Samsung N120 review

Once upon a time Samsung's netbook line-up was gloriously simple. With just the NC10 and NC20 to choose from, it was a welcome departure from the never-ending sprawl of Asus' Eee PC range.

Now, however, Samsung has decided to complicate matters. Indeed, looking at the N120's specifications won't help you work out how it differs from the other members of Samsung's N-series.

It shares the same Intel N270 processor, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard disk and 5,900mAh battery as the N110. You have to look at it closely before you see any variation. It's slightly bigger, not quite as pretty and, due to the increased size, a little more creaky than its more compact siblings.

While the N110 is a rather stylish affair, the N120 marks a halfway house between it and the previous NC generation. There's no glossy lid or funky red strips here; instead, the N120 is finished top-to-tail in a plain-looking matte off-white.

It's a little wider and heavier, too, weighing in at 1.29kg and with an extra 13mm added to its waist. But while it might occupy a little more room in a bag, Samsung has made good use of the extra space by shoehorning in the keyboard from the larger NC20 and building in speakers either side of the 10.2in display.

The keyboard is just as brilliant as the NC20's too. We'd like to see the Start key move back to the left side of the Spacebar, but given the overall quality and feel, it isn't a major issue.

The N120 does little wrong. Just short of ten hours of light use battery life is more than ample, and the bright, glossy display is free from any serious problems. It's greatest flaw, though, is that both the NC10 and N110 are better, cheaper all-rounders.

Author: Sasha Muller