Samsung NB30 Hands-On: Durable Netbook with a Touch of Style

We normally don’t choose a picture of the lid as the lead image in a blog post about a new netbook, but the Samsung NB30′s lid immediately tells you the most important thing you need to know about it: it’s designed to be durable. Though the 10.1-inch Atom N450 based NB30 has typical netbook specs: a 1024×600 screen, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive, where it stands out is in its build quality.

Using a rubberized lid and deck, the NB30 is built to survive small drops (Samsung says 30 inches) and small spills (up to 50 cc of liquid) that might destroy another netbook. It also has a drop sensor that disables the hard drive spindle to prevent data loss. We got to go hands-on with a Samsung NB30 at CES yesterday, and every part of it felt durable and solid, from its attractive rubberized lid (available in blue or black) to the rubberized material on the palm rest. Check out the video below to see the NB30 in action.