Samsung N110

The Samsung NC10 rose to the top of our favorite-netbooks list when it first hit the market in October 2008, and despite some strong new competition, Samsung remains atop the heap with its new N110. Though this netbook's internal organs are the same as its predecessor, including a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP Home, and a 160GB hard drive, Samsung has extended the touchpad and increased the six-cell battery’s capacity to give this $469 netbook a lengthy 7 hours of runtime. Add in a top-notch keyboard, and you have the netbook to beat.

Updated Design

When we reviewed the original Samsung NC10, we didn’t find it to be the flashiest netbook. While the N110 didn’t get a drastic remodeling, the matte lid has been replaced with a black glossy coating, and though it looks sleeker, it’s a magnet for fingerprints. The system also takes on a softer look with rounded edges around the palm rests. The burgundy trim along the bottom edge of the chassis takes styling cues from other Samsung notebooks, like the R610, and offers a professional look.

The N110 is the same weight and size as its forebear. Measuring 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches and weighing 2.8 pounds (even with the higher-capacity six-cell battery), the N110 is slightly wider and thicker than HP Mini 2140, but thinner and lighter than the 3.2-pound ASUS Eee PC 1000HE. When we popped the N110 (in its included felt case) and its AC adapter in a bag, the travel weight of 3.4 pounds didn't put any strain on our shoulder.

Large, Spacious Keyboard

Thankfully, Samsung left the keyboard on the N110 untouched. The 93 percent of full-size layout is comfortable, and the raised keys provided nice tactile feedback. The feel of the keys and the size of the keyboard isn’t all the N110 has got going for it: The right Shift key is full size and directly below the Enter key, right where it should be. While we continue to prefer the feel of the coated and durable keys on the HP Mini 2140, the Samsung N110’s comfortable keyboard will satisfy even the fastest of touch typists.

Expanded Touchpad, Ports

At 2.3 x 1.1 inches, the touchpad on the Samsung NC10 was disappointingly small and vertically very narrow. Samsung has incrementally expanded the trackpad on the N110 to 2.5 x 1.3 inches, which is now comparable to those on other netbooks, including the Acer Aspire One AOD150 and the MSI Wind U120, but it's not quite as large as that on the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE.

Also improved is the mouse button, which is slightly more raised than on the original, though it still remains a single rocker bar, and lacks a divot to separate the left and right sides. We would prefer two dedicated buttons, but this arrangement is still better than the narrow single button on the latest Aspire One and the vertically oriented touchpad buttons on the HP Mini 2140. The dedicated scrolling bar on the N110's touchpad was useful for moving through long Web pages.

The N110 houses the same netbook ports and slots as the NC10, including 3 USB ports, a 3-in-1 memory card reader, mic and headphone jacks, a VGA port, and an Ethernet jack. Unlike the HP Mini 2140, the N110 lacks an ExpressCard slot for adding a mobile broadband modem card, but you can always use a USB modem.