Want to add a Broadcom CrystalHD Video accelerator or another module that comes on a mini PCIe card to your netbook? While a handful of netbooks have unused PCIe slots hanging out on the motherboards, many use the only available space for the wireless card. And then there’s the Samsung NC10.

SammyNetbook forum member graemem was trying to figure out how to install the Broadcom HD decoder on his NC10, and he noticed that the netbook’s motherboard actually has a second PCIe option printed on it. There’s just no socket. The solution? Pick up a cheap socket and solder it to the motherboard. And that’s exactly what he did.

Of course, your results may vary, and there’s clearly plenty of room for things to go wrong with this type of hack, so please be careful. But you can find graemem’s step by step instructions and a handful of photos at SammyNetbook.

via Netbooked

Clear.com

Old netbooks don’t ever die. They just end up getting promoted by wireless broadband providers. The latest case in point? WiMAX service provider Clear is offering a Samsung NC10 netbook with an integrated 4G WiMAX modem. The NC10 was released in 2008 and Samsung had largely replaced it with the Samsung N110/N120 series. This month, the company launched its even newer line of netbooks with Intel Atom Pineview processors, making the NC10 seem even more dated.

That said, the NC10 is a nice little 10 inch laptop, and with up to 6 hours of run time on a charge, it was one of the top contender for netbook battery champ of 2008.

The laptop has a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU. If you sign up for a 2 year plan with Clear, you can pick up the NC10 for $199.99 plus tax.

Clear service runs $45/month with no data caps, although the first six months are just $30/month. That means that over the course of the 2 year contract, this Samsung NC10 would end up costing you about $1190. That’s not cheap, but it’s actually a pretty good deal compared to most of the subsidized, 3G-enabled netbooks out there. Of course, you’re taking a slight gamble in betting that Clear and/or WiMAX will still be around in two years… but what’s the worst that could happen? You get out of your contract early?

Intel Atom powered netbooks with integrated graphics are known for long battery life and halfway decent performance. They’re not known for handling CPU-intensive tasks like decoding HD video. For that you have third party solutions like the NVIDIA ION chipset or Broadcom’s HD decoder for netbooks.

While some companies including Dell and HP are offering machines with an optional Broadcom decoder, most netbooks don’t come with that option. But that didn’t stop SammyNetbook Forum member Banzai from picking up his own Broadcom card and adding it to a Samsung NC10.

The Samsung NC10 has only one Mini PCIe slot, and it’s occupied by the WiFi card by default. So in order to add the Broadcom decoder, Banzai needed to remove the internal WiFi card. But it’s much easier to find a USB WiFi adapter than a USB video card, so I think he probably made the right call.

In order to get everything working properly you’ll need to pick up a Broadcom PCM970012 HD Decoder, which you can find on eBay for around $25 or less. You also need to download the device drivers, and install a custom version of Arcsoft Total Media Theatre designed to play nicely with the video decoder since it’s the only application that will actually take advantage of the HD decoding features of the Broadcom module.

You can find step by step instructions and software download links in the SammyNetbook Forums. There’s a video of Banzai’s NC10 playing HD video after the break.

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I got a chance to check out the new Samsung N140 netbook at Pepcom holiday show in New York last night. Samsung’s newest netbook is due out in the US in early November and it will ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition for $399.

The company is positioning the N140 as the replacement for the Samsung NC10. So forget about the N110 and N120. Those were something else. Samsung is finally phasing out the popular NC10, which was it’s well-received first entry into the netbook market and replacing it with this model.

To be honest, the Samsung N140 has virtually identical specs to the Samsung NC10. Both have 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processors, 1GB of RAM, and 160GB hard drives. But the new model features a redesigned case. It has a glossy lid and a matte finish on the palm rest, screen bezel, and a matte, non-glossy display. There are some metallic elements around the side of the device which are mostly cosmetic, but there’s also a bit of a raised area around the touchpad which makes it easier to detect the edges of the touch area with our finger. The keyboard is also a little bit larger than the one on the NC10.

There’s a chance Samsung may increase the specs a bit before launch, since Microsoft allows PC makers to load Windows 7 Starter Edition on netbooks with hard drives up to 250GB. But that would probably bump the price up a bit as well.

