A Netbook Worth Buying: Samsung's N120

It's been nearly two years since the first netbook, the Asus Eee PC 4G, became available to U.S. consumers. Even so, I just bought my first netbook, the Samsung N120. Why did I wait so long? (Several reasons.) And was it worth the wait? (Absolutely.)

Why I Waited

I don't buy first-generation hardware, as a rule. Why pay money to be a beta tester? So I waited while Asus, along with other computer makers such as Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, pushed out their first-generation netbooks.

As second- and third-generation netbooks appeared, I still refrained. Despite their low prices (often $400 and under), the netbooks I tested came with too many compromises: cramped keyboards, awkward touchpad buttons, and batteries that wound down too quickly (in some cases, in under 2 hours).

Then Samsung jumped into the U.S. netbook market with the NC10, a promising entry that's currently number six on our Top 10 Netbooks chart. I was intrigued by its long battery life (6 hours, 54 minutes in our tests), its keyboard that's 93-percent full-sized (compared to 88 to 92 percent of most netbook keyboards), and other features. But it was Samsung's maiden netbook voyage, so I held off.

In recent months, though, Samsung has been prolific in the netbook department, pushing out new models such as the N110 and N120.
I finally made my move, buying a black N120 from J&R.com for $410. FYI: As a California resident, I didn't have to pay sales tax, and ground shipping was free. Another advantage of buying from J&R.com: The site offers a 30-day return policy; and it doesn't charge a restocking fee, unless you return the item without all its original pieces and packaging. (For more on return policies, see "Navigating Return Policies for Netbooks and Mobile Gear.")
Why I Bought the Samsung N120

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