Samsung announced a netbook claimed to offer up to 13.8 hours of battery life. The N230 also offers “Fast Start” technology, Bluetooth 3.0, a 250GB hard disk drive, a 10.1-inch display, and a choice of Intel's 1.66GHz Atom N450 or 1.83GHz N470 processors, the company says.

Samsung's N230 appears to be only a minor update to the N210 and N220 models announced in January. The company did not list operating system support, although the previous models ended up shipping only with Windows 7. Still, we figured the netbook deserved mention for its Bluetooth 3.0 support and exceptional claimed battery life, and as with just about any Atom-powered netbook, Windows can be wiped for a netbook-friendly Linux distribution of one's choice.

What's more, the N230 ships with a "Fast Start" instant-boot OS for quick access to the web and other essential functions, and it is likely the same Linux-based HyperSpace environment used by the previous models (see farther below).

The N230's 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display is mercifully said to be "anti-relective," while there's a 250GB hard disk drive and a choice of processors — either the 1.66GHz Atom N450 or the 1.83GHz N470.

Samsung's N230
(Click to enlarge)

As these specs imply, the N230 (above) still employs the NM10 I/O controller and DDR2 memory, and maximum RAM, though not cited by Samsung, will be 2GB at most. The device incorporates one breakthrough, however, in that battery life is said to be an "amazing" 13.8 hours with an optional 66Wh battery. (With a standard battery, it's seven hours.)

The N230 is also said to include Bluetooth 3.0, which allows devices to discover one another and "shake hands" using a Bluetooth radio, then switch to 802.11 networking for faster file transfers. This makes it the first netbook we've seen to be so equipped.

The company also touts "Samsung Fast Start, which allows users to start working within seconds of pressing the power button, and an innovative sleep mode which ensures that data is saved to the hard drive, as well as memory, so you'll never have to worry about losing files or documents again — even if the netbook shuts down unexpectedly."

No further details were provided, but as noted, the earlier N210 and N220 were equipped with the Linux-based HyperSpace environment (created by BIOS vendor Phoenix but recently sold to HP).

Another view of the N230
(Click to enlarge)

According to Samsung, the N230 includes All-Share, which "makes it easy" to share digital content with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) devices like cameras or mobile phones. The technology allows streaming HD content from the netbook to a TV or sharing videos and photos with a phone, without the hassle of connecting cables, the company claims.

Samsung did not release complete specs, but the company says the N230 weighs less than 2.2 pounds (1kg) and is just 0.9 inches (23.2mm) thick. The device features an "ergonomic island keyboard," 802.11b/g/n wireless networking, and optional 3G broadband, the manufacturer adds.

Availability

According to Samsung, the N230 will be available globally starting today. Pricing was not released, but will be around $410 in the U.S., according to third-party reports.

This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.