SAMSUNG N140 NETBOOK REVIEW

The most remarkable feature of the Samsung N140 is its bright matte display. Most netbooks in the market have glossy displays which can be difficult to read in bright surroundings.

Samsung N140 Specs
The Samsung N140 is available in Blue or Burgundy.
Review laptop specifications
Display: 10.1 inch matte display with 1024 x 600 pixels
Processor: Intel Atom N280 (1.6GHz) processor
Graphics: Intel GMA 950 graphics
Memory: 1 GB
Storage: 250 GB Hard drive (5400 rpm)
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium (Default – Windows 7 Starter)

Build / Feel
The Samsung N140 has an all matte interior which prevents it from collecting finger prints. The keyboard, display, palm rests and the screen bezel all have a matte finish. On the flip side the screen lid is glossy and very good at picking up fingerprints.

There is a silver rim around the edge of the chassis which lends the notebook a classy look. Build quality is reasonably good, and design is very attractive.

Keyboard
The Samsung N140 has a nearly full sized keyboard which occupies all the space on the chassis. The keyboard is very good. In fact, it is better than the keyboard on most 10 inch netbooks in the market. The keyboard is very sturdy and doesn’t show any flex at all.

Touchpad
There is a silver rimming around the touchpad. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures including two-finger scrolling, zooming and pinching. It is the right size for a 10 inch netbook. Sensitivity is good. The touchpad doesn’t have separate left and right buttons. The single bar is easy to press and shows no stiffness at all. But it is a bit noisy when pressed.

Display
The Samsung N140 is one of the few netbooks in the market with a matte display. The display is very bright but it isn’t quite as sharp as glossy displays. Viewing angles are satisfactory. In fact, horizontal viewing angles are very good. While the screen itself is good, the lid does have some limitations. You can’t open the lid beyond 135 degrees. Another downside is the low resolution of the display which has only 1024 x 600 pixels. Samsung, however, has included a resolution application that allows you to raise the resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels.

Ports and Slots
There are 3 USB ports. Other features include LAN 10/100, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 0.3 megapixel webcam, VGA, card reader, headphone and microphone jacks. There is no HDMI. The US model also doesn’t have Bluetooth.

Speakers / Audio
The stereo speakers come with SRS TruSurround XT, SRS WOW XT and SRS CS Headphone technology. Audio quality is very good.

Noise and heat
The Samsung N140 is almost silent. You have to try really hard to hear the fan humming even in a quiet room. Heat levels are within normal limits. The laptop does get a bit warm under heavy loads, but nothing unusual.

Battery Life
Most netbooks now offer all day battery life, but the Samsung N140 disappoints in this department. It has a 6-cell battery rated at 5,200mAh. While Samsung’s product page claims that the battery will offer up to 9.5 hours of uptime, in real usage, you will get only around 5 hours.

Performance
Don’t expect too much out of a netbook. These machines are powered by low power Atom processors. Samsung N140 is no different. It has enough power to handle everyday tasks. You will have no difficulty processing MS Office documents. You can browse the web with multiple tabs open. You can also run multiple applications at the same. But you won’t be able to play 3D games. You can’t watch HD video either.

Pros
Matte display
Really quiet
Good touchpad and keyboard
Good speakers
Affordable

Cons
Average battery life
Glossy screen lid prone to pick up finger prints
Not very upgrade friendly.
No WiFi with Linux