Orangeman Burns - Sriram Sridharan's Blog

I've been watching the netbook market closely, what with the new models being introduced like it's CeBIT time. If this is the first time you've heard of the term netbook, let me fill you in on what that is. A netbook is an ultra portable notebook computer which is optimized for web based usage like browsing, emailing and running online apps. They are typically on the lower end of both the performance and price scales. With low specced models, it often surprises me when manufacturers try to cram in Windows Vista on a netbook. I have nothing against Windows Vista, I love it and use it daily on my PC; but a netbook shipping with Vista is akin to a 50cc scooter outfitted with an cast iron frame weighing 5000Lbs. The Samsung N120 netbook however bucks against this trend and offers Windows XP Home. I expect Samsung to upgrade the OS to the Windows 7 Starter edition when the OS is released on October 22nd.

The USP of this laptop is that it comes with a full size keyboard. I personally hate having to press 2-3 key combinations to use a number pad key. It is also coated in Samsung's trademark Silver Nano technology that provides anti bacterial protection. It's a frill yes, but it's nice know that it's there. The display is a 10.1" glossy led backlit screen. The LED backlit screen makes the display thinner compared to the traditionally used CCFL backlighting. The Samsung N120 works off a Intel 945GSE chipset and is coupled with an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor with a 512KB L2 cache. It comes bundled with a 1GB stick of DDR 2 RAM that makes it faster than my last desktop. It has integrated graphics, no biggie here, but it does have a SRS 3D sound effect feature that promises realistic surround sounds when coupled with the 2.1 speaker system that the N120 comes with. That's right. This netbook comes with a subwoofer! The speakers are rated at 1.5W each, which is quite decent for a netbook . There is a 1.3 Mp camera that lets you chat with your family and friends and lets you take snapshots. The primary storage is with a 160GB HDD which is quite a lot compared to what you'll see on the competition. Draft n support is missing on the wireless card though b/g support is present. The N120 also comes with a internal bluetooth module with EDR. If you're like me, you'll know how important is is to have BT on your laptop for transferring files, syncing and tethering your phone, headsets etc. The battery is a 6 Cell deal, which is huge compared to the 3 Cell batteries that the other netbooks ship with. This alone should get you 8-10 hours of mobile computing with the Samsung N120.

The Samsung N120 is a great netbook with a very good battery life and a full keyboard. This alone should get the laptop/Desktop PC owners who are on the fence to the world of netbooks. While you're looking at its product page, you might also want to check out CNET's review here. I'd love to hear from you guys about the Samsung N120 netbook, your experiences with it, other reviews that you read, pros and cons, etc. Do feel free to leave a comment or email me. Cheers!