Samsung N130 Review

OK, So we finally have our hands on the Samsung N130 netbook.

Competition is ever growing in the 10” netbook market and whilst on the face of it the N130 has nothing new to offer it has been a good seller for Samsung due to a few key features and the usual Samsung build quality.

The N130 Weighs just 1.2kg, and whilst perhaps not the most stylish the smart chassis is slim and tough. The plastics are a matt finish which should protect it from scuffs, scratches and of course endless fingermarks.

Battery life

The sleek design is somewhat let down by the bulky 6-cell battery that protrudes awkwardly from the base of the chassis. It’s not all bad though. A 6 cell battery means approaching 5 hours of battery life and the raised battery does lift the N130 into an acceptable typing position.

As expected from Samsung the keyboard is a delight (for a netbook anyway). The keyboard makes full use of the available chassis and the keys are nicely tapered with a positive return when typing.

The 10.1-inch screen features the usual 16:9 aspect ratio so is great for movies but the resolution is the standard 1024×600 which means lots of scrolling when browsing.

As veteran netbook users we are well used to this but like the smaller keyboard it can take some time to get used to.

The display has a matt finish which significantly reduces reflections which is a big bonus if you use the N130 outside often.

The downside to the matt display is that you don’t get vibrant colours that you would from a glossy screen and therefore the images can seem a little flat but you pays your money and you takes your choice. A glossy screen is great but what use are vibrant colours if you can’t see the screen for reflections?

A standard 1.3 megapixel integrated webcam is fitted above the screen. Somewhat annoyingly the camera is set to the right rather than the middle which makes you either sit with the N130 to one side or you have to lean across. Why it couldn’t go in the middle we have no idea.

The N130 ships with the ubiquitous but well suited Windows XP Home for netbooks so there should be no issues there.

Also included is a Microsoft Office 60 day trial which is enough to get you going.

As we said at the beginning the Samsung N130 wasn’t designed to break any boundaries in the netbook market and once again storage is taken care of with a standard fare 160GB hard drive and a 3-in-1 card reader in place. There are the expected 3 USB ports to connect your gadgets and gizmos, while 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi keeps you connected at the best possible speeds.

In 2009 the netbook market seems to have got considerably more pricey as well as a lot more crowded.

The N130 wants to reverse that trend. Whilst there is nothing amazing about it in any real sense it does exactly what it says on the box and does it well. The 6 cell battery gives a very useable 5 hours in favourable circumstances.

Even at this price point we would have liked to see Bluetooth included but that is really the only glaring omission.

The greatest selling point for the Samsung N130 however is the price. All of this Samsung build quality is yours for well under the £250 mark. In fact as we write the N130 is available from Amazon for only £218!