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Many
longtime computer users recognize the fact that Gateway has been a major
contender in the computer world for much of the personal computer’s existence.
Gateway was long heralded as one of the highest quality products on the market
and was also highly praised for their attention to customer needs and support.
In recent years, Gateway’s focus has changed a little from being a custom
computer builder to offering mass marketed and mass manufactured machines that
in turn appeal to a greater portion of the general public. This doesn’t mean,
however, that they aren’t worth a good looking. Gateway laptops still hold a
reasonable share of the portable market. This being said, they shouldn’t be
discounted by people in the market for a new machine.
Gateway
laptops are well designed and full featured computers that have the extra visual
appeal that many look for. Designed with a sleek housing, bright colors and
patterns, Gateway laptops have a satisfyingly modern feel. A generous number of
USB ports on all models allow you to connect what you need without carrying
additional hubs around, and the addition of a built in webcam in all but the
most budget oriented models offers the ease of instant video communication
wherever you are.
Gateway
laptops really shine with the P series, which is their top performer, and is
well equipped for whatever you want to throw at it as far as entertainment goes.
Taking a step further is the P-FX series, which has all the extras that a gamer
is sure to love. A 17” high definition wide screen, standard HDMI output for
hookup straight to your HD screen, 5-in-1 media card reader, high performance
graphics card and extra fast Intel Core 2 Duo processor make this series perfect
for anything you have in mind. Starting at $900 and moving all the way up to the
high end at $2000, this series is very competitively priced.
With
mobility being stressed more and more these days, Gateway offers their solution
in the form of a convertible that offers all of the features of a laptop, as
well as the pen-and-paper ease of a tablet PC. The C series is really just a
laptop that can operate as a tablet PC, with the addition of a rotate and flip
style screen. For those searching for compact and sub-compact type PCs, you will
have to look to other manufacturers, however, if you want the additional
functionality of a point, click and draw surface, the C series does this quite
nicely. Equipped with a 14” screen and weighing in at just over 6 lbs, this one
is really just a full laptop in disguise. Offered in multiple configurations
from $1000 to $1200
For money
conscious buyers, you will find that Gateway laptops fall comfortably in the
middle to middle high ranges as far as pricing goes. You might be surprised
though to find that Gateway laptops only offer Intel processors and, being that
Intel chips run a good chunk of change higher than their AMD counterparts, you
will not be able to compare Gateway to other manufacturers that offer the option
of the less expensive AMD chip. The bang for your buck factor works out pretty
well though, as what you get for your money should satisfy most everyday
computer users.
Gateway laptops offer these
different series:
- M series – S - Intel Core 2 Duo T5550, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 15.4” WXGA Screen $900
- M series – X - Intel Core 2 Duo T5450, 2GB RAM, 250GB HD, 15.4” WXGA Screen $1100
- M series – XL - Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 3GB RAM, 160GB HD, 15.4” WXGA Screen $1300
- P-172x – Intel Core 2 Duo T5550, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 17” WXGA+ Screen $1000
- P-172s FX – Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, 3GB RAM, 160GB HD, 17” WXGA+ Screen $1400
- P-172x FX – Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, 17” WUXGA Screen $2000
- C-141x – Intel Dual-Core T2330, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 14” Widescreen $1000
- C-142xl – Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 3GB RAM, 250GB HD, 14” Widescreen $1300
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