Hands-on with Samsung N310, One Sweet Netbook

Samsung keeps pumping out winning netbooks, and the N310 might be the company’s best one yet in the 10-inch category. Although the specs are standard fare–Intel Atom N270, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive–I was mightily impressed by the design of this device when I went hands-on with it at CTIA today. The look and feel is both stylish and solid. When you pick up the N310, you notice right away that it has a sort of rubberized finish, which makes the netbook seem more durable than its predecessors. I also like the wide range of color options, including Turquoise Blue, Orange, Blue, and Black. The embossed Samsung logo on the lid is a nice touch. I’m also a big fan of the keyboard. It’s an isolated layout, like you’ll find on the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE, but this keyboard seems even roomier. The touchpad is decently sized, and the single mouse button was very responsive. Other specs include 3 USB ports, SRS sound, a 10-inch (1024 x 600 display), and a 3-in-1 card reader. But the feature I’m most excited about is the up to 11 hours of endurance promised by the six-cell battery. Assuming the N310 is priced competitively, I think this could be one of the best 10-inch netbooks of the year.  Check out the pictures and video below.