Entertainment On The Go; Samsung N510 with nVidia ION technology

It is hard to tell the different netbooks models apart nowadays, they all seem to be the same as each other but in a different plastic case. They all mainly use the Intel Atom processor, have a 10 to 12 inch screen and poor integrated graphics. But not so with the Samsung N510, it is a netbook which stands out from the crowd. This netbook uses what is called nVidia ION technology which means it comes with great graphics for watching HD video and for playing many of todays 3D games.

The nVidia ION is a chipset which works with the Intel Atom processor to provide full 1080p high-definition video playback with 7.1 surround sound. The graphics processor behind the nVidia ION is the 9400M which is found in, among other things, the Apple MacBooks.

The Samsung N510 has a 16:9 aspect ratio, 11.6″ LED backlit screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768. This means it is just great for watching HD content. Also the LED backlight uses less power (compared to more traditional LCD displays), so you can be entertained for longer.

When TrustedReviews.com tried out the HD capabilities of the N510 the “playback was flawlessly smooth, with CPU usage hovering around the 25 to 30 per cent region. Attempt to play back such files on a vanilla Atom netbook and you’ll get nothing but judder and dropped frames.”

Samsung is claiming that the N510 with a 6 cell battery, delivers up to 7 hours of power which is helped by the energy efficient LED display. For continuous video playback the battery life will be a bit less, but you could get around 6 hours, long enough to watch a couple of movies on an trans atlantic flight.

Other features of the N510 are:

• 1 GB RAM and a 160 GB HD
• 1.3 Megapixel webcam and internal microphone
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI port
• 3-in-1 memory card reader
• Wireless (b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1

At the moment the N510 comes with Windows XP Home Edition but it can almost certainly handle Windows 7 if you wanted to independently buy the upgrade.