Handy Computer Guide

A review of the Gateway P-7811FX gaming laptop has been posted over at ZDNet. 'The new P-7811FX manages to fix most of the issues we had with those earlier Gateway budget-gaming laptops. It bumps the processor all the way up to a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 and the Centrino 2 platform, adds Nvidia's new GeForce 9800M GTS graphics card, and ups the screen resolution to an HD-friendly 1,920x1,200. Amazingly, it does all of this for $1,449. Sure, the P-7811FX costs about $100 more than those previous models, but for the PC gamer on a budget, we don't know of a better deal on a laptop right now.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:39 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Gateway P-7811FX gaming laptop. 'Using the same design and color scheme as the P-6831FX, the P-7811FX is done up in a glossy black finish with a copper and silver trim. At 15.8 x 11.8 x 1.7 inches and 9.2 pounds, it’s a cool-looking chassis without too much bling. A checkerboard pattern and FX logo grace the lid, which opens to reveal a stunning 17-inch, high-resolution (1920 x 1200) widescreen display.

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A review of the Gateway FX4710 desktop PC has been posted over at ZDNet. 'The FX4710 features a brand-new case design from Gateway, although the differences between it and the previous chassis are mostly cosmetic; this Gateway has the same orange-and-black color scheme, which may verge on garish to some of you. The new case is roughly the same size as the older model, and almost all of the familiar expandability options remain, including a memory card reader, and USB, FireWire, and audio jacks on the front.

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CNET have published a review of the affordable Gateway T-6836 laptop. 'Aesthetics aside, the T-6836 feels sturdy, and we like that the lid attaches to the base via two extra-wide hinges. Its case is also a hair smaller than similar systems, such as the Dell Inspiron 1420-123B and the HP Pavilion dv2915nr. The Gateway T-6836's 14.1-inch screen also gives you a weight advantage over such 15.4-inch mainstream models as the Dell Inspiron 1525-122b and HP Pavilion dv6915nr. In exchange for sacrificing an inch (but no pixels) of screen size with the Gateway T-6836, you'll save a half-pound of weight.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:02 PM | Permalink

PC Magazine have published a review of the Gateway DX442XP multimedia desktop. ‘The DX442XP looks a lot like the rest of Gateway's current mainstream DX- and GT-series desktop PCs, with a pleasant yet nondescript front panel. A sliding door hides a pair of front USB ports, a headphone jack, and the slot for the Gateway multimedia removable hard drive. As I've said before, I don't like Gateway's removable drive. If you have to connect it to a PC that doesn't have a compatible drive bay (which basically means any non-Gateway PC, any laptop, and any Gateway desktop not equipped with the bay as well), you'll need to use the nonstandard USB cable that Gateway supplies. The cable has Type A connectors—the plugs that fit into the standard (rectangular) USB slots in your computer—at both ends, PC and drive, which is unusual. If you lose or forget this cable, you're out of luck.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:05 PM | Permalink

A review of the Gateway P-6860FX gaming laptop has been posted over at CNET. 'For $1,350 (the system is occasionally on sale for $1,299) the P-6860FX offers some decent upgrades from the earlier P-6831FX, bumping the RAM from 3GB to 4GB and the hard drive from 250GB to 320GB. The CPU also gets a slight upgrade to a 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo T5550, but the underpowered processor remains the one weak point. The P-6860 also includes the 64-bit version of Windows Vista, although you're unlikely to see any real advantages or disadvantages from that in everyday computing tasks or playing current games, until more software is specifically coded for 64-bit systems. Because 32-bit Windows can address only 3GB of RAM, the real advantage of using the 64-bit OS is the capability to use 4GB or more.'

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Laptop Magazine have published a review of the lightweight Gateway T-6828 Notebook. ‘The T-6828 keeps everything we loved about the larger, but otherwise near-identical, 15-inch M-150XL’s design. Our unit has a glossy Garnet Red lid and matching palm rest. At 5.6 pounds, the T-6828 is closer in weight to a mainstream machine than a thin-and-light, but it’s still lighter than many budget notebooks. The 13 x 9.8 x 1.3-inch body feels compact. It narrows to 1 inch thin, which is nice for this class of system.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:06 PM | Permalink

I4U News have published a review of the Gateway C-141x Convertable Tablet Notebook. 'One of the best features of the Gateway C-141X is the Wacom stylus that is included. It’s a big, beefy stylus that feels like a quality ink pen in your hand, not a cheap kids toy like some stylus’ you see on PDAs and tablets. The stylus works well and the Gateway C-141X accepts pen input well making handwriting on the notebook easy.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:15 PM | Permalink

