbook manufacturers move away from 1024 x 600 and to instead go with 1366 x 768 instead, but it's still a very slow transition. If you absolutely need a higher resolution check out my review of the Sony Vaio W just remember you'll pay $120 more for it than the Samsung N150.

Battery Life:

The Samsung N150 has a 6 cell battery that provides a manufacturer rated 7 hours battery life; however, I found this number to be more close to 6 hours of battery life and as I mentioned at the onset of this review I would have liked to see 2 - 3 extra hours worth of battery life in this netbook.

Performance:

As expected you'll get typical performance from this netbook. Sure you'll be able to play farmville, watch YouTube videos, use the MS office suite, do light video editing and just about any other tasks you can think of minus intense HD gaming and HD video viewing. I ran PC Mark 05 tests on this netbook and got 1421 which is typical of most netbooks (without Nvidia ION inside) so there weren't any surprises here.

Overall Performance:

Overall I believe the Samsung N150 is a worthy netbook in the $329 price range. The keyboard is excellent, the touchpad is roomy, it has an excellent matte screen; however, as I mentioned earlier the battery life is where it falls a few hours too short in my mind. Comporably priced netbooks over 9 - 10 hours and the Samsung N150 offers just 7 hours. I still appreciate the Samsung N150 as an entire package and it's also available in a several colors to choose from as well. My demo unit is blue and is available for only $329, but you can see all the Samsung N150 colors available here. If you would like to look at other netbooks be sure to use our new netbook comparison grid and you can see all other netbook reviews by visiting here.

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