After tons of research and considering the Windows OS, RAM, keyboard size, and screen appearance, I decided to purchase the Samsung N230, which is one of Samsung's newer models. Overall, I am extremely happy with it.
I won't bore you with the specs of the machine, which you can easily find on the retail sites that sell the netbook. I will say that Sammynetbook.com is a great resource if you do decide on a Samsung. Since the N230 was fairly new, I couldn't find many deals or applicable coupons, and ended up purchasing through a back-to-school sale on Buy.com. I used an American Express card for the warranty and purchased through ebates.com for cash back.
Shipping was super fast through Buy.com and they sent several emails notifying me of my order status (much appreciated - especially for such a big purchase). On first handling, the netbook is tiny! It's only 2.2 pounds and the top cover is a shiny black (picked up a ton of fingerprints, but since I planned to use it within a case, this was not an issue). I installed the new RAM straight from the package, and before I even turned the netbook on (it took less than 5 minutes). The initial setup is somewhat complicated, as you have to partition the hard drive (I believe we accepted Samsung's suggested partitioning). Next, I installed MS Office and Stata 11, but not before setting up a network with our existing PC. Husband set this up, and it appeared to be easy (Windows walks you through the steps). The great thing about having the network is that I can share files and programs quickly and on a regular basis, through our home wireless setup.
The netbook itself is easy to type on, with a keyboard that is 93% the size of a standard keyboard (and good spacing between the keys). Samsung boasted a crazy battery life of 7 hours with a 3-cell battery on this thing (and over 13 hours with a 6-cell battery...it's unclear to me whether this is available in the US just yet), and so far it hasn't let me down. Admittedly, I can't comment much on the touchpad since I use a USB mouse, but it does seem a little tricky to get used to. The screen resolution is good - takes a little getting used to - and if I have a particularly long day in front of the screen, my eyes do feel tired. On a typical day, I'll have running Google Chrome, Stata 11, and MS Word, and never feel that anything is slow (I have even opened programs beyond that and they work, despite hearing complaints that W7S only runs up to 3 programs simultaneously.
Obviously, the N230 is a dream to travel with...easily slipping into a tote bag or even a large purse. I never remove it from the case to avoid scratches and damage (although I don't feel that the machine is at all overly delicate). As far as the case, I purchased this option from Slappa. It's a tad heavier and thicker than the ubiquitous neoprene sleeves, but is water-resistant, super durable, and even has my initial on it (ha)!
At $400 retail, it's at the higher end of netbook costs, but despite the price, I'm confident that I bought a solid machine that will last for a while (unlike the pieceofcrap Dell). Don't be put off by the marketing...the Samsung website features two women sitting on a blanket in an urban park, laughing as they glance at the screen. I guess they are hoping that young professional women on-the-go will be the target here? Even though the campaign is flighty, the machine is definitely not.
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