CNET have published a review of the new Gateway P-6831FX 17-inch laptop. 'The interior is cast in black and gray, with the exception of a metallic copper border around the keyboard itself. The keyboard and separate number pad are generous with large, flat keys, but they're made of an especially glossy plastic, which picks up plenty of glare. Non-touch-typists may have a hard time seeing what key they're hitting. A standard touchpad sits below the keyboard, while above is Gateway's now-standard media control bar, with buttons cut right into the brushed metal border. These backlit media control and quick-launch buttons look cool, but it's sometimes hard to tell if you've pressed them hard enough. A touch-sensitive volume control bar is located to the left of these buttons--it looks cool but didn't provide quick-enough response for our tastes.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:23 PM | Permalink

A review of the Gateway P-171S gaming laptop has been posted over at ZDNet. ' The Gateway P-171XL FX lacks the glowing alien heads, flashing lights, and other "Hey, look at me!" flare of flashy 17-inch gaming rigs from Alienware or Dell,. It opts instead for a more subdued black finish that won't look out of place in your den or living room. The back of the lid has the system's most obvious branding, with a big FX logo splayed across it, similar to the one across the front of the desktop FX models. While it's a bit smaller and lighter than, say, the Dell XPS M1730, this is still a massive 17-inch desktop replacement, weighing almost 10 pounds, so don't expect to lug it around too often.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:09 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Gateway P-171XL FX Edition gaming laptop. 'Gateway packs the P-171XL with a full-sized, copper-bordered keyboard and number pad. We appreciated the large trackpad and included fingerprint reader. Five multimedia buttons, including DVD, Windows Media Center, and music quick-launch buttons, sit just above the keyboard. Each is flush with the surface and glows orange, making for a clean-looking package. A touch-button volume control was awesome for tweaking the volume on the fly.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:15 PM | Permalink

Digital Trends have published a review of the Gateway P-171XL FX Edition gaming laptop. 'Gateway has revamped its FX line of gaming desktop and laptop systems in hopes to take a bite of market share away from HP and Dell. We got our hands on the top-of-the-line P-171 XL FX notebook and came away extremely impressed. This is a flagship notebook with every next-gen component available, including NVIDIA’s new 8800 mobile GPU and a 2.8GHz dual-core Core 2 Extreme processor. Though Gateway has given it the usual “OEM” treatment in the form of lame trialware complete with “Try AOL” links on the desktop, the company has packed this notebook with so much performance and sassiness that we almost don’t mind.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:13 PM | Permalink

PC Magazine have published a review of the Gateway P-170L QS media-center laptop. 'Although large by any standard, the P-170L QS still isn't as heavy as some of its 17-inch competitors, namely the Dell Inspiron 1720 (8.8 pounds) and the Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV680 (9.9 pounds). The P-170L QS is actually middle-of-the-pack when it comes to weight, so the real battle to stand out is being waged over looks and price. The chassis design uses a process called In-Mold Decoration—similar to what HP has for its Pavilion laptops—in which decorative art can be molded underneath a smooth, glossy finish. The end result is a more mainstream appeal in contrast to the boring government-targeted designs seen on the Gateway M685-E. This refreshing new look can also be found on the Gateway M-150X, a 15.4-inch version of the P-170L QS.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:29 PM | Permalink

Digital Trends have published a review of the Gateway C-140 Tablet PC. 'The Gateway C-140/E-295C is one of only a few options for those looking at high-speed Tablet PCs. As a general rule, tablets with a 12” screen house slower, power-saving processors, as do any slate form-factor options (PCS with no keyboard section, only a large tablet screen). The C-140/E-295C recognizes that there are people out there that want a powerful Tablet PC, capable of launching PowerPoint presentations in seconds, or crunching a large Excel spreadsheet before the next ice age, however. Bearing this in mind, with a 14” screen and plenty of processor options to choose from, Gateway’s latest nicely fills a niche within what is in itself already something of a niche market.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:36 PM | Permalink

Digital Trends have published a review of the Gateway One all-in-one computer system. 'Without a doubt, the main and most exciting feature of the Gateway One is the newly designed, super thin all-in-one body. The computer looks like a glossy obsidian monolith from the front. The LCD panel is inset by about 1/8”, but the clear Plexiglas face makes the screen look flush against the shiny surface. The computer is only a few inches thick, just like an LCD TV. It has no extraneous feet or risers - it just rests nicely flat against your work space. The overall dimensions of the Gateway One: 17.4” tall, 18” wide and 1.5” thick at the top and about 4” thick at the base. The body weighs about 22 lbs. The Gateway One model GZ7220 comes with a super-speedy Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 processor up to 2.0GHz with an 800MHz bus. Our test model has the 2.0GHz processor and 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 RAM. The Gateway One can be upgraded to 4GB RAM, which makes it absolutely scream.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:18 PM | Permalink

