Intel Corp. has had a near lock on supplying processors for netbooks — the cheap, tiny laptops that are the biggest hit in the computer market these days. Now there’s an alternative from a Taiwanese competitor, Via Technologies Inc. It might be time to leave your Intel-powered comfort zone. I took the Samsung NC20, the first netbook on the U.S. market with the Via Nano processor, for a spin. I found it to be a capable unit, comparable to the netbooks that use Intel’s Atom chip, though there are some notable differences. If you’re in the market for a netbook, perhaps for the fall semester, it’s definitely worth considering. First of all, the NC20 has a 12-inch screen. Netbooks have so far topped out at 10 inches, so the NC20 gives us a lot more space to work with. Intel has discouraged manufacturers from using Atoms with larger screens, saying the processor isn’t powerful enough. (A few manufacturers, like

Dell, have just started making 12-inch Atom-powered netbooks anyway.) The size of the screen brings the NC20 closer to a full-size laptop, but the price and weight are still netbook-ish: $500 and 3.5 pounds. Like other netbooks, Samsung’s lacks a DVD drive and runs the Windows XP operating system, rather than the more recent Vista. The keyboard is smaller than full size, but by no means cramped. When it comes to performance, the NC20 is also clearly a netbook rather than a full-powered laptop. It’s fine for Web browsing and e-mail, but not for the latest games or for video editing. The processor can’t keep up with high-action scenes from shows like “Prison Break” on Hulu.com, resulting in stuttering video. However, it did better at video playback than an Asus EeePC 1000HE, a good Atom-powered unit, indicating that the Nano has a bit more oomph. The…

View original here:
Review: $500 Samsung Netbook Sports New Processor