Samsung N310 review

The N310 is yet another 10in widescreen netbook from Samsung, but its rounded edges, embossed Samsung logo and slightly rough textured case immediately set it apart from the other netbooks here.

A wide range of differently coloured designs are available overseas, but UK customers can only choose between plain black and a striking light blue.

The other most immediately noticeable difference between the N310 and the other Samsung netbooks here is its smaller, tiled, more widely spaced keys. They look similar to the keys on Asus’s Eee PC 1000HE and Sony’s Vaio, but thankfully feel far more responsive, giving plenty of feedback when pressed. Annoyingly, some keys, such as the ‘@’ and right Shift keys, are a little undersized, making them harder to press when touch-typing. The touchpad is smaller than we’d like but feels accurate, while the pivoting button gives enough feedback when pressed.

A more subtle difference between the N310 and the other two 10in Samsung netbooks here is that its slimmer battery makes it slightly less chunky. Unfortunately, however, battery life is also reduced. It lasted four hours and 40 minutes, which is very respectable in its own right and is enough for an afternoon out of the office. However, this is almost five hours less than the N110. We’d rather put up with a slightly chunkier design for longer battery life, as netbooks are designed to be carried everywhere.

The N310 is otherwise very similar to the N110 and N120. It has the same glossy screen, which is a little darker than we’d like. It also has the same number and types of ports, as well as the same 1.6GHz N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard disk and Intel integrated graphics chip. The N120 has better-sounding speakers than the N310’s tinny and harsh- sounding set, though.

We’re quite taken with the appearance of Samsung’s N310, but unless you’re absolutely smitten with it, the same company’s N120 is a much better deal. It’s not only cheaper, but feels sturdier and has far longer battery life.