You can check out a hands-on video of the N140 with Samsung’s Jason Redmond after the break. I also snapped a few more pictures, including a couple of pictures of the 10 inch N140 next to the 11.6 inch Samsung N510 with NVIDIA ION graphics which was also on display at the trade show. Oh yeah, in other news, while I’d originally been hearing that the N510 would be due out in September or October, it looks like Samsung has decided to launch that model in early November (after Windows 7 is available) as well.

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While the Samsung N310 (or Samsung Go, as the company calls it in the US), features the usual netbook specs including an Atom CPU, Windows XP, and a 160GB hard drive, the netbook has a visual quality that sets it apart from the crowd. It comes in a handful of bright colors, and has a rubberized case with the Samsung logo emblazoned across the top.

If you want to know just how different this netbook looks from a more traditional mini-laptop, check out vijaycmistry’s Flickr photoset of his new Samsung N310 hanging out with a Samsung NC10 netbook. Both machines are about the same size, but the N310 has rounded edges and a much brighter, more colorful look.

via SammyNetbook and the SammyNetbook Forum

Looking for an easy way to install a 3G module in a Samsung NC10 netbook? If you find that you need 3G access more often than WiFi, BassoPT has posted instructions on replacing the built in WiFi adapter with a 3G modem. When you actually need WiFi, you can always plug in a USB WiFi 802.11b/g/n adapter.

In order to perform this hack you’ll need to find a modem that comes in the shape of a PCI Express Mini card. Once you open up your computer, you should be pretty much able to pop out the WiFi adapter and replace it with the 3G card. If you’re looking to add an internal modem while keeping the WiFi module in place, you’re going to need to perform much more intensive surgery.

via jkkmobile

Over the past few days, the folks at SammyNetbook have spotted two different designer edition netbooks from Samsung. A few days ago, Samsung launched the Agnes B. Edition NC10 netbook in France. This model is basically just a standard NC10 with a stylish lid signed by the designer, and featuring a lizard.

Now it looks like UK retailer John Lewis is selling another version of the Samsung NC10 with a floral pattern on the lid.

Like any other Samsung NC10, both netbooks feature a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. The netbook, which is being phased out in the US in favor of the newer Samsung N110, also has a decent keyboard and gets excellent battery life.

Samsung first introduced the NC10 netbook in October, 2008. Now the company is announcing that it’s sold over a million NC10s.

While Acer, Asus, and other big name computer makers passed the million netbooks sold point ages ago, Samsung is a company that’s probably better known for making consumer electronics like televisions and cellphones than computers. So it’s pretty impressive to see that the company’s first netbook has sold so well. Since launching the NC10, Samsung has come out with a number of new min-laptops including the Samsung N110, N120, and NC20.

via SammyNetbook

Samsung has added WiMAX support to some of its NC10 netbooks, which is interesting, because I could have sworn the company was going to phase out the Samsung NC10 and replace it with the N110. Anyway, the new NC10 with WiMAX is pretty much the same as the older Samsung NC10, with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1Gb of RAm, 160GB hard drive, and 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display.It also has 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0.

WiMAX support will cost you though. While the Samsung NC10 is going for around $400, the WiMAX capable NC10-12PWBK version has a list price of $520.

via Portable Monkey

Left: Eee PC 1005HA / Right: Eee PC 1008hA

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook is designed to look a lot like the stylish new Eee PC 1008HA. But it’s a bit thicker and heavier and features a user replaceable battery. It’s still a pretty slick looking netbook, but it’s not ground-breakingly thin or light. Netbook News.de has posted some hands-on photos of the Eee PC 1005HA, including a few showing the netbook next to the Samsung NC10.

What’s interesting is that while the 1005HA comes to an almost razor-sharp edge at the front, it’s pretty chunky in the back near the battery. In fact, it looks like it’s as thick, if not thicker than the Samsung NC10. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since both of these netbooks are substantially thinner and lighter than most full sized laptops.

But if you don’t care about having a user replaceable battery or a full sized VGA port (you need to use a special VGA adapter with the 1008HA), the Eee PC 1008HA is smaller, yet still features the same large screen and keyboard as the 1005HA.

You can check out the rest of the hands-on photos at Netbook News.de. Sascha tells me he’ll also have a video online within the next hour.

Update: Johannes from NewGadgets.de is attending a launch event in Germany, and he’s posted a series of photos comparing the Eee PC 1005HA with the Eee PC 1008HA. You can also find a hands-on video from Sascha at NetbookNews.de after the break.

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