Samsung has announced its has updated its netbooks with Intel's new N450 Atom processor and will be shipping them to buyers this month.

The new line-up comprises the N210, N220, N150 and NB30, each offering up to 12, 12, 8.5 and 11 hours' runtime time on a single charge of their batteries, the manufacturer claimed, thanks to an LED backlight and "Samsung's proprietary Enhanced Battery Life solution".

Samsung's N210: long battery life

The company didn't say how much effect Intel's new chippery had, ahem...

All the netbooks have a 10.1in, 1024 x 768 display, plus all the usual netbook features: webcam, Wi-Fi, memory card slot and so forth.

What really separates them all is looks, with the exception of the "ultra-durable" NB30, which has a hard drive with a drop sensor, a feature Samsung claimed was "innovative", even though it's been on notebooks for years.

The NB30 also has a "mark and scratch-resistant" casing and "a water-tight seal around the system to prevent potential damage from contact with up to 50cc of spilled water". Sounds good, but Samsung admitted you only have ten seconds to mop up the spill.

Windows 7 and Linux on board

In addition to Windows 7, the N210 and N220 have a Phoenix HyperSpace Linux-based quick-boot browsing UI.

There's no word yet on pricing. ®