Samsung Q330 laptop review

The baby of Samsung's Q series laptops, the Q330 boasts a combination of full functionality coupled with portability for on-the-go use.

Weighing in at 1.97kg, though, means on first picking up the device there is a bit of a surprise at the bulk of the thing. It's clear that this is definitely a laptop, not a netbook.

That said, it's still highly portable and with dimensions of 329mm x 229mm x 32mm it can be easily moved around with the screen open, or carried under the arm, making it ideal for use in the office or out and about.

The portable aspect of the Q330 is helped by Samsung's promise that it will last up to five hours on a single charge. We tested it under normal working conditions and it got impressively close to the five-hour mark.

So, for business users who frequently travel, the laptop is off to a good start, and the specs aren’t bad either.

The Core-i3 350M processor clocked at 2.26GHz isn’t the fastest processor out there, but it’s certainly capable of meeting the needs of most business users and the preinstalled Windows 7 Home Premium ran smoothly. Similarly, an HD movie demo on the laptop opened instantly and ran without any pauses or stuttering.

Trial versions of McAfee aren’t uncommon on laptops, and given recent developments you’re even more likely to see this software preinstalled on Intel-based laptops.

Small laptops often have problems expelling hot air generated by the processor and other components. Thankfully the laptop’s fans are barely audible, although it did get a tad warm on the underside, meaning you probably wouldn't to work off your lap for too long.

The display is clear, crisp and sharp, with the Q330 boasting a 13.3in glossy LED-backlit screen. This allows the device to run full-screen HD video with excellent clarity.

However, the inbuilt webcam is only 0.3-megapixels, which is a touch disappointing, but it is perfectly adequate for video conferencing.