Samsung NP-Q320 Laptop

Problem number one is the backlit LED screen. Given its 1366-by-768-pixel resolution and at 13.4-inch-diagonal size, you'd expect such a screen to save power and perhaps improve color or contrast. But the NP-Q320's screen doesn't show colors or contrast ratio very well. Images look slightly washed out at maximum brightness, and blacks are not quite black enough. And unfortunately, as you lower the brightness level, the contrast gets worse. The poor range of vertical viewing angles leads me to believe that the NP-Q320 uses a six-bit TN (twisted nematic) panel--a regrettably common component in budget-conscious laptops.

For many people, the pricing sweet spot for the perfect laptop is between $800 and $1000. Full-fledged yet svelte, Samsung's NP-Q320 all-purpose notebook ($949 as of September 10, 2009) has the muscle to serve as your primary work/school/home computer. The laptop is compact and light enough (4.8 pounds) not to break your back, it has a 13.4-inch screen that you don't need to squint at, and it's powerful enough to run most major applications well. Still, this nice all-purpose laptop suffers from a couple of minor usability problems.



The keyboard is easy to type on, and the trackpad is responsive and accurate, with left and right buttons that permit accurate no-look pressing. Some keys (such as Alt and Ctrl) are a bit narrow, evidently to make room for a seemingly unnecessary menu key to the right of the spacebar. Still, for its size, I found this notebook comfortable to work on.