The Asus U30JC is, if anything, energy-friendly: as long as all energy-saving options are checked off,IBM 02K7021 consumption at the outlet is only 8.2 Watts when not charging the battery (idle, lowest luminance, Quiet Office mode, wireless off). This figure represents what most 10-inch notebooks require at idle (wireless on) and is very much below the average for a 430M-system at idle. However, our songs of praise fall silent on the Nvidia Optimus system when comparing this figure to two other Acer Timeline X models. The Aspire 5820TG-434G32MN and the 4820TG-434G64Mn (430M, ATI HD5650) only require 7 and 7.5 Watts respectively. Interesting point here is that Optimus is not present in these models and the HD5650 is a suitable graphics solution for gaming.IBM 02K7022

Let us not split hairs: with between 15 and 30 Watt consumption during operation the 13.3-inch notebook is thrifty, proven by the numbers we recorded. When the Nvidia-GPU is active in a 3DMarks06 test, the wattage climbs to 50 Watts. We measured the maximum electrical use when stressing the system with Prime95 and Furmark at 76.5 Watts, which makes the 90 Watt AC adapter appropriately sized despite seeming over-sized at first glance.IBM 02K7024

Asus nearly kept its promise: IBM FRU 02K6793 with battery life ranging from four to seven hours (DVD, WLAN) the term All-Day-Computing is just out of reach. For a well-performing system such as this with an Intel Core i5-430M and a dedicated graphics card this is a feat. Even the slightly older Timeline X Models from Acer (430M) cannot stick to the battery life that Asus projected. We cannot heap too much praise on the Nvidia Optimus system, as the technology was only tested with simple applications that did not stress the GPU to a great extent. When a little horsepower is needed, for example in games, notebooks with ATI HD5650 graphics take the cake. (Aspire 4820TG-434G64Mn).IBM 02K7052

On the plus-side the U30JC has a stable case/decklid, pleasant surfaces and a bright display.IBM 02K7053 The palm rest remains cool at all times and the cooling fan stays quiet. Weak areas are first found when typing; the keyboard has poor feedback and its surface has plenty of give lending a spongy typing experience. The glare-TFT only has a small viewing-angle and the contrast is low. If you wish to connect peripherals, you will only find USB, VGA and HDMI. Room for more ports on the 13.3-inch notebook just wasn't in the cards.IBM 02K7054

Acer Aspire Timeline X 4820TG: thinner structure (14-inch), more 3D-power, shorter battery life. Lenovo ThinkPad L412: better input devices, matte display, lower battery life; Sony Vaio VPC-S11: Core i3 with weaker runtime and the same GPU; Acer Aspire Timeline X 3820TG: lighter, thinner and with the same 3D performance. Almost identically good battery life.IBM 02K7055

Sofa Surfer. Check mail on the run or take a look at your course plan while on the train. Mobile Internet use deamands a handy device with integrated UTMS. Can the N150 ascend the throne of mobility? Find out why this doesn't quite work out. IBM 02K7056

Samsung N150 Eom black (NP-N150-HAY1DE) with UMTS/HSPA modemWhen we reviewed the Samsung N220 netbook at the end of January 2010,IBM 02K7058 we expressed our desire in the verdict for "a native HD-Ready resolution and an integrated 3G-module". That, as we said then, would make for the perfect mobile companion. The N150 is now in stores and at 260 Euro costs almost exactly as much as the N220 back in January. The call for an integrated 3G-modem was answered by the maker. The HD-ready resolution was ignored, but the Mini can interpolate a higher resolution. IBM 02K7059

Samsung sells its N150 Endi/Eom for around 100 Euro more than the low-priced of the mini-notebooks. Is the price of 360 Euro justified? The 10 incher obviously differs itself from the competition only in the fact that it has an UMTS module. And UMTS is easily retrofitted with a low-priced USB hardlock. We reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the netbook and offer our recommendation of whether to buy or not buy in the verdict. IBM 02K7060

Securely anchored batteryOne doesn't notice that the N150 is a premium netbook just by looking at it. Where the chassis was once lined with chrome strips (see Samsung N220) we now see a matt Bordeaux-red. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but the machine does loose a typical element of style. IBM 02K7061

The working area sparkles with a metallic effect. The surfaces have a dull feel and don't pick up any fingerprints. The high-gloss lid on the other hand picks up plenty of them. There is no longer a three-dimensional effect like on the sister model N220. But the plastic finish sparkles with tiny glittering particles. It's a nice looking finish which proud N150 users are sure to happily polish daily. IBM 42T4600

The manufacturer calls its case a stable Dura-Case. The construction is nothing special, however. Despite its similarity to the N220,IBM FRU 02K6928 we still get the impression that it is a rather bendy chassis. We could lightly flex the base when gripping it with two hands. The lid is unusually stiff. Its shiny surface can only be dented with significant force. The underside is not so perfect. The cross-hatched surface of the main memory flap and the air duct next to it can be pushed in quite noticeably. The battery snaps in overlapping the chassis and therefore sits so securely on the case that it acts much like a single unit. IBM FRU 02K7057

The hinges move lightly and are securely anchored. We need both hands for opening as the initial resistance is very strong. But then the lid can be easily opened with a single hand. We really like the mechanical characteristic of the hinge. It assures that the lid doesn't move an inch on its own. Even if we hold the 10 incher upside down and shake it, the lid doesn't open a bit. IBM 08B8178

SimCard-SlotThe notebook is quite spartan when it comes to connection possibilities. The network cable can be plugged in on the left side near the power supply. A USB slot and ports for headphones and a microphone are found on the same side at the front. The USB ports have a charging function which is activated via the "ChargeableUSB" tool. Here we can for instance load a Smartphone from our PC while turned off. The right side of the case houses a VGA connection and two USB ports. A CardReader is found on the lower front. IBM 08K8178

Right: WLAN-switch, 2xUSB, VGA, KensingtonAnyone buying the N150 must be explicitly looking for the integrated 3G modem. This is justification for the almost 100 Euro premium over other netbooks. The Samsung HSPA DataCard Modem Device makes contact with the SimCard of the service provider and connects with an available broadband network. That could be HSPA in the best case, UMTS in the most convenient and EDGE in the worst case. IBM 08K8179

The modem does not support the newest transfer standard, HSDPA. The SimCard is set under the battery. With the pre-installed Samsung Connection Manager, our D1-Sim was ready right away with the Internet connection available. There was no crashing of the software after a standby. The connection is all that needs to be manually restarted. IBM 08K8181On the first Samsung netbook, the NC10, the keyboard was one of the highlights. The manufacturer holds true to the credo here. The typing feedback is outstanding although some keys are too small.

The keys have a large hub, a very clear pressure point and a solid stroke.IBM 08K8182 The keyboard area only gives a bit in the area of right Shift and Enter key. The keys are not spaced far apart which is more the rule than the exception in 10-inchers. The tough typing marks on the F and J are very easy to discern. The only thing that bothers is the tiny size of the cursor keys, picture on/off button and the umlauts for Ü und Ä. But on the flip side, the highly important enter and right shift keys kept a very nice dimension. On such a small surface, there are bound to be some compromises. IBM 08K8183