IT Pro Verdict
The decent screen and keyboard mean that Samsung’s latest netbook gets off to a good start, but the experience soon sours thanks to average build quality and a disappointing specification.
Asus may have kick-started the netbook revolution with its Eee PC, but Samsung has emerged as one of the dominant players in the market thanks to a broad range of devices that offer style, comfort and superb build quality. The N150 netbook, then, has a lot to live up to.
The keyboard marks a departure from the usual Samsung offering instead of shiny, flat keys, the N150's buttons have rounded edges and a matte finish but the quality is still high. The keys feel responsive and welcoming and, even though there's not quite as much travel as we'd like, we'd be comfortable using the N150 for long typing sessions.
We were able to get up to speed quickly, too, in part due to the sensible layout: the double-height return key and normal-sized space bar, shift and control buttons are also in their usual locations, and the standard keys are also of a good size. Our only qualm is the delete key, which is smaller than we'd like.
The track pad is good, too. The surface is slick and responsive and the button a rocker instead of two independent keys is light and pleasant to use.
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.
