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Samsung N150 Netbook Review – 5.5/7

Samsung released an impressive range of first generation netbooks, and with the advent of Intel’s Atom N450 it was only natural that a second generation was in the offing. The N150 is available in six different colors and choices of glossy or matte finishes. It looks quite sleek, with an unobtrusive slimness in design. One minor point to gripe about is the quality of plastics used in the chassis. They’re OK but a definite letdown from the N140′s luxurious look.

Spec-wise, the N150 is your basic netbook and doesn’t really have any feature that makes it stand out. We expect fantastic keyboards from Samsung and this one isn’t a total disappointment, although the traction that you get while typing lacks edge. The touchpad is large and fun to use, with excellent responsiveness and multi-touch support. The Samsung N150′s battery life is a decent 8 hours.

Samsung N150 Netbook Review – Top Features

• Design and Chassis – The N150 looks great with its slim body and we especially like the matte version. There a host of color options to choose from as well. The battery sticking out is its one minor flaw.
• Multi-touch Trackpad – The trackpad is large and very responsive. The multi-touch support means you can use your fingers for zooming, scrolling and rotating your way through commands.
• Access to RAM and battery – A nice feature is that the underside of the netbook feature clamps that easily allow you access to make changes.

Samsung N150 Netbook Review – Drawbacks and things to keep in mind

• Painful first installation – The first install of this netbook takes ages because the software insists on partitioning the drive.
• Trial softwares – After that first install, the N150 loads up a bunch of crapware  from Samsung like the easy desktop manager, the battery manager, an update manager, a resolution manager,yada yada yada. Just hit delete.

Samsung N150 Netbook Review – Ratings

1. Price and Value for money – 0.75 Star. The N150 is priced at the lower end of the netbook spectrum considering the Windows 7 OS, processor and battery life.
2. Speed and Performance – 0.75 Star. The performance is pretty much average when compared to netbooks in its class.
3. Screen – 1.0 Star. The N150 features a screen that shows colors contrasts richly, and is matte for improved outdoor viewing.
4. Keyboard, Touchpad, Useability – 0.75 Star. It’s a mixed bag with the keyboard as we mentioned being slightly cramped, but the touchpad is fun and easy to use.
5. Portability and Battery Life – 0.75 Star. This netbook weighs in at an average 2.71lbs and lasts a decent 8 hours long.
6. Looks and Design – 0.75 Star. The N150 is a slim beaut and the only reason it doesn’t receive a full grade is that we expected a better quality of materials.
7. Connectivity and Extensibility – 0.75 Star. Features adequate coverage except for the absence of Bluetooth.

This gives the Samsung N150 an overall rating of 5.5 out of 7 Stars.

Samsung N150 Netbook Review – Our Recommendation

The N150 is a decent offering from Samsung, but it falls short of being anything special. Which is a bit disappointing considering Samsung’s previous netbooks. The N150 performs just like any other netbook and doesn’t feature any glaring flaws. It boils down to personal opinion with this one. If you have a preference for the brand, if you like the way it looks, if you like the colors, if you give it a whirl at a display outlet and like it – then go for it. It won’t let you down. Just remember to get rid of all those annoying inbuilt softwares.

The Samsung N150 is available on amazon in black, red and matte blue with a black interior for $329. There are 3 new colors in the pipeline with white interiors – Flamingo Pink, Bermuda Blue and Caribbean Yellow for $359. The specifications remain the same.

Samsung N150 Netbook Review – What have buyers on amazon said?

Pros:

1. ” Virtually silent fan.”
2. ” Excellent keyboard. The keys are the right size.”
3. “ The Samsung N150 is probably the best choice of this generation of Atom N450 1024×600 screen netbooks.”

Cons:

1. “ No recovery disk, just a recovery partition.”
2. ” Wireless card had difficulty connecting to 5ghz N networks.”

Samsung N150 Netbook Review – Technical Specifications

• OS: Windows 7 Starter
• CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• Display & Graphics: 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 Non-glare Display, Intel GMA 3150
• RAM: 1GB DDR2
• Storage: 160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
• Connectivity: 3-in-one card reader, 802.11b/g/Draft-N, Ethernet LAN (RJ-45), VGA, 3 x USB 2.0 Ports
• Battery: 6-cell Li-ion Battery ( 8 hours battery life)
• Weight: 2.71 lbs
• Colors: Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, Pink (interiors black/white)
• Price: $329 /$359