Editor’s Note: Portions of this review were taken from our earlier review of the Samsung N310, which has been updated for the U.S. as the Samsung Go.
For the past several months, Samsung has been one of the leaders when it comes to netbooks, creating solidly built systems that boast excellent endurance. With its new Go (a rebranded N310 with an extended battery), the company is trying to establish itself as the leader when it comes to style, too; it’s one of the most unique and chic 10-inch netbooks on the market, and its island keyboard is a pleasure to type on. Though the Go outshines much of the competition with nearly 8.5 hours of battery life, at $449 (through online retailers) users will have to be willing to pay a premium for a netbook that performs no better than the rest.
Pebble Design
The Go’s fashion forward design is a departure from the more professional looking N110 and NC10. Designed by Japanese artist Naoto Fukasawa, the rounded and smooth edges of the Go are modeled after a pebble. The bright orange lid (also available in black, navy blue, and light blue) is covered in a slightly grainy, rubberized surface that is more durable than the typical hard plastic shell. These touches definitely make the Go stand out from its closest competitors. In case its stylings are too subtle, Samsung’s logo is prominently featured in raised lettering that extends across the cover; it’s a bit too in-your-face for our liking.
Measuring 10.3 x 7.3 inches, the Go has a slightly smaller footprint than the Asus Eee PC 1005HA (11.2 x 7.8 inches). Tapering from 1.5 to 1.1 inches (owing to its battery), the Go is similar in thickness to the Toshiba mini NB205. However, the Go’s 6-cell battery juts out only slightly from the bottom of the system, as opposed to that on Toshiba’s netbook, which extends more obtrusively out the back. Weighing 3 pounds by itself, the Go (in its included felt case) and its A/C adapter came in at 3.8 pounds, and didn’t put much strain on our shoulder as we walked around New York City.
Ports
The Go houses the same netbook ports as the N110. On the right edge are two USB ports and a VGA port, and the left side houses one more USB port, mic and headphone jacks, and an Ethernet jack protected by a small plastic cap. The front of the system holds a 3-in-1 card reader; you won’t find any ports or slots on the back.
Dell Laptops Starting at $449
