Samsung’s enticing NC20 netbook is now available at Newegg for $549.99. You’ll get a 12.1-inch screen with a 1280×800 resolution, 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and 3.3-pound weight.
The NC20 eschews Intel’s Atom CPU in favor of VIA’s Nano platform with a 1.3GHz CPU, 800MHz FSB, and 1MB of L2 cache. Other features include a six-cell battery, XP Home, Bluetooth, VGA-out, and three USB ports.
The sales figures and user reviews for this one will be interesting to watch (the user reviews for the NC10) have been very positive. It’s a little on the heavy side for a netbook and the $550 price tag may put it just out of reach for budget shoppers. Whether the full-resolution screen and 6+ hour battery life will be enough to justify the purchase is the real question. This is also a big moment for VIA, as a wildly successful NC20 could truly legitimize its netbook platform in the eyes of all the other netbook manufacturers.
Samsung NC20 [Newegg.com]