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dave_salmon.
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February 4, 2009 at 3:12 am #160979
dave_salmon
MemberI’ve been looking through old threads and have found some helpful information but not in as much detail as i’d like. It could be there but i probably just “can’t see for looking”. So here goes:
Me and the missus are thinking of buying the Samsung NC10 from play.com. She wants it for uni and surfing i want it to mess with, surf and some other stuff. Here are my questions:
HDD:
# Is there a maximum size or would you recommend not exceeding a certain sized HD?
# Which HD would you guys recommend (i was thinking in the region of 200gb-320gb)Ram:
# What would you recommend?wireless:
I’ve heard that the stock wireless card has some short comings and is notoriously temperamental with netgear routers:
# How easy is it to purchase an alternative and replace the wireless card?
# Does this require soldering or it is a “Slide out – slide in” job like the the HD?OS:
I’ve seen that it’s possible to load XP-Pro but there are a few things i’d like to clear up:
# How easy and what is the process of re-installing XP-pro from an external USB optical drive? (is it as simple as plugging the drive in and booting to XP-Pro setup?)
# I’ve read that all partitions must be deleted before reinstalling and was wondering why i would require a specialized program to delete the samsung partition and not just delete it when i’m re-installing?
# Why would i need to slipstream XP with the services packs? couldn’t i just install xp and then the service packs in succession or does this have something to do with installing a stripped down XP?
# Is there a disc-bootable version of the cut-down XP-pro?Software:
I was wondering if there was a problem with using any of the following software with the NC10 and if there are any alternatives to the software if for instance the software i intend to use is too system heavy (28mb ram for NOD32 for example):
# Windows washer
# Nod32 antivirusSorry if i seem arrogant or anything, i’m just trying to be clear and to the point so as not to confuse what i’m asking. Any and all help would be much appreciated. Oh and HI to everyone, i’m looking forward to becoming a part of the community!
February 4, 2009 at 6:15 am #182423fcat
Memberi cant answer everything but :
I instaled the Western Digital 320 Hard drive, only because they didnt have the 500 in stock, i think your oinly governed by the size thats avaioable! 320 works flawlessly.
Id put 2GB of RAM in straight away, its a no brainer at the price it is.
No idea about the WIFI thing as ive not had a problem but why not get a USB wifi dongle ?
I installed XP pro, used a enxternal USB CD drive, just select boot from CD drive in the bios and its like any other instalation.
No ide bout the service pack install, my XP Pro has service pack 2 on it and when oaded up i just installed the windows updates which installed SP3.
February 4, 2009 at 7:24 am #182422emeowww
MemberHardware upgrades depend on what you’re using the netbook for. There is no point upgrading it purely for games/intensive video/audio editing, as netbooks are not designed for those purposes.
– 120GB should be more than enough for netbook purposes, but if you’re planning to put in movies/lots of music, an upgrade as fcat suggests should do the trick
– RAM – 1GB should be enough – I had XP working on 1GB with no pagefile without problems. 2GB doesn’t make much difference to overall useability in XP, but more beneficial for Vista or Windows 7 Beta which are more memory intensive. On the flip side, RAM is cheap nowadays, so in the end there’s no right/wrong choice either way.
– Installing XP – Personally I don’t see any good benefit from installing XP Pro – Home already has SP3, and with tweaking, will run just as fast (my NC10 boots faster than my 2.6GHz Duo Core desktop!) – search for Freddy’s Guide on tweaks and also my posts.
There are ‘cut down’ versions of XP Pro on the net, but alot are illegal (modified kernel codes etc). If you want a smaller install, use NLite (should also work with supplied Samsung restore disc – basically a copy of XP Home SP3). However, given NC10’s HDD capacity, I suggest tweaking, rather than trimming install size (thus limiting installed options) is the better way to go.
– I’m sure there are plenty of software alternatives – search the Application forum here. People have used NOD, Kaepersky, AVG etc with no problem. I strongly recommend CCleaner as a ‘cleaner’ tool.
February 4, 2009 at 8:29 am #182417Alfihar
ParticipantHDD: From a hardware compatibility point of view as long as you get a SATA drive which is physically the right size you can buy whatever capacity drive you think you need. The largest capacity drive you can buy to fit internally at the moment is 500GB.
RAM: 1GB should be enough for most people, however it is a cheap and easy upgrade to perform. I went with RAM from Crucial however you can get it cheaper elsewhere.
Wireless: If you haven’t already take a look at the Intel 5300 draft n thread, I had no problems purchasing a replacement card and aerial. Installation is quite easy and does not involve any soldering, the card slides in/out.
OS: You can use an external optical drive to install any OS just like you would normally with an internal drive. You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS.
February 4, 2009 at 3:25 pm #182424dave_salmon
MemberI love you guys already! you’ve just convinced me and the missus to get an NC10! thanks very much for all the help, i was a little worried about the wifi business because i have a netgear router and i’ve seen a bunch of problems with NC10 to netgear routers. Thanks again you guys, really appreciate the fast and very helpful replies!
February 4, 2009 at 3:33 pm #182419s162000
MemberJust to add if you’re thinking of going for a HDD upgrade be aware that it does void your warranty (upgrading ram does not if you do it through the hatch)
February 4, 2009 at 3:38 pm #182418Alfihar
ParticipantOpening the back voids the warranty, so the same goes for switching the WIFI card.
February 4, 2009 at 3:41 pm #182420s162000
Member[quote1233762058=Alfihar]
Opening the back voids the warranty, so the same goes for switching the WIFI card.[/quote1233762058]
Thats what I meant…. if you can get the back open of course… but that’s another story
February 4, 2009 at 5:15 pm #182416jez
Memberyou can always say thanks by buying through the site -> play.com link! Bungs a few pennies this way 😀
February 4, 2009 at 6:50 pm #182425dave_salmon
MemberSo just by click that link and then buying the netbook you guys get something out of it? just checking, i don’t have a problem with that i just want to make sure thats all there is to it….just click and buy?
And yeah i realised that i would void the warranty if i did what i plan to do so i may wait a year and then upgrade. Cheers again!
February 8, 2009 at 1:30 pm #182421g6zru
MemberI’ve been using my Sammy for the last 3 months with a Netgear DG834GT with no problems at all.
Fred
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