Samsung NC10 memory upgrade

The NC10 comes with 1GB of RAM and since I'd seen a few people say that Windows 7 benefits from a bit more, I thought I'd try the upgrade to 2GB. Crucial provides a useful tool to make sure you get the right module, which costs about £20.

Opening up the access panel was slightly tricky I found. First there is the question of the screw which holds it in place. I was aware of stories of people shredding the screws on the base of the NC10, which are apparently not of the best quality. Apparently they are pozidrive (as opposed to Philips) and getting the correct screwdriver is important. I found a tip which came as part of an electric screwdriver set which seemed to fit OK. The screwdriver itself was much too large for this sort of job really, but it did have the benefit of being heavy and therefore I didn't need to exert much pressure and the screw came out without any problems.

Next, the door of the access panel is rather flimsy and feels as if it is going to break if you bend it too much. It is held in place with 2 flanges at the end opposite to the screw and 2 more half way along the long sides. Gentle pressure eventually worked.

Removing and replacing the DIMM is pretty straightforward. First earth yourself to prevent any static problems. I removed the battery as recommended in the Crucial guidelines, though I'm not sure if this is really necessary. Gently ease the 2 clips which hold the DIMM away and it pops up and can then be pulled out of its slot. Put the new one in (the same way around) at an angle and then press it down until the clips click back into place. Replace cover, screw and battery.

You can now check your 2GB are recognised by pressing F2 at startup to get to the BIOS, which should now show 2048 MB on the Main tab.

Just how much difference the upgrade makes to Windows 7 I'm still deciding. Some things do seem a bit snappier.

Windows 7 RC on the Samsung NC10

I've now been using this for a while and am really liking it. Look and feel is great and it seems to compliment the NC10 well. My only slight reservations are:

1. It's a bit sluggish at times, with long pauses before anything happens. You don't even get the swirly blue thing to show something is going on.

2. Some font sizes on the small screen are a bit small for someone with aging eyes like mine! This can be changed in Control Panel Display from 100% to 125% (and nothing else) but then things don't fit on the screen properly, so you are really stuck with the default 100%.