Netbook Crazy

While some netbooks are notable more difficult to increase the RAM size from 1GB, the Samsung NC10, is perhaps one of the easiest netbooks to perform the mod on. It quite literally, only requires a back panel to be removed and the RAM replaced. In order to upgrade you RAM on the NC10, you will need a Pozidriv screwdriver to remove the screw on the back, a flathead screwdriver, to assist with lifting the panel and of course your RAM. The maximum RAM size the NC10 supports is 2GB, with 1 port, so you will be replacing the 1GB stick of RAM, with a 2GB. You’ll need to have SODIMM DDR2 RAM. The most recommended RAM choice, is Crucial but, many others have had success with Kingston and PNY but, any 2GB SODIMM DDR2 RAM will work. 800MHZ RAM sticks will also work but, the NC10 will only use up to 667MHZ.

For my RAM upgrade, I’m using the PNY SODIMM DDR2 RAM, purchased from PC World. Firstly, make sure the netbook is off completely, then turn it over.

You’ll see the panel on the right side, which reads memory.

Use the pozidrive screwdriver to remove the screw and then lift the panel off. You may need to use a flathead screwdriver to assist in lifting it off.

Once off, you’ll see the 1GB RAM with a clip at the top and at the bottom. Unclip the RAM and ease it out.

Once out, you can then pop your 2GB RAM stick in.

With the RAM fully in place, you can now screw the panel back on.

I’ve found everything loads a lot quicker now. Start up and shut down times are also quicker.

With 1GB of RAM, the netbook took 1 minute and 25.1 seconds to fully boot up, with an internet connection where as with 2GB of RAM, it took 1 minute and 11.6 seconds. When it comes to shut down time, with 1GB of RAM, it took 20.3 seconds, reduced to 17.6 seconds with 2GB RAM.

Samsung will be revamping several of their netbooks, to include their own modem chipset, the Kalmia LTE. The netbooks included in the line up, include the N150, NB30 and the N220. Other specs will remain the same but, with the LTE chipset, Samsung can offer up 4G connectivity, faster than it’s 3G counterparts. There’s no official word on when these will be released but, it’s very likely that they’ll show up some time this year. However Samsung have said that they will release them “according to service schedule and market demand.” You can view the full press release from Samsung after the jump.

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Phil Newton of Samsung has confirmed that the company will be launch a netbook powered by the Google Chrome OS later this year. The netbook will feature a 10.1 inch display, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, along with 3G and WiFi built in. It’ll be very similar to the N210, pictured in the above picture. There’s also rumors going around, that it’ll feature a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor. Hopefully we’ll hear more about this netbook soon and can confirm or deny this.

Source

Over at the Insanely Wind forums, one forum member has turned his netbook into a tablet and plans to add a sliding keyboard. The netbook he’s used is the Advent 4211c, which is the MSI Wind U100 rebadged. So far, c0ff33 has manged to flip the display, allowing it to rest on the keyboard and be used like a tablet, with a touch screen display added. The netbook is also dual bootable with Windows 7 and OS X 10.6.2.

While this is an impressive mod in it’s self, c0ff33 hasn’t finished the project yet. He hopes to add a mechanism which will allow the screen to slid up and the keyboard down. The mechanism will work like the keyboard on a slide out phone, such as the Sony Ericsson C905.