Jerry Jackson writing over at Notebook Review has posted a review of the Gateway M-6816 Notebook. 'The M-6816 features a striking all-new design with a "graphic-inlay premium finish," that looks quite similar to the Imprint Finish on the latest generation of HP notebooks. That said, Gateway's choice of dark spots which gradually fade away is much more subtle than anything we've seen in HP's Imprint Finish. The M-6816 appears durable, with an eye-catching design thanks in no small part to the thick plastics and metal accents. Integrated above the notebook's keyboard is a brushed-metal multimedia control panel, featuring smooth-cut keys in a "tooth" pattern and a touch-sensitive volume adjustment.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:17 PM | Permalink

A review of the Gateway One all-in-one desktop PC has ben posted over at CNET. ‘The sleek, glossy black Gateway One is not the first all-in-one from Gateway, but it's definitely the best looking. At 17.5 inches tall, 18.3 inches wide, and 3.5 inches from front to back, it takes up less space than the 7.25-inch-deep iMac. The trimmer footprint is due to an unexpectedly sturdy support on the back of the Gateway One, that actually recalls the design of Apple's old Cinema Displays. As with those bygone LCDs, you can stand the Gateway One up at an almost a 90-degree angle or tilt it back by roughly 45 degrees. The Gateway One also does a better job than the iMac of preserving its aura of wireless techno-calm. In addition to the obligatory RF wireless mouse and keyboard, the single cable coming from the rear of the system goes down to a power brick. But on that brick you'll also find a collection of USB, digital audio, networking, and other inputs.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:41 PM | Permalink

Tablet PC Review have published a review of the Gateway C-140x Convertible Notebook. ‘The overall build quality is very solid, which was a concern. The screen swivels to slate mode fluidly without wobble. The hinge feels very sturdy, not flimsy, as it is made from metal alloy attached to a magnesium super-structure. However, I find myself constantly trying to swivel it in the wrong direction, and I wish it were bi-directional. For example, if I want to show the person sitting to my left something on my screen I have to turn the entire laptop. Although annoying, my guess is that the size of the screen prevented the use of a bi-directional hinge because it would not have been sturdy enough.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:31 PM | Permalink

Tablet PC Review have published a “First Look” review of the Gateway E-295C/C-140 Tablet PC. ‘The E-295C has a solid design and I like the matte black finish because it hides all those annoying fingerprints. The E-295C and C-140x are the same Tablet PC. The E-295C is just targeted toward the education sector and the C-140x is for the consumer market. They have the same design and features, just a few different optional features and upgrades. The chassis is solid and so is the keyboard, but there is flex in the screen due to the hinge. The screen wobbles a little, not side to side though, just front to back.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:36 PM | Permalink

IT Reviews have published a review of the Gateway MT6839b Notebook. ‘The MT6839b is a well featured notebook with Microsoft's latest Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed, and carries a quite reasonable price tag of £599. At the heart of the MT6839b lies an Intel Core 2 Duo T5300 processor clocked at 1.73GHz and backed by a generous 2GB of 533MHz DDR2 memory, so while it may not be a speed demon there's plenty of grunt to do all of your home and home office jobs. And that's pretty much all you'll be doing, as the integrated Intel GMA950 graphics (sharing up to 224MB of system memory) limits any games-playing potential.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:44 PM | Permalink

A review of the affordable Gateway MT6839b laptop has been posted over at – Pocket-Lint. ‘The screen is a 15.4-inc Super-TFT panel so images look amazing. We spent some time editing photos on this notebook and the colour reproduction was highly impressive, making the task a lot easier. Graphics are integrated, so you won’t be able to sit down and play any games, but it’s the only sacrifice you’ll make choosing a budget machine. The screen allows plenty of room for a good near-full sized keyboard. We found this a pleasure to use, the keys having being well-spaced and with plenty of travel.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:21 PM | Permalink

James William Hegg writing over at Notebook Review has posted a review of the affordable Gateway MT6705 Notebook. 'Gateway packed the MT6705 in their standard box. They wrapped it in an industrial-strength plastic bag. Two styrofoam pads flanked the ends. A separate box with three compartments sat adjacent. They housed the battery, charger, and documentation. A thin pad lay between the keyboard and display to prevent scratches. The notebook's dimensions are 1.4'' (H) x 14.1'' (W) x 10.4'' (D). It weighs 6.24 pounds. The instructions recommended I charge at least three hours prior to use. While charging I explored the documentation which included Windows Vista Home Premium and Anytime Upgrade DVDs, a setup guide, a flier offering a Microsoft Office 2007 60-day trial, and numerous advertisements.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:48 AM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Gateway NX570X (Core 2 Duo) laptop. ‘Our test unit came with the optional matte 15.4-inch high-res widescreen (1400 x 1050 pixels); you can instead opt for a glossy 1280 x 800-pixel panel and save $100. The higher-res screen makes sense if you'll load all sorts of widgets for the Vista Home Premium OS and have them floating off to the right, but DVD playback will look more vibrant on the glossy panel. Audio output is passable for personal use, but the speakers sounded thinner and weaker than the audio delivered by the Dell and HP entries.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:04 PM | Permalink

