Samsung had a huge hit with the Samsung NC10 netbook and subsequent netbooks have tended to be a re-working of that theme rather than a total reinvention. So it is with the Samsung N150, arriving with a 10.1-inch screen, 93 per cent keyboard and killer battery life. However, running the Intel Atom N450 processor seems the only change. Find out how we got on with our Samsung N150 review…
The Samsung N150 is a nice looking machine. The 1.2kg chassis feels nice and solid in the hand and the glossy black lid while a greasy fingerprint magnet looks the part. We even like the addition of a red strip around the sides of the machine, which helps to differentiate itself from previous Samsung netbooks.
Samsung FailSafe software can be used to track and possibly retrieve the netbook if it’s ever lost or stolen, but it’s a 30-day trial so you can either activate it or click ‘no thanks’ to stop the reminders from popping up. Samsung Update Plus can be configured to check and install updates automatically, or you can tell it to never check for updates.
The keyboard isn’t full-sized but is a comfortable size to use. The keys don’t feel as robust as on the Samsung NC10, for example, but the touchpad and mouse buttons are a great improvement, not only being a good size but solid and responsive. With full support for multi-touch, you’ll find you zoom into documents and rotate images with ease.
Sitting above the keyboard is a typically impressive Samsung screen. The LED-backlit panel is one of the brightness we’ve seen on a netbook, and quality also passes muster, with accurate colours and sharp detail. The native resolution of 1,280 x 600 pixels is our only minor complaint, and occasionally sees applications running at 1,024 x 768 disappear below the taskbar.
We put this to the test and found that over seven hours, closer to eight hours if you use a slightly less than bright screen, is great for anyone looking to make the most of their netbook on the move. Connectivity is still pretty much par for the course, with three USB ports, Ethernet and VGA-out ports. Wireless options are handled by Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi.
The N150's keyboard is a real disappointment. Its keys are too small and tightly packed for our liking, so typing without mistakes requires real precision. This is a shame, as rivals, like the machines in the Eee PC Seashell series, have far better keyboards, despite having a smaller chassis.
Thankfully, the N150's trackpad is a joy to use. It has a smooth surface, tracks accurately and is compatible with multi-touch gestures, so you can pinch and stretch your fingers to zoom in and out of photos, or use a three-fingered horizontal swiping motion to navigate back and forth between documents.
The N150's connectivity is pretty standard. Physical connectors include three USB ports, whose whereabouts are denoted by icons along the edge of the keyboard. You also get mic and headphone jacks, an Ethernet port, a VGA video output and a Kensington lock for tethering the machine to a desk. Also present are 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, although integrated 3G is conspicuous by its absence.
Beneath that you get a rather uninspiring keyboard that is tight in its design. While that isn't too much of a problem for the mainstay of the QWERTY keyboard, it does mean areas like the arrow keys and Fn keys are incredibly small requiring nimble hands to operate at any sort of speed.
Below that is a rather large (considering the size of the netbook) trackpad with a button bar directly below it. The trackpad itself is easy to use, sensitive enough to allow fluid motion across the screen and even multi-touch support for scrolling, zooming and rotating your way through commands.
The same however can't be said for the buttons bar, which we had trouble pressing easily. It's a simple problem that could have been fixed by making the bar slightly wider. Meanwhile above the screen is a 0.3 megapixel webcam, while sound is provided by SRS TruSound XT to please the multimedia fan in you.
The N150 has a thin profile that looks good and it balances well on your lap. When you use it for a long period of time on your lap, it won’t get overly warm and become uncomfortable. It has an extraction fan on the left side, and this does well to keep the chassis cool. The build quality feels solid overall and the screen rests on reasonably stiff hinges.
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