An ultimately portable computer

The Samsung N310

It is packed with everything needed for browsing Web pages and chatting with online friends while travelling. Its processor is fast enough for the task and it has enough memory and hard-disk space for the jobs.

It measures only 262 x 184.5 x 28mm, and weighs only at 1.23kg.

It is powered by an Intel Atom N280 processor running at 1.66GHz, which uses low power. Samsung says the N310's battery lasts about five hours. The test found it lasted more than three hours in general use, which should be enough for most Internet-based tasks. However, extensive use may shorten the life of the battery, so an AC adapter is provided, and it is not too large to carry.

I found the N310's keyboard was quite large and comfortable for typing, despite the notebook's tiny size. The trackpad is also roomy and easy to use.

The notebook's LED-backlit glossy screen is very bright and easy to read. I had no problems reading Web pages, and if you like video chatting, you will enjoy the built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam.

The N310 also has good performance for general applications. The preinstalled Windows XP booted up with no problem and Microsoft Office applications, especially Word 2003, ran smoothly with no crashing. I actually wrote this review on the N310.

The N310 is not for game players because it uses an on-board VGA adapter, which shares the main memory for video. Anyway, the main 1GB memory and 160GB of hard-drive space should be enough for most general tasks.

The N310's colour and design should please teenagers. A leading Japanese designer, Naoto Fukasawa, designed it to have warm, cute styling with a soft, tactile shape. The flat screen is frameless and scratchproof.

The N310 provides a 3-in-1 memory-card reader, 3 built-in USB ports and an Ethernet network jack. It also provides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth network adapters.

It is available in mint blue and sunset orange, and retails for Bt17,013 (VAT included), together with a free external DVD-RW drive worth Bt2,150.

Specifications: Samsung N310

Operation system: Windows XP Home

Processor: Intel Atom N280 (1.66GHz, 667MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache)

Main chipset: Intel 945GSE + ICH7M 

System memory: 1GB (DDR2/1GB x 1)

Memory slot: 1 x SODIMM 

Display: LCD 10.1-inch LED WSVGA Gloss 

Graphic processor: Intel GMA 950, sharing main memory

Speaker: 3W stereo speakers (1.5W x 2) 

Integrated camera: 1.3-megapixel Web camera 

HDD: 160GB (5400rpm S-ATA) 

Wired Ethernet LAN: 10/100 LAN 

Wireless LAN: 802.11bg

Bluetooth: Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) 

Dimensions: 262 x 184.5 x 28mm 

Weight: 1.23kg with 4-cell battery