Samsung N130 Netbook running slowly

Tashap

Wonder if anyone can help...just bought the above for DH's Birthday, it's fab but I find it runs slowly using the pre-installed IE 8. It's an XP machine and I have just downloaded Firefox 3.6 (I love it!) which seems to be a bit quicker. Has anyone had the same problem with this machine? Do you have any tips? Should I uninstall IE 8 to quicken it up? If so, how? ( I can't see the normal removal option in "add/remove" programs.

Thanks for any tips!
Tash

fwor

Firstly, it's not easy to uninstall IE, because Microsoft wrote the code in such a way as to make that difficult to do. However, if you use Firefox, just leave IE where it is.

When you say it "runs slowly" do you mean that things like IE's or Firefox's menus are slow to open? Or do you mean that web pages take a long time to load? If the latter, the problem is far more likely to be the quality of your connection to the internet than anything on the machine itself.

How does it connect - wirelessly?

Tashap

fwor wrote: »

Firstly, it's not easy to uninstall IE, because Microsoft wrote the code in such a way as to make that difficult to do. However, if you use Firefox, just leave IE where it is.

When you say it "runs slowly" do you mean that things like IE's or Firefox's menus are slow to open? Or do you mean that web pages take a long time to load? If the latter, the problem is far more likely to be the quality of your connection to the internet than anything on the machine itself.

How does it connect - wirelessly?

I thought as much, thanks for confirming the IE question.

It starts up quickly etc, but using the web is slow (maybe marginally quicker with Firefox). Strangely enough I was using it last night next to my laptop, both wireless using the same connection. My 3 yr old dell is sooo much quicker.....bizarre?

23n1th

Try opera or qtweb browsers both are quick browsers. Having said that its a netbook there are compromises with them, especially XP.

usignuolo

i have XP with IE8 and find it very slow (I am not on a wifi connection). I find google chrome much faster.

sillygoose

I have a Samsung N130 and browsing the web is really quick on it! I am running extra antivirus (Avira) and a firewall (Comodo) on it too and usually have multiple browser windows open.

not sure how to advise on your setup. I did remove a huge load of stuff off it, the supplied antivirus looked naff and that could slow it up.

First of all I would try running some broadband speed tests to see if you have the actual connection in place to browse quickly.

Something like this:
http://www.speedtest.net/
press 'Begin Test' at top of world map image. I have cable broadband and got download speed 9.4Mb/s and ping time of 18ms. Anything over 2Mb/s should give a decent browsing experience on typical websites.

Tashap

sillygoose wrote: »

I have a Samsung N130 and browsing the web is really quick on it! I am running extra antivirus (Avira) and a firewall (Comodo) on it too and usually have multiple browser windows open.

not sure how to advise on your setup. I did remove a huge load of stuff off it, the supplied antivirus looked naff and that could slow it up.

First of all I would try running some broadband speed tests to see if you have the actual connection in place to browse quickly.

Something like this:
http://www.speedtest.net/
press 'Begin Test' at top of world map image. I have cable broadband and got download speed 9.4Mb/s and ping time of 18ms. Anything over 2Mb/s should give a decent browsing experience on typical websites.

That's really interesting, is it XP too? Can you tell me what you took off?? I will run a broadband speed test too to see what that shows, kinda think it should be OK as my Dell Laptop seems very quick (even though it is jam packed full of rubbish:o)

sillygoose

Tashap wrote: »

That's really interesting, is it XP too? Can you tell me what you took off?? I will run a broadband speed test too to see what that shows, kinda think it should be OK as my Dell Laptop seems very quick (even though it is jam packed full of rubbish:o)

yes XP

I was thinking maybe if there was a fault or some problem with the wifi settings. Presume the wifi is showing a good signal on the Samsung?

I removed all kind of demo games, the microsoft office trail, can't remember what it was but the free antivirus on it, erm, Microsoft works, and so on until it was pretty much a clean XP system. Then installed free software - openoffice, Avira, comodo. A few other useful bits and peices and done.

It boots in under a minute, goes straight online and is quicker than my Fujitsu work laptop by miles on the web.

Tashap

sillygoose wrote: »

yes XP

I was thinking maybe if there was a fault or some problem with the wifi settings. Presume the wifi is showing a good signal on the Samsung?

I removed all kind of demo games, the microsoft office trail, can't remember what it was but the free antivirus on it, erm, Microsoft works, and so on until it was pretty much a clean XP system. Then installed free software - openoffice, Avira, comodo. A few other useful bits and peices and done.

It boots in under a minute, goes straight online and is quicker than my Fujitsu work laptop by miles on the web.

This boots very quickly too, which is a bonus. Just did the test 7.13 mps and ping time 37ms...seems that's not the problem then?? I will take a little look later and remove some of the games, and the free anti virus and re-install something from MSE's website. Maybe that will help. Thanks again for your help this far, it's good to know that it can run fast!