A review of the Gateway MT6839b notebook has been posted over at Computeractive. 'The 15.4in widescreen display has a glossy coating to improve contrast. It also proudly boasts ‘Ultrabright Widescreen’ and, while evenly lit, the screen is actually a little dimmer than on more expensive notebooks. The left side of the notebook is home to a multi format DVD writer and cooling vent that keeps the unit noticeably cool and quiet. The right side houses four USB ports, network and modem sockets, a memory card reader that caters for SD, MMC, Xd Picturecard and Sony Memorystick but not Compact Flash. There’s also a Firewire port that makes it easy to connect a digital camcorder.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:26 PM | Permalink

Digital Trends have publsihed their review of the Gateway E-155C ultraportable notebook. 'Base features include the 12.1” WXGA LCD with sunlight readability filter and ambient light sensor, which was pretty clear during both indoor and outdoor viewing. Outdoor viewing was especially clear for a laptop, though, as expected, colors were significantly washed out. The onboard Intel GMA950 won’t win any F.E.A.R. matches, but then again, this isn’t a gaming machine. The only processor option is the Core 2 Duo ULV U7500, clocked at 1.06GHz. We found the processor to be capable of most applications, though there was some borderline significant lag on OneNote during digitizing. Ram is under-clocked to 533 MHZ to reduce power consumption, and offered at up to 3GB (our model had 1G

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:23 PM | Permalink

PC Magazine have published a review of the Gateway E-265M business laptop, 'Gateway's new E-265M ($2,100 direct) is a sturdy mainstream laptop with a classic black exterior, a switch from the previous edition's bland silver. The real makeover, however, is inside, thanks to Intel's new Centrino Duo (code-named "Santa Rosa") platform. Performance is the big ticket for business professionals, as well as many consumers, and in that area, the E-265M comes through.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 5:24 AM | Permalink

A review of the Gateway C120X "Convertible" notebook has been posted over at Notebook Review. 'The C120X has a nice design, but forgoes being too gawdy or flashy. Gateway didn't go with a glossy lid or white keyboard with this Tablet, like we saw with the Toshiba R400, instead they went with a classy flat black finish that almost looks grey. Combined with the metallic accents around the hinge area, this Tablet has a professional and sturdy appearance. More importantly the C120X has a solid build to support that sturdy look. The high-impact magnesium alloy casing and reinforced hinge help to make this a sturdy device, but the screen hinge is a little wobbly. I would have liked a stronger hinge to minimize the screen wobbling, but this is much tougher to implement on tablets than regular notebooks that have the advantage of two hinge points.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:26 PM | Permalink

A review of the "The Thin & Light Convertible" Gateway E-155C portable PC has been posted over at Tablet PC Review. ‘The E-155C has a nice design, but forgoes being too gawdy or flashy. Gateway didn't go with a glossy lid or white keyboard with this Tablet, like we saw with the Toshiba R400, instead they went with a classy flat black finish that almost looks grey. Combined with the metallic accents around the hinge area, this Tablet has a professional and sturdy appearance. More importantly the E-155C has a solid build to support that sturdy look. The high-impact magnesium alloy casing and reinforced hinge help to make this a sturdy device, but the screen hinge is a little wobbly. I would have liked a stronger hinge to minimize the screen wobbling, but this is much tougher to implement on tablets than regular notebooks that have the advantage of two hinge points.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:56 AM | Permalink

Mark Kyrnin, About.com's guide to PC Hardware / Reviews, has reviewed the affordable Gateway MT6451notebook. 'While Gateway's direct sales notebooks use Intel Core 2 Duo processors, the retail models use the AMD processors. For the MT6451 notebook, Gateway uses the AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-50 dual core processor. This gives improved multitasking ability, but the overall performance is below that of the Intel Core 2 Duo models. A nice improvement over other budget notebooks is the inclusion of faster PC2-5300 DDR2 memory compared to the PC2-4200 DDR2 typically used. This helps improve memory access performance.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:54 PM | Permalink

Trusted Reviews have published their review of the affordable Gateway GM5066B desktop PC. 'Today I’m looking at one of Gateway’s new line of PCs that ships with Windows Vista preinstalled. Being the Home Premium version of Microsoft’s latest OS, the PC has a strong emphasis on multimedia, with the inclusion of a TV tuner card and Windows Media Center remote. Also, rounding out the multimedia buzzword credentials of the PC, it conforms to Intel’s Viiv standard. However, the GM5066B isn’t a Media Center PC that you would expect to sit quietly under your TV and is more of a typical family all-rounder, just with a few bells and whistles added on.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:05 PM | Permalink