Ditch the Black

In 2007, Asus set new standards when it unveiled the Eee PC netbook series to the market. The netbook is compact, light, and is loaded with the necessary computing features. It set the benchmark for the other brands, which were hoping to create a winning combination for their own netbooks.

Throughout the years, the netbook market has evolved, creating further niches. As consumers' needs change, the manufacturers are only too eager to keep up with them. Netbooks are now able to operate for longer hours and they're capable of doing a multitude of tasks simultaneously. In fact, there are now netbooks that are intended for the higher end consumer.

It is obvious that a lot of thought was placed on the design and the build for the N120. While other netbooks mostly have straight edges, the Samsung N120 is all about the curves. Samsung has tastefully placed chrome on the netbook's sides as well.

Because the keyboard is near to full size, it is comfortable to use. Its touch pad is remarkably responsive. The manufacturer claims that it can be used non-stop for 10.5 hours. Our tests show that it could only manage 7 hours -- which is no reason to complain about.

With regards to the 10.1-inch screen, we found that it is bright enough and is quite sharp. However, it doesn't provide for good viewing at all angles. Due to the small screen size, some difficulty is experienced when viewing some programs but of course, the potential buyer should already know that.

The N120 comes with three speakers that makes viewing movies or listening to music a pleasure due to its surround-sound effect. In addition, it comes with a card reader, 3 USB ports, Ethernet, 802.11b.g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.    

SPECS - AVAILABLE OPTIONS (from Samsung's website)

CPU - Intel Atom' Processor N270 (1.6GHz)

RAM - 1 GB

Screen Size - 10.1 inch

Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Home (SP3)

Battery Life - Up to 10.5 hours

Graphics - Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950

We appreciate the lightness, the keyboard size, and the battery life of this netbook, which is encased in a pretty nifty design. We especially like how responsive the touchpad is. It has an excellent build quality and start-up time is quick. The only thing we don't like so much about it is its price. We still think that it's priced too high for the features it offers.

The Samsung N120 looks terrific and performs well. Its portability is enhanced due to its durability, low weight and battery life. Everyday tasks such as browsing and playing music or videos can be accomplished without glitches. However, if you're hoping to do anything more complex than that, it's better to opt for a different model.