Samsung N140 – a worthy successor to NC10 and N110

The Samsung N140 comes with more than you generally expect from a netbook

On the outside Samsung N140 looks like the Samsung Go. It has the 10.1-inch 1024x600 pixel display panel, powered by an Intel Atom N280 processor, accompanied by the Intel GMA950 + ICH7M chipset, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard disk drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Three USB ports, 0.3MP webcam, VGA out port, Card reader (SD/SDHC/MMC), Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 1.2-inches, and weighs 2.8 pounds. It also comes pre-loaded with the Windows 7 Starter edition.

Folks at Laptopmag got their hands on a sample for reviewing, and they are impressed to say the least. They have gone as far as to say this is one of their favourite Win 7 netbook. Well let’s see.

First thing you’ll notice is the glossy exterior, which will attract fingerprints easily. Thankfully the interior is mostly of matte finish, including the trackpad. The built quality is solid and looks classy. The keyboard is more comfortable than most of the other netbooks at 93% of a full-size one –as reported by the reviewer. They didnot find any overheating issue also.

The display is sharp and has a wide viewing angle. Audio is decent as well, better than the previous models like NC10 N110 or N130. Samsung threw in enough USB ports, Ethernet, VGA, memory card reader, but no HDMI output. The camera is the usual 0.3MP Webcam.

The N140 is powered by an Intel Atom N280 processor, touch faster at 1.66GHz than the N130 which has the N270 that has a clocking speed of 1.6Gz. Believe me, it won’t make any significant difference, but a normal upgradation to N280 in a N270 netbook costs around $25. Laptopmag found it quite responsive in terms of multitasking though.

In terms of performance, it stays ahead of most of the similar category machines. Only the WiFi disappoints a bit. The 6-cell battery gave six and half hour of life in the Laptopmag test, which is pretty impressive, but about an hour behind the old N110.

The N140 comes with quite a few bloatware, which at times can be real annoying – as found out by Laptopmag. You can uninstall them of course and just keep the ones you like. There are a few likeable tools though, like the resolution management to change resolution of the display panel, screen rotating facility, battery extender etc.

Overall it is a pretty desirable gadget for all its comfort and style. Laptopmag places it right at the top with the likes of Toshiba NB205 and Samsung NC 10.