In a previous post, I mentioned that I was in the market for a netbook and was looking at what Samsung has to offer. I read through several reviews that are almost unanimous in their praise of Samsung netbook’s superior build quality, spacious keyboards, sharp screens, and long battery life. Although all of these comes at a price as Samsungs are more expensive than other brands. In fact, the first Samsung netbook, the NC10, offered an almost full-size keyboard, and long battery life, but debut at almost $500 in most markets.
Samsung Go
Currently, Samsung have more than half a dozen models in its netbook lineup with almost identical designs and specifications. That makes choosing which model to get much more harder, since there is not much difference between them. I had to look closely at several models and compare their specs and what other features a particular model offer, or what makes it unique from the others before arriving at my choice. Furthermore, what makes it more harder is the fact that these models are not sold at brick and mortar stores so I was just looking at pictures or videos online, rather than handling them physically. So pouring over unboxing videos, hands on reviews and user reviews that I can get my hands on, I narrowed my choice among the following models: N110, N120, N130, N140, and the Samsung Go (N310).
Each one of these models have something to offer, but I decided to go with the Samsung Go because of the following reasons: its unique design, chiclet-style keyboard, and long battery life.
Unique Design
Go - rounded edges resembling a pebble
In terms of design, the Samsung Go is the clear winner as it has the most un-netbook like design among any of the models and even compared to other netbook manufacturers. It was designed by famous Japanese artist, Naoto Fukasawa to resemble a pebble in terms of texture and look. The case has a rubberized feel to it and all matte from the inside out. Even the keyboard follows the same design philosophy used on the chassis with its chiclet-style keys with rounded edges.
On the other hand, the other models all look similar to the N10, with a few modifications. The N110′s design which I also like, differentiates itself by sporting a red trim at the side of the chassis. It gives it more character and looks classy compared to the faux-chrome that the other models have. Both the N120 and the N140 have the chrome on their side, which I am not really a fan of. The N130 does not have chrome and follows the Samsung Go’s overall rounded look, but does not really stand out and Samsung’s choice to go with a two-tome color combination does not really work for me.
Chiclet-style Keyboard
Go - chiclet-style keys
The keyboard was another factor that made me choose the Samsung Go. It’s design is similar to what Apple have in their line of iMacs and Macbooks and some of the Sony VAIO models. The Samsung Go also laid out the keyboard edge to edge to provide the user with a 93% of full size layout. I am using it right now to write this post and I am already getting used to the spacing between keys. Actually, with regards to keyboards it all boils down to personal preference, as the other models also have spacious keyboards, with the most spacious among them being the N120, reported to have a 97% full size keyboard.
Long Battery Life
But what really sold me with the Samsung Go is its battery life. When the Samsung Go came out in other markets as the N310, it only had a 4 cell battery with a reported 4 to 5 hour battery life in between charge. However, Samsung decided to pair a 6-cell 8850 mAh high capacity battery to the US version which it placed at a generous 9 hour battery life in between charge. That is impressive and only a few other models of other brands have anything close to that kind of battery life. It is also worth noting that Samsung was able to fit a 6 cell battery on the Go and maintain its look. There are no ugly protrusions at its back, instead it extends slightly in the bottom which improves the incline of the keyboard.
Go - profile with 6-cell battery
Although not as big as a consideration as long battery life and design, the price of the Samsung Go was also another factor that convinced me to go with the Go. The Samsung Go debuted at a price of almost $500 and was actually what made it less appealing to those that reviewed the machine when it first came out. But with the release of Windows 7 netbooks in the last week of October, like the N140, the price of the Go went down gradually to settle at a very affordable $350. That is still pricey compared to other models of other brands, especially when you can buy a netbook of similar specs for as low as $250 sometimes, but I still feel that it is still worth the price difference for the kind of battery life and the unique design that you get with the Go.
Anyway, I am still in the process of configuring the Go for my use and subjecting it to a shakedown cruise to check that everything is working optimally. So far I am impressed with this little computer and glad that I choose it. I have already used it loading applications and uninstalling bloatware, unplugged, and still had almost 45% after about 4 hours of use, with constant restarts. I will be posting a review of its features and performance in a few days. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of the Go.
Go - rubberized texture