Gateway Laptops Review – Gateway Laptop Series, History, Trend and Positioning

Many longtime computer users acknowledge the fact that Gateway has been a major competitor in the computer world for much of the existence of personal computers. Gateway has long been heralded as one of the highest quality products on the market and has also been highly praised for its attention to customer needs and support. In recent years, Gateway’s focus has shifted somewhat from being a custom computer maker to offering mass-produced and marketed machines that in turn appeal to a larger share of the general public. This does not mean, however, that they are not worth a good look at. Gateway laptops still have a reasonable share of the laptop market. That said, they shouldn’t be discounted by people in the market for a new machine.

Gateway laptops are well-designed, full-featured computers that have the added visual appeal that many are looking for. Designed with a sleek casing, bright colors and patterns, Gateway laptops have a satisfyingly modern feel. A host of USB ports on all models let you connect what you need without lugging around additional hubs, and the addition of a built-in webcam on all but the cheapest models offers the ease of video communication. instant wherever you are.

Gateway laptops really shine with the P series, which is their best performer and well-equipped for anything you want to throw at it when it comes to entertainment. Taking it a step further is the P-FX series, which has all the extras a gamer is sure to love. A 17″ HD widescreen display, standard HDMI output for direct connection to your HD display, 5-in-1 media card reader, high-performance graphics card, and super-fast Intel Core 2 Duo processor make this series perfect for any thing to keep in mind Starting at $900 and going up to the top end of $2000, this series is very competitively priced.

With mobility being emphasized more and more these days, Gateway offers its solution in the form of a convertible that offers all the features of a laptop, as well as the pen-and-paper ease of a tablet. The C-series is really just a laptop that can double as a tablet, with the addition of a swivel-and-swivel-style display. For those looking for compact and subcompact type PCs, they’ll have to look elsewhere; however, if you want the added functionality of a point-click-draw surface, the C-series does just fine. Packed with a 14″ screen and weighing in at just over 6 pounds, this is really just a full laptop in disguise. It’s offered in multiple configurations from $1,000 to $1,200.

For money-conscious shoppers, you’ll find that Gateway laptops sit comfortably in the mid to mid-high ranges when it comes to pricing. However, you might be surprised to find that Gateway laptops only offer Intel processors, and since Intel chips do a good deal more of the switching than their AMD counterparts, you won’t be able to compare Gateway to other manufacturers that offer the option of less expensive AMD chip. The bang for the buck works pretty well though, as what you get for your money should satisfy most computer users.

Gateway laptops offer these different series:

• M – S Series – Intel Core 2 Duo T5550, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 15.4″ WXGA Display $900
• M – X Series – Intel Core 2 Duo T5450, 2GB RAM, 250GB HD, 15.4″ WXGA Display $1100
• M – XL Series – Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 3GB RAM, 160GB HD, 15.4″ WXGA Display $1300
• P-172x – Intel Core 2 Duo T5550, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 17″ WXGA+ Display $1000
• P-172s FX – Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, 3GB RAM, 160GB HD, 17″ WXGA+ Display $1400
• P-172x FX – Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, 17″ WUXGA Display $2000
• C-141x: Intel Dual Core T2330, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 14″ Widescreen $1000
• C-142xl: Intel Core 2 Duo T8300, 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 14″ Widescreen $1,300